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Show THAT MIKADO TICKET SCALPIXG. Denials All Around How It Was the Firs Served Got the Good Seats and the Others Got - Left. - ' . ' -': v The prestige and good-will which the amateurs of Salt Lake recently won in their presentation of the opera "Patience," "Pa-tience," caused public expectation to reach almost a feverish height when some time ago it was announced that Gilbert & Sullivan's latest craze, "The .Mikado," would be their next ambitious attempt, and when the box office opened Saturday morning there was an Indian 61e of ticket purchasers extending through the lobby and into the street. It was not long, however, before the rumor Was current that the tickets were being speculated in in fact, that a regular scalping business was being done and that if anyone desired de-sired good seats at the opera they could have them at a premium from certain parties who had held down the box office since daylight in the morning. Much sur-nrise sur-nrise and indignation were expressed bv many when the rumor spread, and the general opinion seemed to be that had the management permitted such action, the gilt-edge of "The Mikado" had already been taken off. Yesterday a Democbat reporter found Mr. Dan. S. Spencer, of "The Mikado" management, and on inquiring into the matter was informed that to liis knowledge know-ledge there had been no such thing as "scalping" that a clean chart was put in the window to commence with, and that it was a fair sale of seats. Clem Horsley, chief Theatre usher, denies the report that he had any " Mikado" Mi-kado" tickets to sell at a premium, and declares that all he bought were for friends who had handed him the money previously, or at the time he was in line. Furthermore, he says ihe never sold a Theatre ticket in his" life for more than the regular rates. . Mr. McKeflzie, manager of the Theatre, says that no attache of the Theatre, so far aslie knows, has been guilty of, any such discreditable work as is alleged to have taken place on Saturday, and that no siifK KnHinpaa wnnl1 ho ollnworl rlp- spite anything that has been said to the contrary. The facts in the matter appear to be that the tickets were not limited in number num-ber to the individual, and that several parties in the line, seeing the crush, imagined that a profitable speculation might be indulged in by purchasing seats and holding on for a. margin. That this is so is proved by the fact that $1 tickets were offered on the street for $2.50, and some few sold at that figure. While it is to be regretted that any such speculation should have been entered into, or that even an opening for anything having a tendency to mar the general performance of "The Mikado" should have occurred ; yet we do not, nor do we think the public will, for an instant question ques-tion the integrit' of the management of the opera in the matter. A failure to limit the tickets was the fault, but there appears to have been no dishonesty. |