Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1910-07-09
SHOWS IN LONDON
Crowds That Gather to Secure
Seats In the Pit.
A LONG WAIT FOR TICKETS.

INV 1iHop STuoTiy uHo "oh STvSeeuI
Begins to Form as Early az 8 O'Clock
In the Afternoon and In Case of a
Popular Play Even Earlier.
In the better London theaters 1t
costs 2s. Cd to go into the pit, which,
relatively speaking, is a good sum to
pay, for a 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
I'm cases of q great success even earlier
than that. My first experience as
pittite occurred In London one summer
night two years ago, when. after vain
efforts to buy, borrow, beg or steal
stalls for popular play, writes Adolph
Klauber in the Green Book, finally
decided to see 1t from the pit. When I
arrived at the theater, about o'clock
one Saturday afternoon, found there
was already a long line of men and
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 l was still far from
willing to cool my heels for the best
part of three hours until the doors
should open.
/ turned and found newsboy at my
elbow.
"Pll old your place for you. sir" he
repeated. what time II you be back?"
1t was then that l 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 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. us the
lady coming too2 Me and me friend II
will be to change places with us when
you come around tonight Only q
shillin' apiece. It's worth 1t, sir, not
to have to wait"
At z o'clock we were back in the
narrow court. but long before I had
been able to disentapgle 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 If you look sharp when you
pass the door,"
"Gee-rusalem." muttered as we
dropped into the interstices left by
the departing boys. "a good half hour
to wait-or more"
But. after all. I found the waiting
far from tedious.
Hawkers 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 tumbling, dancing, singing or imi.
tations. First O juggler appeared. and
when bobby sent him spinning faster
than his plates and balls a 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 a generous shower
Of pennies had fallen on the mat. The
next man to appear carried 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. we'll
dressed. and when the doors were
opened finally l expected headlong
rush. But there was not the slightest
suggestion of scramble-a little con-
gestion naturally at the narrow en-
trance. where smiling, good natured
bobby remarked quite pleasantly:
Now. then. go easy-just the same
as you went into church last Sunday
IL you did CO."
Then short passage up fight of
narrow stairs, past little cubbyhole
where the tickets are handed out after
you have duly deposited your two-and
six. into the theater and ready for the
play.