THE PATTI EPIDEMIC--GERSTER FURORE--TICKETS 400% PREMIUM--MY
ARREST--CAPTURE OF "SCALPERS"--OPERA TICKET AUCTION--DEATH OF MY FIRST
"BASSO."
One of the most extraordinary spectacles ever witnessed in San Francisco
was that which presented itself on the evening of our arrival as soon as
it got buzzed about that some Patti tickets were to be sold the
following Tuesday at Sherman and Clay's.
Shortly after ten o'clock that night the first young man took up his
position, and was soon joined by another and another. Then came ladies,
until shortly after midnight the line extended as far as the district
telegraph office. Some brought chairs, and seated themselves with a pipe
or a cigar, prepared for a prolonged siege. Others had solid as well as
liquid solace in their pockets to pass away the hours. Telegraph boys
were numerous. So were many other shrewd young men who were ready the
following morning to sell their places in line to the highest bidder; a
position in line costing as much as L2 when within thirty from the door
of the office in which the tickets were to be disposed of.
The Adelina Patti epidemic gradually disseminated itself from the moment
of her arrival, and began to rage throughout the city from early the
following morning.
Many ladies joined the line during the night, and had to take equal
chances with the men. Towards morning bargains for good positions in the
line reached as high as L4, a sum which was actually paid by one person
for permission to take another person's place. Numbers of those in the
van of the procession were there solely for the purpose of selling their
positions.
The next morning I rose early and took a stroll to admire the city. I
observed a vast crowd down Montgomery Street. In fact, the passage
within hundreds of yards was impassable, vehicles, omnibuses, etc., all
being at a standstill. On inquiring the reason of this commotion I was
informed by a policeman that they were trying to buy Patti tickets,
which Messrs. Sherman and Clay had for disposal.
On forcing my way gradually down the street and approaching Sherman and
Clay's establishment, I saw, to my great astonishment, that there was
not a single pane of glass in any of the windows, whilst the tops of the
best pianos and harmoniums were occupied by dozens of people standing
upon them in their nailed boots, all clamouring for Patti tickets.
Messrs. Sherman and Clay solicited me earnestly either to remove Patti
from the town, or, at least, not to entrust them with the sale of any
more tickets, the crowd having done over L600 of damage to their stock.
I had no further difficulty at the moment with Gerster, who believed
Patti was going to sing but one night. Besides, the sale of tickets had
been very great on her account before Patti's presence in the city had
become known.
About eight o'clock that evening a serenade was tendered to Patti by a
large orchestra under Professor Wetterman; the court-yard of the Palace
Hotel where she was staying being brilliantly illuminated. The six tiers
of magnificent galleries surrounding it were crowded with visitors and
illuminated _a giorno_. As soon as the first strains of the music were
heard Mdme. Patti came from her room with a circle of friends, and was
an attentive listener. After remaining some time she deputed Signor
Arditi to congratulate the orchestra on their brilliant performance, the
favourite conductor receiving quite an ovation as he delivered the
message.
The preparations at the Grand Opera were most elaborate, and the
decorations particularly so. The theatre and passages had been
repapered, flags festooned, and in the centre facing the main door was a
huge crystal fountain, having ten smaller jets throwing streams of eau
de Cologne into glass basins hung with crystal pendants. All over the
vestibule were the rarest tree orchids, violets in blossom and roses in
full bloom; while the corner of the vestibule was draped with the flags
of every nation, among which England, America, Italy, and Hungary
predominated.
On the opening night the Grand Opera-house presented a spectacle of
magnificence which I may say without exaggeration can never have been
surpassed in any city. The auditorium was quite dazzling with a
bewildering mass of laces, jewels, and fair faces. Every available place
was taken. Outside in the street there must have been thousands of
people all clamouring for tickets, whilst the broad steps of the church
opposite were occupied by persons anxious to catch a glimpse of the
toilettes of the ladies as they sprang out of their carriages into the
vestibule.
The season opened with _Lucia di Lammermoor_, in which Mdme. Etelka
Gerster appeared as the ill-fated heroine. I will not go into details of
the performance, further than to say that the stage was loaded after
every act with the most gorgeous set pieces of flowers, several being so
cumbersome that they had to be left on the stage at the sides in sight
of the audience during the remainder of the opera. The next evening was
devoted to rest after the long and fatiguing journey that we had all
undergone, Mdme. Gerster remaining in her apartments to prepare for her
second appearance the following night.
