New-York tribune., 1912-02-02
VEBER-F|ELDS TOUCHED"
Comedians Overcome at Sky
Hiqh Prices for Jubilee Seats.
ONE BOX SELLS FOR 5000
'sendimendt und Poetry Enough
to Realize $4,000 for First
Performance.

phlu " a'N''' 80
seat?"
"sigs tollars Loo"
lind see dose olt frients of ours puying
seats for tirty-hfe tollars each! Amt i'd
touching"
"shoo-ahr i'd IS How do you eggsblain
idT'
"sendimendt Cho; sendimendt und poe
try"
Then they wiped their eyes.
Yes. 1t was a touching scene as Lou said
N Joe in the press box in the Broadway
Theatre yesterday evening, toward the
close Of the auction sale of first night seats
for the Weber & Fields jubilee performance
for next Thursday night.
The Broadway Theatre was packed to the
doors al half past when James r. Muir
ply, public auctoneer, stepped before the
footlights with his back to a monster dia-
gram OF the house painted on white oil
cloth
There Is no intention on the part Of the
management to secure fancy prices. he
explained. This is not a charity affair
by any means, but the public had TO be
satisfied, and SC this public auction was
determined upon"
lie then read letter from the Brooklyn
Lodge Of Elks Offering $1,000 for 100 seats
in the orchestra that they might be able
10 see Brother Lew and Brother Joe.
And TO show you how fair this auction
IS. / want TO announce that this offer is re-
fused, as no more than six seats VIII be
sold in eny one block"
Then William Collier stepped on the stage
and said he would open the sale
l,o. a;J iolyf ~
the voice of the public auctioneer, that
you are not to pay fancy prices for the
seats, as this is no charity affair, but
Weber and Fields told me TO get all / can
from you. Now. what am 1 offered for
Box c. right here, second tier on your
left, first toward the stage
A feminine voice said, Fifteen dollars"
LADY" shouted Mr. Collier. do you
think I'm offering a gallery seat?"
"One hundred and fifty dollars" shouted
a man.
Seats Still Going Up.
Then the bidding leaped by ffties until
$500 was reached, when Mr. Collier again
warned against fancy prices. Then the
bidding went slowly TO S4C0 Next leap OF
$50 and then another like bid brought It
TO $500
Mr.. Collier adjusted his green necktie,
Strengthened his pearl gray vest. smoothed
down his hair. pulled at the lapels of his
black cutaway coat and threatened-hut
only threatened-to let the box go for 800
And when he said Going" for the third
time the bid was raised from one figure
TO another until $500 was reached.
six hundred and FIVE dollars Do I hear
s605? Now S625. Six hundred and fifty dol
lars over here. DO I hear S675? What,
500. Seven hundred dollars let it be. but
there's a pker in here somewhere. Eight
hundred dollars 500, $500. do hear more?
Going, going at 5000 once. twice, going at
5000 DO / hear more? Going, going, gone.
at $500 The name, please?'
William Randolph Hearst!" shouted a
young man in the middle of the audience.
Five hundred dollars was paid by b. Nc
Bride, the ticket agent, on behalf of Gus
toner. for Box T.. willie" Collier knocked
down Box II for 1925 to Emmett Corrigan,
the actor, but later it transpired that Mr..
Corrisan acted as Mr.. Golfers agent, who
desired to surprise Mrs. Collier. Jack
Gleason, the fight promoter, paid $3.50 for
Box F. An anonymous bidder paid Sl05 for
another box. while the last one went TO T..
3. Henry for sl25.
The first block OF orchestra chairs was
bought in by Louis Housman, the broker,
at $3j each, three on the centre aisle on
the third row. Miss W. J. Ryan, of Phila-
delphia paid $3.50 for six in the first row.
L. Schinasi bid 500 for three in c.
Then Raymond Hitchcock was intro
duced lie sold his first lot-sx seats in C
to Joseph Goodwin. Felix Isman paid
$50 for six more Frank Farrell, the base
ball man, paid 500 for three; Andrew
Freedman, one-time owner Of the Giants,
paid SlO8 for four seats; Justice Gerard
bought in three in for $S1; n. Greenhut
paid S2S each for two seats in \.
George Beban relieved Raymond Hitch
cock and sold his first lot-slx in G-to n.
Watterson, at S28 each. 1t was said that
II. Watterson was Colonel "Marse Henry
himself. George Won Utassy paid S26 seat
FOR four; George Bauche got two for
s4S and when prices began to drop TO $50
d Collier and Hitchcock came TO Beban's aid.
Z Hitchcock took his position on the step
ladder in front Of the big diagram, and as
Collier and Beban, later assisted by Edgar
Smith, auctioned off the seats, "The Red
Widow star would draw red line through
the seats sold He took a violent dislike 70
a small bald spot on the back Of Beban' S
head, and every time the said bald spot
came within scope of the brush Hitchcock
would daub it with red paint.
lillian Russell II. selwyn, Eddie Clark
John Golding, J. w. Dimick, Nat Evans,
A B. Sloane, William Morris and Homer
Davenport were among the hundreds who
paid fancy prices for orchestra chairs.
When a gray haired man bid in two rear
orchestra seats at 80 each Lew Fields
turned to his partner. and whispered:
"Cho, look! Dots Weeks, who was our
cop in der gallery when we first opened der
moosick hall. And we only paid him 81 a
veeki"
''Shoo-ahr, but he got enough tips to open
up a saloon, und now ne is retired alretty
und rich"
"Und look, Chol Dere is Tom Miner. the
theatre owner. buying four seats in the
balcony for s. each!'
Such is life Loo. Remember ven MS
fadder paid us $40 veek?'
"shoo-ahr. den tollars apiece. Gnd we
We're glat TO get id!'
At 7lO the sale was stopped, with most
Of the seats in the balcony unsold Ihese
will be used TO fill mail orders 1t Is esti-
mated that at least $1,000 was received Tor
the seats auctioned off, and an offer or a
speculator to buy what was left or the
house at 50 a seat was Indignantly retuseo'
No orchestra chair was sold at less tran -.
Several women, who had sat throushou.
the sale, hoping to get seats at ~ eacn' toid