The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-03-06

sets IN ana makes trying not
/ feel very deeply on this 81
The .barnacles on youths
distended coattasls are Of the
same paunch and jowl as
Dickens gentle old soul. who
was against meandering. Re-
minded that the tiffin she
was encompas-ing in lusty in
stallments was the result of
somebody's meandering, she
poured herself q second jorem
of tea and reiterated: "Never-
theless, let's have no meander-
ing"
Mr.. Cochran, manager Of the
National Theater, has meandered
into the bramble bushes which
festooned the onward and upward
paths Of youths marathon. For
experimental reasons he has Sc
leeted several attractions this sea-
son for which mail or telephone
orders would not be accepted.
That, in every instance, these at
fractions were sold out to people
who would and did come to the box
office in person, has not abashed
that slight minority who want
the telephone and mail order priv
iIege restored.
Strangely enough. this is one
question that actually has two
sides to 1t, though am inclined
to favor Mr.. Cochran's premise
over that of his critics. A thea
L., aeyr-s NH
than a dealer in wooden sox. To
please and comfort the majority is
the aim of every merchant,
whether his line be the evangeliz-
ing Of souls, the tatting of tea
mats or the dispensing Of amuse.
ment. The manufacture of good
will ceases as a virtue when
courtesy becomes charity.
Since that time, some % years
ago, when he first began selling
tickets from a box-office, Mr..
Cochran has been concerned with
the mechanics Of finding a way
to please the greater number. Mr..
Cochran's apprenticeship dates
from 1905, when, nervously perched
Oh a SPCClol pIdlAOIH ~ GAdDAO
him to reach the box-office win
dow, the first waggish customer
exclaimed. well. well, didn't
know Singers Midgets were in
town."
It may be added, apropos of
nothing more than infiltrating
another paragraph here, that Mr..
Cochran is not much taller today,
though he is considerable brighter
and wisely schooled in the habits
Of showgoers.
It Is this astute young man.
ayers charge that the mail order
and phone privilege is grossly
abused by the unthinking class
and that it is misunderstood by
those who are honest in their
criticisms. For these reasons:
The day that a theater an
nounces it will receive mail or.
ders for, say, a Lulu Belle"
1000 people will sit down and
write out their acquisitions. Each
OF these looks at the matter in.
dividually, specifies his seats, en-
closes his check and regards
transaction between himself and
the theater as signed and sealed.
He forgets the other 999, many
or whom are asking for the very
seats on the very same night that
he has asked for. The letters are
numbered as they come in and
treated accordingly.
Mr.. q, we will say, or, we
could call him Mr.. Witherby
Smedders, learns that he has two
seats in the twentieth row, center,
when he asked for two on the
aisle in the fifth row. The
Vagarles OF a thousand circum-
stances contrived to place Mr..
Smedders' letter in the middle of
the batch, instead Of at the head
of it.
, There are three courses open to
good old Witherby who, bv now,
you may be sure, is roundIy irked.
He can take the tickets, he can
cancel them or he can leave them
there while he gumshoes down
to the box office in the hope of
getting better seats by virtue of
cancellations that may have come
IN. Does he manage to better
himself by personal call. he
VIII say nothing about the reser-
vations' that are in the rack I'M
der his name. He will let the
theater hold the bag and, though
the theater can usually dispose
OF these seats after 6 o. m. the
night OF the performance, other