Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1882-05-02
GETTING SHAVED.
The English and American Methods
Contracted.

The upper and middle classes in Eng.
land, as O rule, shave themselves and
since the custom OF wearing the full
beard has been revived, the art OF shaw.
ing moy be said to have declined in ar.
istocratie London. In the more densely
populated quarters, however, shaving
goes on from early morning until late at
night, and constant practice on boards
OF every texture makes the penny
shaver" very rapid and tolerably skill.
full executaut. He sweeps the chin Of
the working mau clean in minute, and
then tho son OF toll administers some
water TO his countenanoe, RIBS it dry
with the jack-towel hanging behind the
door, pays his penny, and departs.
They manage these things, however.
very differently abroad. The Italian
and the Spanish BARRIERS are quite
as skillful artists as their Gallo
confreres nor is the German at all be.
hind the tonsors of the Latin races.
1t may be that foreigners are vainer Of
their personal appearance than English.
men are. The Americans are certainly
very much yainer. He who enters a
"toilet studio" in the United States for
the purpose OF being "barbed' or shaved.
must be prepared to sacrifice from
twenty to forty minutes Of his time.
rything is done in solemn, deliber.
ate, and artistically complete manner.
The chair in which the patient reclines.
and which has before it an elevated
bench for him to rest his feet upon, is a
triumph Of ingenious mechanism. The
actual shaving is only one Of a series Of
elaborate processes to which the custom
er is bound to submit. When the parts
OF his face required to he denuded Of
hair have been infinitely gone over with
the keenest and most dcxterously
handled Of razors, and the features have
been refreshed with scented spray, and
drieI with "poudre de riz," the opera.
ton of fixing" commences. The Gus
toner is shampooed, kneeded, machine
brushed" and "fne combed.' Bay
rum" and other mysterious liquids are
applied to his hair, "brillan,iue" gives
his mustache gloss, and 'pommade
Hongroise" renders them spiky; while
finally there gently meander5 round his
head the tropic gale and fragrance Of
the curling tongs. For being properly
''barbed' and properly fixed custom
| err at New York or at Chicago will pay
at least fifteen cents-say sevenpence
halfrenny. At San Francisco he will lie
charged n "quaIter"-t that is to say, one
shilling sterling. There may be lower.
toned shavers in the Easements Of re.
mote "blocks :" but the American WHO
respects himself would be ashamed TO
have RECON- Sc TO any but heightened"
I barber. Tone" is q luxury that must
be paid for and this is fact which
should be borne in mind by those who
NAV feel inclined to wonder a. the
apparently excessive tariffs OF foreign
coifleurs.
People can he shaved luHuriously
enough in London, in the parish Of
/ st. Jsmes's and elsewhere, and they ere
expected TO pay in proportion to the
/ privileges which they enjoy; still, no
Englishman derOgates from his dignity
in walking into the first shop IN font
OF which he sees displayed a BARRIERS
pole, and partaking OF penny shave
For an additional halfpenny he will he
accommodated with clean towel The
"penny shave" like tho Bill o! rights
the Habeas corpus set, the better OBJ
seryance OF Sunday, the Lord mayors
show, and the Derby day, with other
palladia Of our liberties, IS unknown on
the Continent. The United States, It j:
true, enjoy some OF these blessings, bat
the American citizen would dlstaln 10
be shaved and fixed for two cents
London Telegram.