Box 19

Judge Elbert H. Gary has bought Box 19 in the "golden horseshoe" at the Metropolitan Opera House. The box belonged to the estate of Henry C. Frick, whose family were to be seen in it for some years before his death. How much Judge Gary paid for his box is not known. "Two hundred thousand dollars!" said idle gossips. (They attempted to substantiate this statement by recalling that one William Ross Proctor paid $200,000 for Box 26 some years ago.)

The "golden horseshoe" is so called because its 35 boxes--the lower row, known as the parterre--are roughly in the shape of a horseshoe, the stage being in the heel. A gala night at the opera concentrates about as much wealth in this broken ellipse as in any other given spot on the earth's surface.

Parterre boxes are not necessarily the ideal place from which to enjoy an opera. Those nearest the stage are signally bad--both for eye and ear. On the other hand, they are admirable localities from which to be seen; and their owners or lessees are as a rule extremely amiable about permitting the less exalted attendance to concentrate admiring gazes upon a galaxy of beauty, gems, gowns, furs.

The best locations are the boxes in the rear--in the toe of the horseshoe. These are perhaps actually the most satisfactory seats in the house from any point of view. Mr. Gary's purchase is just around the turn, on the downtown side of the auditorium. It's next neighbor, toward the stage, is the box owned jointly by Mrs. Henry White and Mrs. H. McK. Twombly, daughters of the late William H. Vanderbilt.