The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-07-08
SHOWS IN LONDON
A LONG WAIT FOR TICKETS.
The Line, Orderly and Well Dressed,
Begins to Form as Early as 5 O'clock
In the Afternoon and In Case Of q
Popular Play Even Earlier.


Begins to Form as Early as s O'Clock
In the Afternoon and In Case Of q
Popular Play Even Earlier.
In the better London theaters II
costs rs. Cd. to go into the pit, which,
relatively speaking, Is a good sum to
pay, for half dollar in New York
isn't much better than shilling In
London when 1t comes to purchasing
value.
The pit crowd begins to assemble as
early as 8 o'clock IN the afternoon and
in cases of great success even earlier
than that. My first experience as a
plttite occurred in London one summer
night two years ago, when. after vain
efforts to buy, borrow, beg or steal
stalls for popular play, writes Adolpb
Klauber IN the Green Book, finally
decided to see 1t from the pit. When
arrived at the theater. about o'clock
one Saturday afternoon, 1 found there
was already long line of men and
I boys and women, the foremost with
face glued to the pit door and the line
! extending far beyond the narrow pas
sageway to the street IN front OF the
theater. Now. with every desire In the
world to send my New York constit-
uency some news Of this great reign
ing success and not without some GU
| riosity of my own was still far from
willing to cool my heels for the best
part of three hours until the doors
| should open.
turned and found a newsboy ut my
elbow.
"I'll old your place for you, SIR" he
repeated. "What time II you be backT
1t was then that discovered for the
| first time this London institution, the
place holder at the door of the pit, one
of the many means by which one OF
the struggling unemployed or of the
poorly paid seeks to add n few shil-
lings to his meager. frugal income.
There was no risk involved. The boy
was quick to note the foreigner.
"It'll be all roight, SIR" he said in
his cheerful cockney way. rs the
lady coming too? Me and me friend II
stand In line, and all you'll have to do
will be to change places with us when
you come. around tonight. Only a
shlllin' apiece. It's worth 1t, sir, hot
to have to wait"
At o'clock we were back in the
narrow court. but long before I had
been able to disentangle my boy from
the dozen or so others. all looking very
much alike, his cheerful tones greeted
me with Ere you are, sir, ere you
are, and you and the lady II get in the
first row II you look sharp when you
pass the door"
"Gee-rusaem," / muttered as we
dropped into the interstices left by
the departing boys. "a good half hour
to wait-or more"
But. after all, found the waiting
far from tedious.
| Hnwkers of fruit and chocolate pass.
ed along the line. finding ready buyers
among the waiting patrons of the pit.
and every few minutes some new
| vaudeville faker out of work would
come along TO entertain the crowd
with tuIhbling, dancing, singing or imi
tations. First juggler appeared. and
when DOLBY sent MIN spinning raster
than his plates and balls contortion.
list took his place. spread a ragged car.
pet mat and began to turn himself In,
side out while the newsboys and shop
girls going home from work shouted
encouragement and appreciation. FL
nally the bobby ordered him to "move
on" but not until generous shower
Of pennies had fallen on the mat. The
next man to appear carried a valise
from which he produced wigs, Grim
pied hair and several false noses, His
entertainment consisted of limitations
of composers, famous" he called
them, but infamous" they really were
He was not encouraged. either, for the
PIT line knew good from bad and
wasn't to be parted from its pennies
without proper value In return.
The crowd was genial, orderly, well