The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-08-09
Chinese Barbers.

Correspondence Chicago Trbunel
Chinese BARRIERS are divided into two classes or
grades, one OF which claims the dignity OF work
ing in the shop; the other is person without
local habitation. He wanders through the streets
with stool and chest of drawers containing the
implements of his trade. in search OF customer.
and when he finds one seats him in some alleyway,
upon the sidewalk in the street, or anywhere ne
can find a spot sufficiently large to plant his stool,
and proceeds to his work. The custom here is TO
shave all the hair from the head with the excep-
ton of a small patch about the size OF the palm
of mans hand on the upper and back portion OF
the head. This patch is suffered to grow and is
carefully attended to, plated into queue, and
cherished with great veneraton by all Cinnamon.
The loss Of the queue is mark of disgrace, for
the government has made it punishment for GER
tain efienses. The razors used by the BARRIERS are
odd-looking and clumsy affairs, but the barber
manages 20 get the hair of with them. There are
certain streets upon which BARRIERS are forbidden
to pursue their avocaton under penalty OF whip
ping by any policeman who may happen TO catch
them offending. / Lave seen q number Of them
Knocked down and brutally beaten with club
for daring to commence operations in front Of the
Hong. Kong Hotel and the postofice. The upper
grade-those who have shops-are aristoeratc,
and may be said TO feel their oats, for while the
street barber only charges one cent for shave,
the shop operator demands and receives double
that sum. The mere fun of the thing induced me
TO submit myself TO the hands OF one OF the latter.
Entering the shop and making known my desires,
| was given a seat upon which to rest myself du.
ring the operation. The operator took q razor,
and Swapping it upon his leg, began TO cut the
beard from my face without having lathered it.
Upon my suggesting that little lather would
prove beneficial, he replied that it was entirely
useless and had tendency to make the hair stiff
ard tough and therefore was never used by per-
sons who had any knowledge of the human face
divine and its appendages L, perforce, acqul-
esced in the opinion expressed, but would rather
be shaved twice with soap than once without.
After the beard had been taken of, and 1t was
done in a very short time the barber took long,
sharp, needle shaped spoon, and began TO pierce
my ears. He explored every avenue, and brought
up from nun erous little crevces bits OF wax anu
| dirt which had been Accomplishing there from my
| childhood, for / never submitted to such an ope-
| ration before. Having become satisfied with
picking out my ears, the barber suddenly twisted
| my neck to one side in such manner that il
| cracked as il the vertebre had been disocated.
| Hold On!n shouted, alarmed for the safety OF
my neck. "All right" replied the tonsor, "me no
hurt you !" and he continued to jerk and twist my
| neck until 1t was as timber as an old woman's
dishrag. he then fell TO beating my back breast,
arms and sides with bis fist, and pummeled the
muscles until they fairly glowed with the beating
| they had received. He then dashed bucket Of
cold water over me, and having dried my skin
with towels, declared that his work was done.
dressed myself, and having paid my two cents,
walked away feeling like new man. The sensa-
ton Of soreness was gone and one Of elasticity re-
NAMED. really never felt better in my life, and
must say that half an hour under the hands of q
Chinese barber would be far better than glass Of
soda after q nights debauch.