Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1910-07-22
SHOWS IN LONDON
Crowds That Gather to Secure
Seats In the Pit.
A LONG WAIT FOR TICKETS.
The Line, Orderly and We'll Dressed,
Begins TO Form as Early as 5 O'clock
In tho Afternoon and In Case of
Popular Play Even Earlier.

U ne Line, Orderiy ano WeH crossoo,
Begins TO Form as Early as S O'clock
In tho Afternoon and In Case of q
Popular Play Even Earlier.
In the better London thcaters II
costs ~. cd. To 20 into the pit. which,
relatively speaking. is good SUM to
pay, for n half dollar In New York
isn't much better than shilling I'm
London when ii COMES TO purchasing
value. Etf
The pit crowd begins to assemble as
early as , O'Clock IN the afternoon and
I'm cases of great success even earlier
than that. My first experience as
plttite occurred i'm 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. i finally
decided TO see it from the pit. When
arrived ut the theater, about 8 O'Clock
one Saturday afternoon. l found there
was already n 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 i'm the
world TO send my New York constit-
ucncy 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
l turned and found a newsboy at my
elbow.
iii old your place for you, sir" he
repeated. What time II you be back ?"
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 10y 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. lis the
lady coming too? Ne 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 n
shillin' apiece. It's worth il, sir, not
TO have to wait"
At O'Clock we were back i'm the
narrow court, but long before / had
been able 20 disentangle my boy from
tho dozen or SO others, all looking very
much alike, his cheerful tones greeted
me with Ere you arc. sir, ere you
are. and you and the lady IL get i'm the
first row II you look sharp when you
pass the door,
"Gee-rusalcm,' muttered as we
dropped into the intersticcs left by
the departing boys, "a good half hour
TO wait-or more"
But, after all. found the waiting
far from tedious.
Hawkers OF fruit and chocolate pass
cd along the line, finding ready buyers
among the waiting patrons Of the pit.
and every few minutes some new
vaudeville fakcr out OF work would
come along 10 entertain the crowd
with tumbling. dancing, singing or imi
tations. First n juggler appeared. and
when bobby sent him spinning faster
than his plates and balls n contortion-
list took his place, spread n ragged car
pet mat and began TO turn himself in.
side out while the newsboys and shor
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 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 fRm bad and
wasn't TO be parted from its pennies
without proper value in return.
The crowd was genial, orderly, wei
| dressed, and when the doors wer,
opened finally expected n headlons
rush. But there was not the slightes
suggestion of scramble-a little con
gestion naturally at the narrow en-
trance, where n smiling. good naturet
bobby remarked quite pleasantly:
| Now, then, go easy-just the sam,
as you went into church last Sunday
If you did CO.
| Then a short passage up q flight O.
narrow stairs. past a little cubbyhol,
where the tickets are handed out afte
you have duly deposited your two-and
six, into the theater and ready for tn,
i p1av