The next evening was devoted to a performance of _L'Elisir d'Amore_,
when Mdme. Gerster drew another 10,000 dollar house--the floral
picturesqueness of the auditorium of the previous Monday being repeated.
Mdme. Patti was now to appear as "La Traviata." On the day of the
performance it took the whole of the police force to protect the theatre
from the overwhelming crowds pressing for tickets, although it had been
announced that no more were to be had. Long before daylight the would-be
purchasers of Patti tickets had collected and formed into line, reaching
the length of some three or four streets; and from this time until the
close of the engagement, some four weeks afterwards, that line was never
broken at any period of the day or night. A brisk trade was done in the
hiring of camp stools, for which the modest sum of 4s. was charged. A
similar amount was levied for a cup of coffee or a slice of bread and
butter. As the line got hungry dinners were served, also suppers. High
prices were paid to obtain a place in the line, as the head of it
approached the box-office; resulting only in disappointment to the
intending buyer, who was, of course, unable to procure a ticket. Large
squads of police were on duty the whole time, and they were busily
employed in keeping the line in its place, and in defeating outsiders in
their attempts to make a gap in it. Later on it was announced that a
limited number of gallery tickets would be sold, when a rush was made,
carrying away the whole of the windows, glass, statuary, plants, etc.
Ticket speculators were now offering seats at from L4 to L10 each,
places in the fifth row of the dress circle fetching as much as L4,
being 400 per cent. above the box-office price. They found buyers at
rates which would have shamed Shylock. Later in the day fulminations
were launched upon my head, and I was accused of taking part in the
plunder. I therefore determined, as far as possible, to set this right.
At length evening approached, and hundreds of tickets had been sold for
standing room only.
Meanwhile Chief Crowley and Captain Short of the police, on seeing the
aisles leading to the orchestra stalls and dress-circle blocked by the
vast crowd, many of whom were seated on camp-stools which they had
secretly brought with them, procured a warrant for my arrest the
following morning. Several hot disputes occurred about this time in the
main vestibule in consequence of numbers of duplicate tickets having
been issued; and several seatholders were unable to reach their places.
One gentleman challenged another to come and fight it out on the side
walk with revolvers.
To describe the appearance of the house would be impossible. The
toilettes of the ladies were charming. Many were in white, and nearly
all were sparkling with diamonds. In the top gallery people were
literally on the heads of one another, and on sending up to ascertain
the cause, as the numbers were still increasing, the inspector
ascertained that boards had been placed from the top of an adjoining
house on to the roof of the Opera-house, from which the slates had been
taken off; and numbers were dropping one by one through the ceiling on
to the heads of those who were seated in the gallery.
Patti, of course, was smothered with bouquets, and the Italian residents
of the city sent a huge globe of violets, supported on two ladders, with
the Italian and American flags hanging over each side. At the end of
each act huge stands and forms of flowers were sent up over the
footlights and placed on the stage. To name the fashionable people in
the audience would be to go over the invitation lists of the balls given
in the very best houses in the city. It would be useless to describe a
performance of _la Diva_, with which everyone is already familiar.
Galassi, the baritone, made a great success; and in the gambling scene
an elegant ballet was introduced, led by little Mdlle. Bettina de
Sortis. Chief Crowley reported that it would require 200 extra police to
keep order the next day. On going through the tickets in the treasury,
we discovered upwards of 200 bogus ones taken at the door. These
counterfeits were so good, even to the shade of colour, that it was
almost impossible to detect the difference from the real ones; the
public having smashed into the opera as if shot from howitzers. Several
ladies declared that their feet had never even touched the ground from
the time they got out of their carriages; and it was with difficulty
that the tickets were snatched from them as they passed. Many who had
paid for standing room brought little camp stools concealed under their
clothes, and afterwards opened them out, placing them in the main
passage ways. Had any panic occurred, or any alarm of fire, many lives
must have been sacrificed.
Of course the blame for all this was put upon me. The next day there
were low mutterings of discontent all over the city against my
management, whilst the newspapers were unanimous in attacking me, some
of their articles being headed "The Opera Swindle."
The following day I was arrested at half-past two o'clock by Detective
Bowen, on a sworn warrant from Captain Short, for violating Section 49
of the Fire Ordinance of the city and county, in allowing the passage
ways to be blocked up by the use of camp stools and overcrowding, the
penalty for such violation being a fine of not less than 500 dollars,
together with imprisonment for not less than six months.
