The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1872-11-21
SHAVING A MILLIONAIRE.

Every body who lives in New Jer-
sey will recollect Billy Gibbons, the
millionaire. He was an eccentric
man, and numerous stories are told
of his freaks. Here is one of them
It seems that Billy, while in a
country village, in which he osned
some property, stepped into a bar
ber's to get shaved. The shop was
full of customers, and the old gentle
man quietly waited for his turn.
A customer, who was under the
barber's hands when the old gentle
man came in, asked the knight OF
the razor" in an undertone, if he
knew who that was? and, on receiv
ing a negative reply, he informed
him, in a whisper, it was ''OldzI3illy
Gibbons, the richest man in the
State"
"Gad," said the barber, "Tn
charge him for his shave"
Accordingly, after the old man
had had that operation performed,
he was somewhat surprised upon
asking the price to be told seventy
FIVE cents"
Seventy five centsr' said he
quitely, isn't that rather a high
price?"
It's my price," said he of the
lather-brush, independently, "and as
this is the only barber's shop in the
place, them as comes into it must
pay what ask"
To the old man this was evidently
a knock-down argument, for he
drew three quarters of a dollar from
his pocket, paid them over to the
barber, and left the shop.
A short time after he was in close
conversation with the landlord of a
tavern hard by, and the topic ofcon-
versation was "barbers' shops"
'Why is it, said he, there's only
one BARRIERS shop in the town.
There seems to be nearly enough
work for two"
"WeH there used to be two,' said
the landlord, still last winter, when
this new man came up from the city
and opened a new shop, and as every
thing in it was fresh and new, folks
sort of deserted Bill Harrington's
shop, which had been going for nigh
fourteen years"
"But didn't this Bill do good
work? did't he shave well, and
cheap?"
"WeH, as for that said the land
lord, "BilI did his work well enough,
but his shop wasn't on the main
street like the new one, and didn't
have so many picturs and handsome
curtains, and folks got in the way
of thinking the new chap was more
scientific and brought more city
fashions with him, though, to tell
the TRUTH" said the landlord, strik-
ing a chin sown with a beard re-
sembling screen wire, 4 never want
a lighter touch or a keener razor
than Bill Harrington's."
''City fashions-eh?'' growled the
old man. $50 the new mans city
fashions shut up the other barbers
shop2"
"Well, not exactly" said the land
lord, "though things never did seem
to go well with Bill after the new
shop opened first, one of his little
children died of fever; then his wife
was sick long time, and Bill had a
big bill to pay at the doctors's; then,
as last misfortune, his shop burned
down one night, tools, brushes, fur
niture, and all, and no Insurance"
"Well," said the old man, pettish-
ly, ''WhY don't he start again?'
"Start againr' said the commu-
nicative landlord; "why, bless your
soul, he hasn't got any thing to start
with"
"H-m-m! Where does this
man live?' asked the old man.
He was directed, and ere long was
IN conversation with the unfortunate
5onsor, who corroborated the land
ord's story.
"Why don't you take new shop?" !
said the old man; there's a rev one
n the block right opposite the
other bar ber's shop"
"Whatr' said the other, "you !
must be crazy. "Why' that block |
belongs to.old Billy Gibbons; he'd |
never let one of these stories for a |
shop; they are a mighty |
sight too goods besides that, hav-
mt got twenty dollars in the world |
o fit it up with"
"You don't know old Billy Glib
,ons as well as do" said the other,
Now listen to me. If you can have
hat shop all fitted up. rent free,
What will you work in it for by the
is the least you can
i've onY'
This proposition somewhat start
ed the unfortunate hair-dresser,
Who finally found words to stammer
,ut that perhaps twelve or fifteen
lollars q month would be about
'PshawT' said the old man, "that
7on't do. Now listen to me-Tn |
i've you that store, rent free, one
ear, and engage your service six
months, all on these condieions.-
you are TO shave and cut hair for
very body that applies to you, and