Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-12-03
4 JAPANESE BARBER SHOP.

4 JAPANESE BARBER SHOP.
The barber shops ln Japan are the resorts of
the mail gossips. Outside the sign of the call
Ing of the proprietor, hangs board painted
with what might at first sight suggest differ
cot object to different spectators 1t represents
u disc with wide slit. extending TO the centre,
from which q black line, like tongue, extends
half way to the ends of the slit. An Ameri.
can shopkeeper would surely take it to be one
OF the supplementary weights on Fairbanks
patent scale. A musician would suppose it
Siood for Jews harp. Io the ken of Scotch
man 1t might seem curhog iron. An Indian
would l1sl5t that 1t was scalp with handle
TO 1t, and the RED man would surmse correctly.
1t Is BIRDS eye view of the shaven crown of
uatlVc Of the old style, fresh from the hands
Ui the barber.
lus!de, the shop Is festconed with theatre
bills, notices of wrestling Matches and local
advertisements. On raised platform the
hnlght OF the razor stands while bis customer
sits. The stubbe OF the face and temples are
mown of, and the fore. top and mid d-scaIp hav-
log been reduced to polished ba!duess, the
athletic exercise of the tonsor begins. Seiziug
the victims long hair 10 his left, and his wood
en- comb III his right he acts as if alternately
working hand engine, hceng row of coro,
or rowing a boat. Nevertheless the energy is
chiefly in his own body and feet. In reality,
he is gentle to the customer. He is merely
endeaVorlng to impress upon the waiting half
dozen customers that he is hurrying with all
his might, and that their turn will come soon.
Ihe priests are bis best customers, since un.
like the monks of Europe, they have not even
toOsure, and their pates are as Innocent ofhair
as their palms. Many of the BARRIERS will give
you double shave, comb you, tie your top
kpot, and present you parting cup of tea for
tempo Zone cent?.
The good bouzes in the monasteries en-
gage the barber by the month An old
harber,s touch is almost impercept BILE, and
he usually handles his customers as though
he were made OF wax and crystal, the
latter otteu falling asleep under the
soothing blade. Japanese barber uses moth
ing but hot water, good one employing skill
in lieu OF soap. His razor is a thin blade of
steel without handle. lie Uses 20 strop, only
houe OF extreme fneness and hardness kept
tlat oy another stone somewhat softer
Having flushed the most fertile soil of the
lace, on which the capillary crop is most abun-
dant, he attends to the forehead, temples eye
shaped razors be explores the convolutions of
the ear, ard the caverus Of the nose The visit
ing barber has spotless reputation at his craft,
having never for a score of years drawn drop
OF blood from CUSTOMER face, however ten
der or amorphous. Having finished his work,
he falls on hand and knees, touches forehead to
the floor, and is off,
this travelling apparatus consists Of brightly
lacquered box. protusely bound and ornamentcd
with polished brass. containing drawers for
homes, aZors OF oil sizes aud patterns, combs,
paper. string to tie the queues, and pomatum
Tor the hair, drawer for money. and CON-
partment for holding the tray which each victim
holds before him to catch the spoIs.
Uuski!lful BARRIERS and dull razorS, however,
are not unknown in Japan, and the writer has
distinct recollection of having his face sacrificed
4, though the ruffan barber was using har-
row. Sometimes the best BARRIERS are women
rs III Japanese family the shaving of the
children heads is a regular duty, as impera-
lively customary as the Saturday nights gene
raj ahlutionsare among families where Sabbath
aud Sunday Schools are old institutions, so
nearly all japanese women acquire deftness
aud decacy of tact with the razor that rival
professional touch and skill. The girls and
boys are not considered dressed or perfectly
clean until their scalps n the chosen portions
are perfectly polished. The mail BARRIERS of
the period are stout conservatives resisting
worldly the foreign custom of the hairy foreign
crs who wear boards, mustaches and full heads
OF hair.
THE BooTBLAcK's SToRY.-Whcn dozen
Detroit newsboys aud bootblacks had collected
90 the Custom House stairs the other day,
aud when each one had grown tired Of jaw
brakerS aud popcorn balls, Little English"
remarked:
'Sposen Jim Cocoanut tells US story"
'Sposen, remarked all the others.
well, gentlemen" remarked Jim, after
lew digs at his head, II will tell you true
Story about girl. Her name was Marer, and
she had yaer hair, blue eyes, small feet, and
She was worth million dollars"
In samps?' asked Cross Eyed Dick.
'lu clean cash, right in the savings bank"
answered Jim. "rhis girl was an orphan, with
one to boss her around, and if she wanted to
There we're piles of tellcrs after her to marry
her, but she stuck up her nose at the hull
caboodle''
What fur p anxiousy inquired Firecracker
Tou.
What fur?' Why, she knew they loved
her money instead Of herself. She wanted some
Que to love ber earnestly and like gosh. Well,
one day when she was going down to the post
othce to see if there was ary mail, runaway
horse came along. Marer tainted away aud sat
down in the road, and She have been broken
all TO pieces if it hadn't been for bootbIack
bout my size. He pulled her into shooting
gallery, brought her to, aud then hired a hull
Omnibus and took her bome
And they fell 10 love and were 6ualy mar
rIeu remarked Suspender Johnson
:. No, my fellow-couotrymen," sadly replied
jim; gin him ten centsl u
And is that all?'' exclaimed three or four
Voices.
All she gave him, and that turned out to
be couuterfelt!'
ILnt, -