In obedience to the warrant issued, I entered the police court the next
day, accompanied by General W. H. L. Barnes, the eminent counsel who had
charge of the famous Sharon case, and Judge Oliver P. Evans. On Barnes
asking to see the order for arrest he found that I was described as
"John Doe Mapleson," the explanation being that my Christian name was
unknown. I was charged with a misdemeanour in violating the ordinance of
the fire department, which declares that it is unlawful to obstruct the
passage-ways or aisles of theatres during a performance. After some
consultation a bond was drawn up in due form of law, General Barnes and
Judge Evans being my bondsmen.
A meeting was afterwards held in the court, when the licensing collector
suggested that for the protection of the public, ticket pedlars on the
pavement should be made to take out a licence at an extra charge of 100
dollars each.
Notwithstanding this enormous tax, more licences were issued that
afternoon at the increased rate.
At the next _matinee_ Mdme. Gerster appeared in _La Sonnambula_, when
the house was again crowded.
I now announced a second performance by Mdme. Patti, for the following
Tuesday, in _Il Trovatore_, stating that the box-office would open for
the sale of any surplus tickets on the following Monday at 10. Early on
the morning of the sale, the line, formed between four and five o'clock
in the morning, was gradually increased by new comers, all anxious to
secure tickets; and by 10 o'clock, without exaggeration, it had swelled
to thousands.
I herewith quote the following spirited and characteristic description
of the scene from the _Morning Call_ of March 15th, 1884:--
"To one who has stood on Mission Street, opposite the Grand Opera-house,
yesterday forenoon, and 'viewed the battle from afar,' as it might be
said, it seemed that a large number of people had run completely mad
over the desire to hear Patti sing. Such an excited, turbulent, and, in
fact, desperate crowd never massed in front of a theatre for the purpose
of purchasing tickets. It absolutely fought for tickets, and it is
questionable whether, if it had been an actual riot by a fierce and
determined mob, the scene could have been more exciting or the wreck of
the entrance of the theatre more complete. After the throng had melted
away the approaches to the box-office looked as if they had been visited
by a first-class Kansas cyclone in one of its worst moods. The fact that
tickets were on sale for several performances had much to do with it. It
was a sort of clean-up for last evening and to-day's _matinee_, but
above all for the Patti night on Tuesday. A line began to form as early
as five o'clock in the morning, and it grew and multiplied until at ten
o'clock it had turned the corner on Third Street, while the main
entrance was packed solid with a writhing and twisting mass of humanity,
which pressed close to the glass doors which form the first barrier, and
which were guarded by a lone policeman. He did his best to reduce the
pressure upon himself and upon the doors, but as the time passed and the
box-office did not open the crowd became more noisy and unmanageable,
and finally an irresistible rush was made for the doors. They did not
resist an instant, and gave way as though they had been made of paper.
In the fierce tumult which followed the glass was all broken out of
them, a boy being hurled bodily through one of the panes, with a most
painful result to him, for he fell cut and bruised inside. There was not
an inch of available space between the street and the main entrance that
was not occupied by men, women, or children, indiscriminately huddled in
together. The potted plants were overturned and annihilated under the
feet of the throng; the glass in the large pictures which adorned the
walls was broken, and the pictures themselves dragged to the floor. The
box-office was besieged by a solidly-packed and howling mob, the regular
line entirely overwhelmed, and a grand struggle ensued to get as near
the box-office--which had not been opened--as possible. Then the crowd
itself essayed to get into some sort of order.
"The more powerful forced themselves to the front and started a new line
without any regard for those who had been first in position before the
barriers were overthrown. It twisted itself about the lobby, forming
curves and angles that would have made the typical snake retire into
obscurity for very envy. This line was pressed upon from all sides by
unfortunates who had been left out of the original formation of it. The
air was thick and sultry, the crowd perspired and blasphemed, and the
storming of the box-office became imminent. Just at this juncture
Captain Short arrived with a large squad of police, and under the
influence of a copious display of suggestive-looking locusts [the
truncheons of the American police are made of locust wood] the crowd
sullenly fell back and formed a somewhat orderly line. A line of
season-ticket holders was also formed to purchase tickets for the next
Patti night, and these were admitted through the inner door and served
from the manager's office. In addition the crowd was notified that no
Patti tickets would be sold from the box-office, but that all must go
inside. This produced a yell of anger and turned bedlam loose again, as
it broke up the line. But the police made a grand charge and forced
hundreds outside, against the indignant protests of many who claimed
that they had been in the regular line all the forenoon, only to be
deprived of their rights by the police. The sale which followed seems to
have given more satisfaction than that for the first Patti night."
