The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-06-28

VAasge shilling for shaving md twenty-five cents
~ hair cutting, the same for curling and shampoong;
mt the more unpretending are satisfied with one
Aah Of those sums For honeing . razor the
charge is shilling, and there are few who ask only
ixpsnce. When they are called upon to shave sick
man at his residence their price is shilling and for
hair cutting two shllings.
The business has been greatly improved within the
list ten years and, as we have shown In another
place the prices have been considerably increased
6hampooing has been adopted during that time as Q
branch Of it, and is now performed by nearly all
BARRIERS throughout the city The word is OF eastern
e1igin, and literally means pressing of the limbs
and joints after the body has been washed in hot
bath; but with it has an entirely different signid
eaton. The lotion, or wash which Is used in the
process of shampooing, or cleansing the head, is
made Of alkslis mixed with other ingredients.
Every barber makes his own lotion; and there are
very few who do not make their eau de cologne.
The bay water, of which large quantity Is con-
stunned in New York yearly, is procured from the
island Of st. Thomas, where its manufacture is ex
1ensively pursued.
The summer and fall are the BARRIERS favorite sea-
sons for then his business is better than at any other
art of the year. The heat of the weather rem
ders frequent shsmpooing and bathing more me-
sessary, and the hair is cut oftener. We believe,
however, it does not effect shaving, the growth of
The beard is the same at all seasons
MOVEMENTS AMONG THE BARRIERS FOR
HIGHER PRICES-RATE5 OF SHAVING
THE THREE CENT AND FOUR CENT
MOVEMENT.
There are very few tradesmen who could earn
more than the journeymen BARRIERS, If they got
enough work to keep them constantly employed, and
fhey were paid by the number Of chins they shaved
The majority of BARRIERS charge six cents per shave
some four cents and some shilling; but it is only
during certain hours Of the day that they steadily
engaged and their receipts therefore not large
Is might be supposed. A good barber can shave
four men in an hour, and do his work well in that
time while some are so tedious that it takes them
an hour to perform the same operation on two men.
Working steadily therefore, from six O'Clock in the
morning till nine at night, the time their shops are
kept open the receipts of one will amount to six
dollars and half day. and Ct the other to one half
that In this estimate allow two hours for meals
and we do not include the receipts for hair cutting,
shsmpooing and hair dyeing, all Of which form large
item in the profits of the business. BARRIERS, how
ever would soon grow rich II their occupation was
% profitable, but there too many engaged in it,
and the majority do not make more than comfort
able livelihood. We have spoken of four cents as
being the lowest price for shaving four years ago.
however there was considerable number who did
not charge more than three cents. 1t may be sup.
posed that the operation could not be well performed
Tor such triAing remuneration, but they found Gus
~ tho in vrhi
h was done, and they managed to live upon their
patronage. The four cent men used their utmost
sndeavors to persuade them to raise their prices to
Their standard and after much exerton they succeed
ID. meeting of both parties was held, we believe,
some time in the summer Of 1850, in Bayard street
aud two others took place subsequently before they
came to terms. The principal argument used by the
advocates Of the four cent system was that three
cents were too little, that it easy to get four
and that such low prices had tendency to degrade
the occupation. The three cent men could not resist
The force of this argument; they yielded, and ever
since they have, with very few exceptions continued
Do shave at the rate Of four cents beard.
Last spring the journeymen BARRIERS contemplated
strike fer higher wages and held meeting for the
purpose Of inducing their employers to raise the
price Of shaving from six cents to shilling. They
represented that almost every other trade had sue
eeeded in obtaining an advance, and that the same
reasons urged in their favor equally applicable
10 the BARRIERS; the high rents and the increased
prices Of provisions bore with the weight upon
Mem as it did upon the members Of any other occu
patton, for many Of them had families to support
The meeting, however, was attended by such IL
mted number that they were unable to effect any
thing, and the project was abandoned till more
favorable opportunity. few weeks after ball or
party given, with the view Of bringing the BARRIERS
INTO more intimate acquaintance with each other
On this occasion the necessity of a protective and
benevolent society spoken of, and its immediate
organization recommeIded; and about two months
after, notices were published in the HERALD calling
meeting at the National Hall to take into considera
lion the state of the trade This meeting was held
ut o'clock on Sunday afternoon-the BARRIERS being
engaged every other day of the week. Although the
sail was answered by not more than twenty or thirty
persons, yet they took immediate steps for the for
nation of the proposed society. The protested OBJ
jecte of this association the assistance Of its
members in time Of sickness and the urtherance of
ther interests as well those Of the bosses, who
were invited to join it. Another meeting was held
about week ago, at which constitution and by
laws were adopted, and the officers elected, that
Che Society may now be regarded as fat &C.
eompli.
Fifteen years ago an attempt was made to adj
vance the price of shaving from six cents to shil-
ing, but it failed from want of unanmity among the
members of the trade. We inclined to think that
II all the BARRIERS united in such a movement at pre-
sent-and we are Informed that it is seriously enter
tanned by some-it would have a most Injurious ef
fect upon their business Thousands of men who
now patronize them would rather shave their own
chins than pay double price to them for doing it, SC
fhat they would lose in custom than they would
gain in amount
BARRIERS SHOPS.
From the four cent shaving shop to the one shilling
establishment in Broadway, there is an innumerable
variety Of BARRIERS shops. The magnificent one
which was fitted up some time ago in the st. Nicho