The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1852-05-20
An AdventureIn n Barber sbon

In the month OF October, 1926, my vessel was
lying at Mobile. went ashore one bright morn
ing to do some business with house to which
was consigned, and as passed along the street.
it occurred to me that I might as well have a
beard of a weeks growth reaped before 1 pre-
sented myeelf ct the counting room. 1 stepped
into barbeI's shop and told the barber to pro
ceed.
He was a bright mulatto, good-lookinc Young
fellow, not more than tWo-and-twenty years of
age, it appeared. His eyes were large, black
and unusually lustrous. His manner at first
was quiet and respectful. 1 thought he was a
long while lathering my face, and l told him he
| must have bought his soap at wholesale price.
| Laughing, he replied that mine was long beard,
and that he knew what he was about
care you the boss here, my man ?'' asked
'Nes," he answered, ''my master set me up,
and pay him twenty dollars a month for my
time
''That is good interest on the capital invest
ed - / remarked ''can you pay your rent and
live on the balance of your savings ?'
{ ''Oh, yes and lay up something beside
| Sometimes L receive thirty bits day.
''Then l suppose you will buy your freedom
one OF these days"
''As for that he replied, 81 care but little.
have all the liberty l want, and enjoy myself
as go along
| By this time he laid down the brush and com
menced running the razor over the strops, look
| ing at the blade every time he drew it across
! the leather. His hand trembled a little, and
his eyes absolutely burned like Goals of fire. L
| did not feel uneasy lint / conld not avoid
| ing him closely.
At last he commenced shaving me- My head
being thrown back, l was able to keep my ewes
fixed directly his own. Why l should do so.
l cannot tell ; certainly aprrehend nothing,
but did not remove my gaze for a single in
! slant while the razor was passing over my neck
/ and throat He seemed to grow more and more
uneasy his eyes were as bright, but not so
steady as when first observed them. He could
not meet my fixed and deliberate look As he
commenced shaving my chin he said abruptly
BARRIERS handle deadly weapon, sir''
''True enough, my man, replied, ..but you
handle yours skilfuuy, although 1 notice that
your hands shake little
''Thats nothing, sir-I can shave just as well
My hand shakes because did not have much
sleep last night But was thinking just now" +"
he added with laugh, show easy it would be
to cut your throat
every likely" 1 replied, laughing in return,
but looking sternly at him-''very likely, yet L
would not advise you to try the experiment"
Nothing more was said, He soon finished
and l arose from the chair just as an elderly
gentleman entering the shop. The last COM
er divested himself of his coat and eravat, and
took the seat l had vacated.
l went to the glass; which did not reflect the
chair, to arrange my collar. Certainly had
not stood before it a single moment, when
heard something like suppressed shrek, a CUR
Cling horrible sound that made my blood run
cold. l turned-there sat the unfortunate gen
tleman, covered with blood, his throat cut from
ear to ear, and the barber, a raving maniac,
dashing the razor with tremendous violence IN
the mangled neck.
On the instant the mans eye caught mine, the
razor dropped from his hand, and he fell down
in a fit l rushed towards the door and called
for assistance,
t The unfortunate was dead before we could
! reach the chair.
We secured the barber, who / subsequently
learned, had been drinking deeply the night be-
fore, and was laboring under mania potu-
His fate l never heard.
white Partridge was trapped in Hopewel
township, York county, few months ago, by .
person residing in that township. The bird Wa
lpurchased by gentleman from Baltimore