Prior to the opening of the sale I discovered that some thirty
speculators had somehow got to the inside barrier close to the office
before the _bona fide_ public, who had been waiting outside so long. I
found that they had broken a window on the stage; afterwards clambering
up and passing through the lobby of the theatre to the inner barrier,
before the outer doors had been opened. I then saw that they intended to
secure the whole of the tickets offered for sale. I therefore, in
passing a second time, quietly nudged one of them, winked suggestively,
and pointed to the upper circle ticket office; leading the willing dupes
who followed me through a door in the main wall to an inner office. No
sooner had the last one gone through than I had the door locked. I thus
"corralled" between 25 and 30 of these speculative gentry, and kept them
for over two hours, during which time the tickets were disposed of. This
cleared my character with the general body of the public, who at once
saw that I was in no league whatever with the speculators, or they would
have turned King's evidence after my treatment of them.
While I was performing this manoeuvre, the rush and jamb in the main
vestibule became so great that the police officers were obliged to draw
their clubs to maintain order.
On that evening we performed the opera _Puritani_, in which Mdme.
Gerster again sang, to the delight of the numerous audience. About this
time I discovered that the head usher had been in the habit of secreting
a lot of stools and hiring them out to those who were standing at an
extra charge of 12s. apiece. I at once sent for Captain Short, the
esteemed Chief of Police, who said to the usher--
"Have the kindness to ask that lady to get up and take that stool away."
"All right," said the usher. "Please hand me that stool, madam."
The lady responded--
"But you made me pay 12s. for it; at all events, return me my money."
The Captain said--
"Give the lady back her 12s."
The answer was--
"We never return fees."
The Captain then gave instructions for one of his officers to take the
usher off to the Southern Station and lock him up on a charge of
misdemeanour.
The following morning I was again notified to attend the Police Court.
My counsel, General Barnes, pleaded for a postponement for one week, on
the ground that he was busily engaged in the Sharon case. To this the
prosecuting attorney objected, saying that the outraged public demanded
the speedy settlement of Mapleson, and the case was therefore set for
the following morning.
When the case was called I was not present, being unavoidably detained
at the bedside of one of my bass singers, who had suddenly died of
pulmonary apoplexy. The deceased, Signor Lombardelli, was a great
favourite in the Company.
General Barnes, however, appeared, demanding a postponement of the case,
and intimating that a trial by jury would be demanded.
"If this should be conceded the case will go over until next May or
June," replied the Clerk of the Court, "by which time the accused will
be in Europe."
He therefore protested against the postponement. The Judge said sternly
that it would not be granted, and the case was therefore set for the
morrow.
On the following morning I came up to the Police Court, which was
crowded. Police Captain Short was first called for the prosecution, and
testified that the Opera-house was a place of amusement, but that it had
been turned into a place of danger every evening since I had been there.
Stools and standing spectators were in the main passages, and in case of
a panic the consequences would have been most disastrous. Officer
O'Connell testified that on the particular night in question there were
57 people standing in one little passage-way having about a dozen small
folding stools amongst them. I was then placed on the witness stand,
when I stated that I was the manager of the Opera Company, but not of
the theatre. I had simply control of the stage, whilst the manager was
responsible for the auditorium, and had provided me with the delinquent
ushers. The box book-keeper was afterwards placed on the stand, who
swore that I had ordered him to sell one-fifth less tickets than the
manager had stated the house would hold. The defence only desired to
make out the point that I was not the responsible manager. The Judge,
however, decided otherwise, and found me guilty.
I was to appear the following morning to hear sentence. A heavy fine was
imposed. But it was ultimately reduced to 75 dollars, which the Judge,
evidently a lover of music, consented to take out in opera tickets.
That evening Patti appeared as "Leonora" in _Il Trovatore_. Standing
room on the church steps opposite the main entrance to the theatre was
again at a great premium, and a force of policemen under Captain Short
was early on duty keeping the vestibule clear of loiterers, and allowing
none but those who intended to witness the opera to be present.
I will not go into details of the performances either of Signor Nicolini
as "Manrico," or of Patti as "Leonora." The representation was one
unbroken triumph, and, as usual, the stage was piled up with set pieces
and flowers.
About this time a report was brought to me as to the examination I had
caused to be made of the bogus tickets, which could only be recognized
after being soaked in water, when it appeared that the real ones
consisted of three plies of cardboard and the bogus ones only of two.
But even after all this explanation, so disappointed and indignant were
those who held the bogus tickets that they insisted, not only upon their
money being returned, of which I had never received a penny, but also on
their travelling and hotel expenses being repaid them. Many had come
hundreds of miles in order to visit the opera.
