The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-02
BY toby HAMILTON.
cppgrpAt. loo7. Dv 2. F. Hsmn0n.

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Copyrohf. 1907. BY n, r, Hamilton.
The complimentary ticket and pas
question hos been for q long time a delicate
and most vexatious problems with all shows
theatrical as we'll az CIRCUS. While the
theatrical managers All tho newspapers
with their just complaints on this head,
their grievance Is but as a drop TO the
bueketful OF the circus man.
II seerns 70 be generally believed tha {.
owing to the large seating capacity and
snormous profits Of the circus, pass tickets
Of admission can make nc serious diff
ference to the Snowman. People forget
that ticket sales form the only source of
revenue in the business.
In the managers office tickets are re-
parded Just the same as the cash they
represent; as stock in trade. the same as
merchant regards his goods on the shelves.
They are so accounted for in the ticket
wagons and in the hands Of agents on the
road. Nobody connected with the show
has a right to give away his employers
money without the latter's express con-
seat. though the discretion Of exchange
must necessarily be placed in a good many
hands, and this discretion is sometimes
much abused.
This peculiar idea OF the commercial
yorthlessness TO the showman) Of circus
tickets pervades all classes, from the top
down to the yardman Of a country rail-
vay station. must admit that the show
men themselves. by their lavish distribu-
ton Of free tic kets everywhere and on
slight occasion, nave created and fostered
this pe%rnicious idea.
Many times tickets are given to avoid
or prevent veXatious or annoying troubles.
The daily record of tickets issued for one
thing or another sometimes is staggering.
The railroad contractor. who goes out
ahead of everybody else. has all the rail-
way officials and employees to satisfy,
from president down to station agent.
The general contracting agent who follows
must make himself solid with billposters,
liverylnen and practically everybody with
whom he deals.
The h~illposters formerly demanded 200
tickets in one town. 100 in another, fifty in
another, and so on, at their own sweet will;
now the Billposters' Association has de-
creed that the number Of circus tickets shall
he regulated by the population Of the place
where the show exhibits. As all work done
for the circus is always paid at the highest
labor rates for such work, this additional
compensation is pure graft.
Then the treasurer OF the show gives
tickets to the police, from chief down
to such patrolmen as may be as
signed to the circus, and il sometimes
seems as il the entire force were on the
circus grounds. There are Aldermen, court
house politicians, members of the fire de-
partment, DO, who must be tipped more
or less literally. In addition there are the
friends Of the managers. Of the agents,
and in fact everybody who knows or thinks
be knows anybody with the show,
which In his opinion entities him to a free
admission.
Probably Albany, N. Y, is the worst city
In the country when it comes to compli-
mentary tickets. On one occasion we
had out in that city OF graft LOO free
tickets and showed there but one day.
II there had been opposition the free list
would have run up to 1900. Every official
in Albany, from Governor to hostler in an
engine house, considers himself entitled to
free admission to a circus.
For every Autograph hung in a shop
window one to three tickets must be given
up, and likewise for the board or banner
or any other privilege obtained. This
makes every car manager a distributor OF
free tickets, and sometimes this agent is
grievously beset by grafters.
have known the yardmen at a railway
station 10 demand tickets for themselves
and families. and this being refused to fill
the oil boxes with sand so that for days
afterward the car ran with hot boxes. 1
have known engineers Of switch engines.
after a like refusal, 10 monkey with the
car by attaching it to the engine and using
it as a buffer in making up trains. prevent
ing the agent from doing his work.
Car inspectors also be fixed. other
wise they may order the car to the shop
'for REPAIRS" and entail a loss Of several
days in the cars schedule.
Hotel clerks are most persistent beggars
for free tickets. on the ground that they
can influence guests to attend the show.
This custom has been created by the theatre
cal agents, who distribute their favors also
to head walters. chambermaids and other
people who serve them personally. but who
have not the slightest claim on the courtesy
Of the show. 1t is encouraged by the local
manager who is too blind 20 see that the
same liberality on the part of his rivals
leaves all on the same footing, 80 far as the
hotel clerks supposed influence lie con-
cerned.
Tho hotel clerk may or may not care
about attending the theatres but his passes
are good at the bar for so many drinks and
cigars-if he doesn't sell them outright to
guests OF the house. Sometimes. however,
the hotel clerk earns his free tickets by
valuable information given to the circus
man within his gates, particularly II there
is a circus fight in progress.
Ia tho old days when the circus went
from town to town in wagons the hotel
clerk really was an important individual.
He was the local encyclopedia and was
consulted for the local business conditions.
accommodations. &c.
Sometimes the whole show drove into
tie hotel yard, aud managers, performers,
and canvasmen took possession OF the
house for the day. In that case the hotel
proprietor and his family, the hotel clerks
and all hands got their quota Of free tickets.
TIE landlord considered himself the legal
guardian Of his guests. not only providing
for their comfort, but taking part in the
show councils and doing his best to render
Ihatr ...ss -. ---GNakl-