The evening world., 1913-11-28
WESTERN P[UNGER
STRIKES A SNAG IN
THEATRE TICKETS
BILLY" Erb Comes From Min
ing Country and Joins Ty-
son Company.
FAILS IN FIRST MOVE.
Deposej as President of the
Concern, He Now Sues
for Si5O,Ooo.


from the sage brush Of Nevada and I'm
lued with the fighting spirit Of the
West who came TO Broadway TO shine
as the promoter of theatre ucke'
trust" IN the palmy days Of the Me-
y,da gold spell Billy Erb-he b the
oung inan--csrricd a six-shooter In his
sun pocket. and rs secretary OF the
Mine owners Association, was known
10 the miners as the embodiment OF All
tina, meant fight In tn. Mine owners
organization. Erb had played footrai'
On a California university eleven.
Then the Nevada mining country be-
came tame az house cat II was no
r.sc. for him. So ne packed up. went
T., Fris,o engaged In the practice OF law.
made some influential and moneyed
friends md got the promoting spirit anu
cot II hard. 1t was only ciino oN''
the Rockies to rerplerlent Broad"as'
ana M, Young wallingford came
Erb looked over his field here. Tassen
hi. ,d.as and pounccd upon the theatre
ticket business to realize his anhitohs'
A,d az 20 what happened when ne pe-
gan To draw his lines OF bat'ie 'ew
York theatre and opera goers may roe"n
the difficulties that hav" besct yso'
4 Co, the ticket brokers. That univ
Guilty was one which young Ero Sa~
when he went into the business an"
having q heart for opcrasoers-ne " o,'o
n.m..if-hc had planned, he says. TO o.
y,a.. ths necessity OF pledgins sub
scribsd opera tickets To secure tunos
With which to pay tho Metroi"n'A''
opers House for the tickets obtained D"
credit by the brokers. -.
BROKE HiMeELF PAYING FoH
UNsoLp TICKETS.
ero eos his hrst taste OF promo'er'
bah luck when he bought out MI W"
,,.Ns,s for all Now York theatres Tor
"a, Nov Year's Eve. That was some
,oh and q had one. no admits. FOR MUS
Io.. than half Of the tickets were so"
ana he had TO pay for them at the poN
offices This little flyer cost him AL nae
ready cash. ,
A fcv months later. he says, he founh
h,mself ousted from the office as Pres'-
dent and Director OF Tyson Co..
s.dder but wiser promoter. lie say"
nat his old pal. william Z. MCGUIRE
vho owned some stock In Tyson N Co..
vent back on him. When this hap
pen.d he brought suit for an Injunction
apains, william J. Fallon. who sue
coded him as president. Alice l.. d.
More. Secretary Treasurer OF Tyson q
o. .rd Christian ID. Zabriskie. VINO
ho,n.a finance Erb's trust. supreme
Court Justice Pendleton denied the III,
junction but Informed Erb that ne hshu
grounds for an action against the de-
PENDANTS for conversion. Erp IL no"
suing 10 recover slbo,co.
STORY OF THE LUckless CRe
TOLD IN LEGAL FAPeRs.
IL 4. from papers in this battle OF
.r,,dayits that Erb's story comes.
~ was an attorney at law In Nevada
ana California" says Erb, In Frisco
launched the san Francisco ESpo'
si,ion Tour Company. To handle the
crowds ths, win attend the big fair. but
,ha, was dismal failure. l had me
william :. Mcclure. New YORK law.
YER. and he went In on the tour deal
FURNISHED the money and he was to pay
me back IN small instalmcnts'
We shared our pocket money toSc'he'
aud divided our bankrolls He wa
interested In the ticket brokerage busi
ness and pointed to the business
ryson n co. as an illustration of wha
we could do. Mcclure held notes AM
with these we purchased 10 per cent. o
the Tyson & Co. stock. Richard J
Hartman. President OF Tyson & Co
held the other 60 per cent.
I'VE planned to form consolidatio
modelled after the theatre tickets libra
rles OF London and saw that We coul
do q business OF three and half mlillo
dollars year by acting as brokers 10
ticket buyers and theatres.
Hartman and Mcclure had a auarr'
and they were at swords points. Earl
In the fall the ticket agencies nee
money and Tyson n Co. needed II badl
in the fall of 1912. Eugene Meyer ir
a personal friend OF mine. loaned n
$4,000 ] now conceived the plan TO a.
quIre the Tyson Company. the contro