Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1872-11-09
SHAVING A MILLIONAIRE.

Everybody who lives in New Jcrsc,
will rccollcct Billy Gibbons, the million
alrc. lie was an eccentric man, and
numerous stories are told OF his freaks
Here is one of them.
1t seems that Billy, while in coun.
try village, in which he owned some
property, stepped into barber shop to
get shaved. The shop was full of Gus.
TONERS, and the old gentlemen quietly
waited for his turn.
A customer, who was under the bar.
ber's hands when the old gentleman
came in, asked the ''knight OF the ra.
zor," in undcrtone, if he knew who that
was? and on receiving Il mega i've re-
ply, pc informed him in u whisper, it
WIS sold Billy Gibbons, the richest man
i'll the State
"Gad," said the barber, ''I'll 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 that it was sevcnty-G yc
cents.
"Sevcnty,iive cents?" said he, ''isn't
that rather a high price?"
brush, independently, "and as this is
the only barber shop in the place them
as comes into it must pay what ask. {"
TO the old man this WAS evidently n
krock-"own argument, for he drew
threcquartcrs of q 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 II
tavern near by, and the topic of con,
versation was barber shops.
"Why is it," said he, "therc's only one
barber shop in town? There seems to
be nearly enough work for two"
"Well, there used to be two" said
the landlord, "lil last winter, when
this new man came up from the city
and opened Il new shop, and us every
thing IN it was fresh and new, folks
sort of deserted Bill IIarringtolrs shop,
which had been going for nigh fourteen
years"
"But didn't this Bill do good work?
Didn't lie shave well, and-cheap?
SWELL as for that" said the landlord,
"B!ll did his work well enough, but his
shop wasn't on the main street like the
new one, and didn't have so many pic
turcs and handsome curtains, and folks
got i'll the way of thinking The chap
was more scientific and brought more
city fashions with him, though, to tell
the TRUTH" said the landlord, striking Il
chm sown with a beard resembling
screen wire, 81 never want II lighter
touch or a keener razor than Bill IIar
rngton's.'
"Clty fashions -ch?" growlcd the old
man. $50 the new mans city fashions
shut up the other barber shop?'
"Well, not exactly" said the land
lord, "though things never did seem to
90 well with Bill after the new shop
opened; first, one of his little children
died OF fever; then his wife was long
sick, and Bill had u big bill to pay at the
doctors; then as q last mishap, his
shop burned down one night, tools,
brushes, furniture and all, and no in,
surancc."
"Well," said the old man, pcttishly,
'why didn't he start again?'
"Slart agaiu!'' said the communica.
tive landlord; "why, bless your soul,
he hasn't anything to start With. y
"I--m-m! Where does this man
live?" asked the old man.
He was directed, and ere long was in
conversation with the unfortunate ton,
sor, who corroboratcd the landlords
story.
"Why don't you take new shop?'
SAID the old man; "there's new one in
the block right opposite the other bar.
ber shop
"What" said the other, "you must
be crazy. Why that block belongs ia
old Billy Gibbons; he'd never let one OF
his stores for II barber shop; they arc a
mighty sight too good; besides that,
haven't got twenty dollars in the world
TO fit ii up with"
You don't know old Billy Gibbons
AS well as ] do" said he. snow listen
to me. If you can have that shop al
iIttcd up, rent free, what will you woIk
n 1t for hy the month? What is the
least you can live on?'
This proposition somewhat startled
the unfortunate hair.Gresser, who finall,
lound words to stammer out that twelve
or fifteen dollars q month would b,
about enough.
"l'shawV' said the old man. "tha
won do. Now listen to me. iii Civ,
you mat store, rent free, one year, anc
engage your services six months, all OF
these conditions: You are to shave ant
cut ha'r Tor everybody that applies t,
you, ana take no pay; just charge it al
10 me- ana 'or y ur services I'll pay yo,
twenty dollars a month, PAYABLE in ad
vance-pay to begin now" continue,
he, placing two ten dollar notes on tn,
table before the astonished barber-who
1t Is almost unnecessary to state, nc
ceptod the proposition, and who wa
still more surprised to learn that it wa
Billy Gibbons himself who had hire,
him