Having arranged to give a concert on the following Thursday at the
Pavilion, a large building capable of holding some 8,000 or 9,000
people, and in order to prevent a recurrence of the scenes I had just
encountered and the daily trouble experienced throughout this
engagement, I resolved to put up the choice of seats to auction.
The auction took place in the Grand Opera-house, and was attended by
over 500 people, who had first to procure tickets of admission to attend
the sale. A huge diagram was placed on the drop curtain, showing the
seats that were to be sold divided into blocks. The auctioneer, who
occupied the conductor's desk, explained that the whole of the seats
would be placed on sale to the public and that none would be withheld,
the bidders merely to name the premiums they wished to give for the
privilege of purchasing the tickets. The first bidder gave 12s. premium
per seat for the first choice of six seats for the concert, and other
sums varied from 10s. down to 2s. 6d., the premiums alone reaching some
L1,000, in addition to the sale of tickets.
This plan gave great satisfaction to the public, as whatever advance
they then paid on the ticket went into the manager's pocket instead of
the speculators'.
When the great concert took place the vast building was nearly full.
Nine thousand persons had paid from one to five dollars each. The rain
meanwhile was coming down in sheets, and several speculators who had
obtained large numbers of tickets were now left out in the cold--and in
the rain--with their purchases. Inside, at the back of the gallery, a
brisk business was done in telescopes, for such was here the distance
from Patti that, though her voice could be clearly heard, her features
could not be seen.
A subscription was now started for the benefit of the widow of the late
basso, Signor Lombardelli. Patti had contributed 150 dollars, when
Gerster, to show that she was a greater artist, gave 1,000. I
contributed 600; Galassi, Arditi, and the others 100 dollars each.
The following morning Lombardelli's funeral took place, which caused a
great stir in the city. There was a full choral service; the orchestra
and the whole Opera Company taking part in it, including the principal
artists. Not only was San Francisco in full _fete_ at this extraordinary
funeral, but numbers of the Chinese came down from their city (called
"Chinatown") in order to be present.
That evening a great reception was given by the San Francisco Verein in
honour of Mdme. Gerster. The guests commenced to arrive early, and the
entertainment was carried on till midnight. It is to be noted that the
night for the compliment to Gerster was that of the Patti concert at the
Pavilion.
On the following evening Gerster appeared as "Margherita" in _Faust_,
the house being again crowded from floor to ceiling. That same night
Patti's admirers gave a grand ball in her honour at the Margherita Club,
for which 500 invitations were issued. An immense floral bower had been
constructed for the occasion, the sides of the room being beds of choice
flowers and roses in full bloom, while four enormous horse-shoes, all of
flowers, adorned each corner of the room. Suspended from the roof was a
great star with the word "Patti" in electric incandescent burners.
The Italian Consul, the Russian Consul, and several officers from the
Russian flagship then in San Francisco Bay were present. The Queen of
Song was escorted into the ballroom by Count Brichanteau, the band
playing the "Patti Valse," composed expressly for the occasion by
Arditi. A formal reception was afterwards held by the members of the
Club; and later on a gorgeous supper was served in the Pavilion, which
had been specially erected, decorated with large Italian and Union
flags. Dancing was kept up until an early hour the following morning.
While the rivalry between Patti and Gerster was at its height it was
made known that General Crittenden, Governor of Missouri, had given
Patti a kiss. Thereupon Mdme. Patti was interviewed, when she spoke as
follows:--
"I had just finished singing 'Home, Sweet Home' last Thursday evening,
when a nice-looking old gentleman, who introduced himself as Governor
Crittenden, began congratulating me. All of a sudden he leaned down, put
his arms around me, drew me up to him, and kissed me. He said, 'Madame
Patti, I may never see you again, but I cannot help it;' and before I
knew it he was kissing me. When a gentleman, and such a nice old
gentleman, too, and a Governor of a great State, kisses one so quick
that one has not time to see and no time to object, what can one do?"
The following dialogue on the subject between Mdme. Gerster and a
reporter who had interviewed her was afterwards published:--
"THAT PATTI KISS."
MODEST REPORTER: "I suppose, Mdme. Gerster, you have heard about that
kissing affair between Governor Crittenden and Patti?"
Mdme. GERSTER: "I have heard that Governor Crittenden kissed Patti
before she had time to resist; but I don't see anything in that to
create so much fuss."
REPORTER (interrogatively): "You don't?"
GERSTER: "Certainly not! There is nothing wrong in a man kissing a woman
old enough to be his mother."