Evening star., 1909-05-16
The Ticket Nuisance.

please buy ticket for this concert!
am trying to win a prize for selling the
largest number
That is one Of the formulas used In
the ticket nuisance. which af1licts society
today In q variety Of forms. The speaker
is usually child, often q bright-faced
girl with q persuasive smile. The ticket
is only quarter, and few men will feel
so cheap as to refuse a child 25 cents
worth OF pleasure. Besides, 1t Is pos
sible that the cause may be worthy, or
maybe the child Is seriously in need Of
gold medal prize, or will perish IL not
given a good chance to win an automobile
or suburban lot. So the game is an
easy one to work, especially IL the child
Is the least bit bashful or has the sug-
gestion Of q lisp.
But 1t Is not confined to the juveniles,
this ticket enterprise. Grown-ups work
1t for all 1t is worth. in the name of char
ity and religion. They are enthusiastic
church people. perhaps. and they want to
help to get new organ for the chapel
or to paint the parsonage. so they thrust
upon the easy-going, generous business
man pasteboard of admission to an
entertainment he has no thought of at
tending. for the benefit OF an organization
Of the existence Of which he has been In
total ignorance. Or perhaps the ticket
Is for benefit" concert, for some pianist
or singer who is certain to rival Pad
erewsk or Tetrazzini If only given half a
chance. And will the busy man with
loose change in his pocket turn a deaf
ear to such plea, when the beneficiary
himself or herself is holding forth the
ticket? No; he may grumble inwardly. and
resolve to blame the Office boy for letting
the caller get by with such proposition,
but he usually-almost always IL the
ticket pusher is OF the feminine per-
suasion-yields and credits the quarter
or the half to profit and loss.
Then there Is the "ticket by mali plan,
which often works. Some one is getting
up an entertainment for one Of the thou
sand and one objects which are available
for the inspiration of chronic organizers,
and the city directory is established as a
base of operations. I'VE feel sure of your
interest" runs the circular, land beg to
inclose six tickets, trusting that you will
be able to dispose Of them. remitting the
proceeds to the undersigned" Does the
busy man who gets one Of these gentle
invitations to get out and hustle try to
sell the tickets to friends? Not unless he
has a mean spirit, seeking vengeance for
past wrongs. II he 10 an easy mark he
draws a check and sends 1t to the COM
mittee. II he Is difficult he tosses the
letter and tickets into the waste basket.
II he Is not easy. but conscientious. he
writes letter returning the tickets and
painstakingly explaining that he is not in
terested. And the committee will then
rate him as a chronic crouch and scratch
him of the list Of future beneficiaries OF
such enterprises.
Much of the money. collected by this
securing of the earth for quarters may go
to unworthy ends. But for the majority
Of cases there is always fair pre-
sumption not only OF honesty but Of need.
Yet most men would feel better about the
matter If they were frankly approached
for contributions. instead Of being asked
to buy something they do not want and
will not even give to the elevator man.