The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-01-22
ON SECOND THOUGHT
By JAY q. HOUSE.
(Ffon Phiiadelphia Public LedsAe.)
Adventures in Box Offices-1.

Adventures in Box Offices-1.
At about 1880 o'clock last Friday
evening we went into the box office
of the Broad Street Theater and asked
for a good seat for the current per-
| Torrance Of '.Shavings." The regular
box-office attendant had just been re-
lieved by a substitute. The substitute
seemed nonchalant, almost blase.
| He flipped a bit of green pasteboard
to gather in the SIS bill which had been
| rendered. But the customer withheld
, it for the moment He wanted to
know where the seat was located be-
| fore parting with his money He is
one Of those unreasonable persons who
do not care for a theatrical performS
ance If they are compelled to view
| it at a distance greater than ten rows
from the stage. He prefers to forego
the performance altogether. Pressed
tendant srudgingly impaired the loca-
| ton of the seat. 1t proved to be an
| excellent one, five rows back and on
| side aisle.
But customer should not be COM
PEELED to employ a Jimmy" to pry
from a box-office attendant informa-
ton to which his purchase of ticket
clearly entities him.
The box-office attendant paid no at
tention to the customers inquiry as to
l
dismissed it without an answer OF any
sort.
The exact moment at which the cur
| tain is scheduled to rise as an impor-
| tant one to a patron of the theater.
| 1t is not a fixed festival. It varies
with the city and with the theater.
1t may be as late as $3.50 o'clock in
| one theater and as early as S:15
o'clock in another. What is the dark
secret about it that a box-office at
| mi chn fn
| The Broad Street theater seems to
| be well conducted show shop" A
| schedule of prices for every perform
ance in any given week is displayed
in the lobby. A sign advising patrons
that tickets purchased of spectators
will not be honored is conspicuous.
But the salesmanship is indifferent.
| other adventures in box offices will
follow.
| faction that SO distinguished figure
| in the field of vagrant and inconse-
quential literature as George AIDE once
wrote the advertising matter for a to-
bacco cure. To US memories of the
days when we dictated much of the
| publicity of a patent-medicine concern
are gladstone. We chuckle as we
grow reminiscent of some OF the de-
vices and intricacies of the trade. We
become reflective when we recall the
1
and remember that we came halfway
| to believe that which we wrote. But
the episode has long been painful
| one to Adelaide, altho it occurred long
before we knew her She has always
preferred that as little as possible be
said about it.
| But the fact that Mr.. AIDE collabor-
ated along parallel lines should re-
\ move the stain from our escutcheon.
1t should make for a calmer and more
TRANQUIL domesticity. If AIDE has out
| lived the odium which attached to
his performance, we should be able
to rise above the cloud which encom-
| passes us.
once-popular tobacco cure still puzzles
,, us. why one who has acquired the
delightful habit of using tobacco
should wish to be cured Of it passes
ordinary comprehension.
Other inconsequential revelations of
the day are less pleasing. We learn
| with regret that Upton Sinclair's
charge to the effect that Pacific coast
newspapers decline to print his name
is baseless. We had hoped that. for
| once, Mr.. Sinclair might be able to
esta blish his contention.
Even If it were true, we do not I'M
derstand why Mr.. Sinclair should make
| a fuss about it. We should think he'd
be glad to have his name left out of
the nasty newspapers.
The attention of the reader who
complains that we have no education
and no background is directed to the
New Republic. Here is a publication
which is all education and background
and. If we make no mistake. it is the
dnlleSt notification in the world.
Living Age is a humorous weekly.
We have read Mr.. Harding's reply
to the impudent letter written by Mrs.
| Lucy Page CASTOR. 1t is a little disap-
pointing, but it may be that presi-
dent-elect is not permitted to tell a
| meddIesome woman exactly what he
| thinks of her.
| However, the real test of the quality
Of Mr.. Harding's powers of diplomacy
| and restraint will not come until he
| has been insuited by Samuel Gompers.
| Meanwhile, we point with pride to
| the fact that we have managed to con-
| duct this column for going on two
years without getting into row with
| the Irish.
| Nor do we seek such experience.
| We findspleasure in a certain amount
| of controversy, but we prefer fussing
| with the women to almost any other