The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-05
AS AUCFIONTERS.
roo, AND BUFFALO BILL.
FOR BARNABEE BENEFIT.
YEARLY $4,000 Raised for the Lambs
testimonial TO VIZ and Mrs. Barnabee
and Mrs. Macdonald Marie Dressier
and Lillian Russell Help To sen seats.

fnCnOlOgue stunts 10 a ONue nOusc HUN
the stage Of the Broadway Theatre yester-
day afternoon and sold boxes and seats
for the coming testimonial benefit perform
snce which the Lambs have arranged for
Mr.. and Mrs. Henry Clay Barnabee and Mrs.
William Macdonald. The actor and actor
inc auctioneers sold boxes at prices rang
ing from $50 TO 500 and they gave away
reluctantly pairs of orchestra seats at $3.50
q throw.
From half past 3 O'Clock until the broiled
live lobster s~toRere-begsn to fire up the
auction went on and the buyers and the
merely curious sat on the job till the big
black and white diagram board on the
stage was covered, With pencil marks.
Whole towns in the West bid for seats-or
rather agents bid III the names of the towns
and toe actor folk. composers, clubs in
this and other oi,ies and baseball teams
doomed large in the scat buying.
; Clay-M. Greene tried to write down the
names. seat numbers and amounts all at
the san 20 time and in a very short while
came ne ur going down for the third time
beneath the food Of higher mathematics.
Marie DR., sssler Just filed a box on the side
lines. dire ssed in black af airs and sur
mounted with black blooms like Vesuvius
in eruption,, and he wore shoulder length
white kid tSoves thar many mistook for
Colonial coli mns upholdIng the box. BY
crovding a bit Anna Held later worked
into one corner of the box with Miss Dress
Ter. but when the airy fairy Lillian arrived.
"a the shades of night were falling, Miss
Russell found there wasn't room Tor her
and her hat in Mat box.
Miss Held VIC Ce the fall crop Of some
ostrich farm and Lillian had drawn largely
on the Bronx b ~2tanical gardens, the zoo
and some bits plhoked here and there in
the AQUARIUM AMI had bad the whole fash-
Toned into a lid.
Bob Hiliard was content with a single
white o~arnation aSt a decoration when no
came out on the stage and said that II Mr..
Baruabee and Mrs.. Macdonald had the
sol 900 that people owed them there would
be no need for tie benefit performance.
He then said that Miss DRESSER, Miss Russell
and the other auctioneers had sent him
out 10 sell the first box because OF their
shrinking timidity and modesty. He said
he would start the choice of boxes at $3.50.
It was worth more than taat, urged Mr..
billiard, to see only that number of the
coDfr.z performance which consists of
John Drew and William Gillette in a side
walk conversation spiel. A very well act.
this. in fact a scream, that would be inter
suersed with buck and wing dancing by
Gillette and funny sayings by John Drew.
The first choice went TO George Elkins Tor
ESQ.
A large gold horseshoe watch charm
thea came on tn esta9e, back of which was
Buffalo ILL. Mr. CoAy had discarded his
old time " lid West NJ arcelled locks for
short gray hair. He got nd OF the next
box, winch henry alker bought for $500,
a. onIyn .un To-.
RAYMOND Hitchcock. Mr.. Hitchcock also
had a box for tale whnh, he said, " as
equipped with gil4ed chairs, old rose tapes
tries and which permitted the occupants
TO be seen from any part OF the mouse;
After MIR. Hitchcock had shed the fur lined
oost--the coat he wore in the amous PIC
ture he had taken while standing beside
Richard Harding Davis, who has one to
match-he drew attention to the fact that
at the coming benefit Lillian Russell Will
do a ground and lofty tumbliag act hat
has never been seen north OF b ourteenth
street. Miss Dressler viii give an m
-personation OF the entire chorus OF the
Hippodrome apd Victor Herbert VIII sur
prise his admirers with a neat tight wire
act. Mhereupon George hessler bought
the box hurrieoly for $3.50.
Scene shifters now got on the job and
made an opening for Marie Dressler. who
tumbled on the stage with compliant that
Buzz ao Bill had pushed her back Of the seem
cry. Miss Dressler made a fearful appeal and
when some one then had the nerve TO offer
her a measley lit tie bid of only $500 to st art
a box the lady wept with modification.
After all the daI n fool speech I've made,
tool And that Hitchcock got $3.50 for his n.
I'm sore, vGy sore and panied. Wonder
II I-pardon that cough, but I'm really
coughing better to day. don't you Think.
$3.50 did / hear2 Now, who did that? What
$500? There isn't that rauch money, child.
oh, very well, If you INSIST. and sold to Mr..
Fred + lower for $500
Jimmie Powers sppea'ed next, pointing
a revolve at the a ndience. He sold a box
for 800 to H. P. Whitaker, and next put
the suit Of clothes he was wearing up, but
with no tax ers. Mr.. billiard said then
there would be no more boxes sold with the
exception Of n other, also bought by
TO out OF town people who had sent in high
bids by mail.
Then Sam Bernard got down to the real
work OF the day-tlse selling OF the seats
gavel which, he saih was officially known
IN the best ,-aucti2neering circles as a
crrrrraok er. Armed with his crrrrracker
he knocked down the first choice Of seats
to Frank Mckee. who paid $3.50 for two
land, Ore with Brandon Hurst acting
as agent, bought a sat next for 300, and
Immediately gave Il back TO be- sold again.
Richard Garfield then paid 500 for the same
seat and also returntd it for future sale.
w lN WI AAA[t A4bA@A
20 sell the seat a third time General Man
ager Bob billiard directed that thef future
sale of the seat be deferred while the crowd
got a chance at the rest Of the house.
Marie DRESSER paid 500 for the third
choice Of seats. William Collier bought an
other ior~ 500, which he will raf1e of for
$500 in Philadelphia, where he Is playing
his week. Victor Herbert paid $500 for
two seats in amy old place and the Alibi
Club Of Washington, Charles Gates, o
Weber and many others paid 800 for seats.
When Dan Hanna bought a seat for $50
Mr.. Hilliard announced that the contribu-
ZION OF the late Senator Hanna's family
was really $3.50. Once when the Bos-
tonians were in trouble, said Mr.. billiard.
Senator Hanna had lsnt Mr.. Barnabes IS 900
and yesterday Mrs. Hanna had returned
the note for the money as heE contribution.
10 wac Just four and one-half minutes
after 5 when Lillian Russell came on the
stage arrayed like the lilies Of the field.
They permitted Miss Russell to sell one of
the boxes TOR $500 to Fred Flower and then
the National LeAgue baseball clubs Of New
York, Sta Louis and Pittsburg and many
individuals scattered about the house
bought single seats and pairs all the way
from 500 TO $40.