Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-12-16
a CHINESE BARBER SHOP.
Scenes and Incidents Burning the
Dressing OF the Celestial Queue.
rPhiladeInhia Tines.1


Twelve or mora Celestials reclined on hunks
or pallets made on the floor in small room
adjoining the Chinese laundry or Tenth streer
just above Arch last night In the centre OF
the dingy apartment an old and almost super
animated Chinarnan sat on q low stool holding
on his lap the head Of fellow oUntrynan,
whose body was stretched upon the floor The
aged man grasped in his right haad long,
slender steel blade, while in his left lie held
sponge saturated with soap suds. Having
1athered with great care the head which he
held in his lap he began, seemingly with The
utmost caution, the work of shaving OF 8
growth Of hair, apparently four or Eve days
old, which surrounded the tonsure, or
what is known in the venacular as the
pig tail. After his scalp had been
shaved as carefully as a civilized mans
face could be at a barber shop, the heather
operated upon arose and sbufllcd around the
room, each Chinaman in turn running his
hand over the shaver part OF the head and
expressing either by a grlnt or word bis sat
| isfaction or dissatisfaction of the job. When
! he had nearly made the rounds one OF the
Mongolians dressed like an American and
who appeared to be particularly fastidious,
carefully examined the newly-shayed skin
and, after having run his hand over it sew
eral times jumped up utteri1g dissatisfied
grunt, and walked toward the light, pull
ing after him the man whose head he was ex-
aiming. Everybody gathered around under
lamp that hung by q string from bamboo
| croSs-pieces After a multitude of gestures
the barber was called forward and shown
| o very small spot upon which q few hairs
had been overlooked He thereupon agaiA
| took his place at the stool, the Old ChinamaA
I
the iob was completed to the satisfaction
| OF all.
/ When the last man was getting shaved lie
! fell into doe, his head bobbing suddenly to
one side. As it did so the razor slipped and
cut off several hairs from the sleeper's queue.
The barber, as he witnessed the accident, ut
tering an exclamation of establishment,
jumped and then, falling upon his knees, as
sumed a supplicating air. One would have
supposed from the expression of his face that
he had mortally offended or terribly injured
his customer, for which act he was asking
pardon. The doing Chinaman had also
awakened and, putting his hand to his head,
uttered a plaintive howl and was at once sur
rounded by everybody present. Each person
examined his head with CONSERVATION pic
tured on his face.
To Times reporter, who was present to
witGess the Chinese shaving process the
owner Of the laundry, who speaks English
glibly, explained the cause OF the sudden
comnotion. He said, substantially, that the
one who was doing the shaving had cut of
several hairs Of the unfortunate mans pig
tail-one Of the greatest calanlities that could
happen to the latter. 1t was the belief OF
every Cinnamon. be explained, that for each
hair cut OF torn from his queue he would be
kept one year oGt Of the Fiowery Kingdom
whence he expected to go when he died. A.
this particular man had lost, by careful
count, four hairs, he would be compelled tc
roam in outer darkness after death for foul
! NealS