Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-07-06
QUEER 1EuroSIC CUSTOMS.
Parting the Hair i'm the MfddIe-EtI.
auptre Of the HAT.

Parting the Hair in The MfddIe-EtI.
qu-tte Of the Hat.
Berlin Letter in the San Francisco Chronicle.
The average German, especially the
younger masculine portion of the conn
munity, takes great care to have his
person-that is, his hair, at least-very
neat. In fact, ones previously acquired
notions that the ladies have possession
of the greater part. il not all, of the
worlds stock of vanity receive very
staggering blow when ne sees how very
carful the German young men sre to
appear at their best on all occasions.
But even this personal vanity would not
be SO bad if their toilets We're not made
IN the public view, for there is some
thing distasteful, to Americans at least,
in seeing any one, much less q man,
calmly take out little pocket hair
brush and proceed to brush down his
hair. Over here, however, such things
are universal, and rnsidered to be quite
the thing. No matter what the occas-
ion is or where, the hair-bru>h is
constant and much-used companion.
On entering the theaters or the music
halls every one of the young men goes
20 his seat, pulls out his little brush
and proceeds in the most matter
of-fact way to arrange his hair.
referring now and then to the smsll
looking-glass on the back Of the brush
to admire the general IF ct. Even in
the restaurants the same thing is done
over the soup. The result is that one
sees the smoothest and sleekest ar
ranged hair among the younger Ger
mans. But the { fl ct is spoiled when
one has the thing forced upon him at
all times, and on ali occasions finds
himself in a gentleman's dressing room
everywhere he goes, just us one would
not think so much of a pretty complex
ion, even if one previously knew it
were artificial, if he saw the fair pos
SCISSOR applying the cosmetic 1t is
strange how such little things will affect
one, but they do; add one is often
compelled, in spite of himself, to form
his opinions from little things. OF
course, when one says call younger
Germans" he does not mean every
single one OF them. For there are a
few, even among the physically almost
perfec' Germans, who wear their hair a
Ia BuffAlo Bill. However, these are
few in number and effeminate in body
and mind, having a great deal of the
esthetic and poetic in their atures.
Their lily white hands and pale faces
offer striking contrast to the brawny
and rudy appearance of their more
fortunate and manly brothers. One
cannot always account for ones preiu-
dlces, and l am free to confess that |
cannot account for my prejudice against
a man who parts his hair in the middle.
l have such a pref udlce. And the nat
ural result is that l find myself preju-
diced against very great nus jority of
the young men over here. For nine
out of every ten part their nair in the
exact, mathematical centers of their
craniums; and, not content with this,
continue the parting clear down the
back of their uecks as far as the hair
reaches, carefully brushing the hair
away to each side.
The hat with us is used as covering
for the head, and is not removed ex-
cept under extraordinary circum-
stances, such as saluting lady, entering
a room, and the like. One would not
think of raising his at to his intimate
gentlemen friends every time he meets
them on the street. But the Germans
take it as great breach of etiquette,
if not a decided personal insult, If you
pass them with simply Good morn
ing" or Glow are your" You must
raise Your hat and make decidedly
low bow. This would be little in
convenient, but nothing worse, if you
were only acquainted with few gem
tlemen. But when one walks down
the street and meets forty or fifty gen
tlemen in the course of an hours stroll,
and is compelled to 60 through the
same hatraising formula to each and
every one of them, the thing becomes
little monotonous.
This same effusiveness pervades all
classes OF society, and one sees old
men and boys saluting each other in
the same manner. But one can see
even more touching sights than this if
he haunts the railrosd stations and
watches the departures and arrivals.
In America kissing of friends and &C
quaintances is left 70 be monopol.zei
almost entirely by ladies; but over here
the men take their share of the good
;hing-if good thing it may be called
and kiss and hug each other on occa-
sion in a way that is truly affecting.