The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-03-09
4 " Barberous'' Woman's Freak.


The two or three line item which sp-
peared last week in most of the daily press
Of this city, announcing that Sacramento
barber named Harris he'd been discovered
to be . female, and was arrested for wear
ing male attire, scarcely elected a remark
in Oakland at the time, but yesterday on
the return to that city from Sacramento OF
one OF its veteran Democratic leaders the
Drlef item was remembered, referred to,
and much discussed, for the Democratic
chieftafn brought the news from the CAPT
tai city that the party arrested Was none
other than the well known Bill" Harris,
who had lathered and shaved in Oakland
for four long years, without being discov-
cred that he was She Among the
habttues of the various barber shops and
among the firemcn of Oakland Bill''
Harris was freely discussed yesterday af
ternoon, and now, since he has turned out
to be she, many funny things were
thought of that she did when he lived in
Oakland. He was remembered a.
handsome-looking, smooth faced young
man, Of good and temperate habits, grace
full figure and tapcring fingers; and one
prominent tonsor;al artist, who worked
side by side with "Bill" for one whole
year, remembered having asked him why
his ear. were pierced, when her reply was
that she did it on account of his weak
eyes. And again It was remembered that =
when Bill" was once reminded Of his
Canada, he blushed clear up to the roots
of her ha;r. Yet of all this nothing more
was thought at the time than that "Bill's''
excessive modesty was SO stirred by the
tlattcry Of being favorably compared with
a handsome girl that lie showed suf-
fusion of red color in her cheeks that con-
fused him. From what could be learned
of this freak struck maiden she came to
this State from Boston about six years
ago; resided in one of the lower cOun-
ties for a year. where ho tended bar, but
soon after fled that portion of the State
for shooting the life out of one Of band
Of Greasers who were in the habit of i'm
posing upon her employer by drinking
his merchandise without pay. She ap-.
peared in Oakland about four years ago,
working the first six months in a barber
shop near the southeast corner of Broad
way and Seventh street. Soon after
Bill' opened shop of her own on Sew
enth street between Broadway and Wash
ington, which he conducted successfully
for eight months, when she protitcd by an
opportunity and sold out for handsome
bonus, agreeing, however, not 10 open an
other shop in Oakland for one year. She
committed breach Of promise, however,
and soon fitted up the elegant tonsoraE
parlors on Broadway now occupied by
Jerry Bowman and Gus Myers, on the:
show-windows of which can yet be deci-.
phered, "W. X. Harris Tonsorial
Rooms" For having opened this latter
shop IS Bill" got herself into a lingering
and expensive lawsuit, which caused him
to fall so far behind in her rent that final
~ Col. Hani6n, Bills landlord, took
the shop from her. BILL left Oakland
soon after this-some eighteen Qlonths
since-and nothing has since been heard
of her until the appearance of the little
item referred 70, which it has since been
discovered to mean none other than the
identical "Bill'' Harris, who is so well
remembered in Oakland.-Sdn FTanctsco
Tb,nn:~lo