Evening star., 1909-03-06

ushers' graft in New York-how the ush-
ers permit you, the holder of just an
admission ticket. to stink down for'ard
and nail nice tidy little seat for your
self If you "slip them two bits or four
bits Or whatever sum the occasion seems
to call for.
That's an old, old system in New York.
and the theater managers have endeavor-
always found 1t hard to nail the graft
ing ushers with the goods, on account
Of the unwillingness of the individual who
has been grated to come across and say
anything about the matter.
But, a few years ago, several Of the
MANAGERS Of frs --class theaters here
thought they had solved the problem.
That is to say. they employ-d d nice. LADY,
like young female persons to do the ush-
ering.
The nice. lady-like young female per-
sons ushered very satisfactorily and
civilly. But within the past month two
of the theaters employing them have fired
the lady usheresses in body. They found
that they were grating with considerable
more enthusiasm and pertinacity than the
male ushers ever had grated.
1t took the managers a long time to
find this thing out against the nice
young lady usheresses, meseems. For
most everybody attending the theaterS
where the lady usheresses took employ
ment have known for a long time that
they had the itching palm quite as severe
ly as the male usherS ever had 1t.
The lady usheresses worked another
little graft that the male ushers never
nad Thought OF. There was young
woman in these houses where the usher
esses were employed. whose business it
was to dish out programs to patrons as
they arrived. The usheresses. by divvy-
ing up the graft, induced the young wom-
an In charge OF the programs to move
herself and her program counter of to
one side, SO that folks would have diff
Guilty in spotting 1t as they came in. Then.
as programmes people were seated In their
places by the usheresses, the latter would
tender them programs, and then walt and
sort of wait around with an expectant
look. Seeing them thus waiting, the pa
tron thus provided with q program would
thrust the proper finger into the proper
pocket and produce proper piece OF
silver. and all would be well.
And SO the usheresses are beginning
to disappear from here. 'Tis a gloomy
world. But the question as to the rela.
tive honesty of men and women re.
mains unanswered all the same.
NH. we'll even III OIL Moo Yawk has its
~ points, after all. even if the under
signed has been accused of being too
peevish in his chronicles of some of the
more Objectionable and offensive fea-
lures Of this burg. The other day I
good ten days before the inauguration.
so that il couldn't be said Washington
was unduly crowded. / suppose took
about forty rides on sire t cars, on
different lines, while in Washington
on that little drop-in, and j had To
stand up on each and every ride. There
didn't appear to be more than one-third
enough cars to take care OF the folks
who wanted to ride. This was particu-
larly noticeable on the 14th street line.
Can't remember ever having been 50
mercilessly sardined in on street cars
anywhere, even in New York. as I was
every time l climbed aboard one rf
those new pay ENTER 18th street
cars. The obvious answer appeared 10
be that the cars only wandered along
just once In while. | wondered what
was the matter. 1t was not thus for
merly in Washington. Quite OCCASION
ally. when l lived in Washington, I'd
have a chance to sit down on a street
car / came back here with my mind
made up not to write any more rappy
things about the New York street cars
for the Star-paper.
CLARENCE L. CULLEN.