. Life and reminiscences from birth to manhood of Wm. G. Johnston . teal in, either by a sudden dash past the muchengaged ticket-taker, or by crawling beneath, or climbingover the tent wall. In this way I was occasionally ad-mitted to the famous circuses of Stickney and others,sometimes being indebted to Charlie, and at others toSam. My first visit to a theatre—the old Drury —was bymeans of the same sort of complimentary ticket. Inthose days, what we now call the parquette, and considerthe choicest position, was styled the pit, and rankednext to the gallery both in cheapness and
. Life and reminiscences from birth to manhood of Wm. G. Johnston . teal in, either by a sudden dash past the muchengaged ticket-taker, or by crawling beneath, or climbingover the tent wall. In this way I was occasionally ad-mitted to the famous circuses of Stickney and others,sometimes being indebted to Charlie, and at others toSam. My first visit to a theatre—the old Drury —was bymeans of the same sort of complimentary ticket. Inthose days, what we now call the parquette, and considerthe choicest position, was styled the pit, and rankednext to the gallery both in cheapness and frequenters of the pit, though usually composed ofthe lower classes, boisterous in demonstrations, and oftenvery ill-behaved, enjoyed, by reason of their favorablelocation, the best of opportunities for forming opinions asto the grade of performers, and were accounted as amongthe most discriminatinsr critics. The actors all under- Pit Critics. 113 stood this; and the elder Booth, Ned Forrest, Gus Adams,and other stars of the day (or night) were always anxious. THE THEATRE. in their endeavors to satisfy the pit. But all this is onlyintroductory to my story. 114 The Pit— Paul Pry —Private Theatricals. The entrance to the pit was by an outside stairwayleading to the basement; then through a long and narrowpassage terminating at a small door close to the seats ofthe orchestra. The doorkeeper stood at or near the footof the stairway referred to. On the occasion of which Ibegan to speak, my friend Charlie led me to the door,and asked me to remain there for a few moments. Glid-ing down the steps and rushing past the ticket-taker,before that surprised official had time to recover breath,he returned and demanded a check. Of course therecould be no refusal, for such unbounded impudencebrooks no denial, and there was no such nonsense as dis-comfiture. With the check in my trembling hand Ientered, a more fit subject for ejection than was he whogave it to me. Scarcely was I seated w
Size: 1328px × 1882px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidlifereminisc, bookyear1901
