The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-18
SHAVING LUNATICS.
A Village BARRIERS Experiences with the
Patients in Private Lunatic Asylum.


New York sun.
There is one morning in the week when the
village barber at Pleasantville station upon the
Harlem railroad. near Chappaqua, is regularly
absent from his post, and such villagers and rus
tics as require his services may sigh in vain
with chins unscraped and heads untrimmed.
This is the Tuesday morning when the barber
IS on duty by contract at DR.. Choate's private
lunatic asylum, which is picturesquely folded
away amid the steep and wooded hills mile 20
the west of Pleasantyile, on the old Tarrytown
road. II have now been barbering the lunatics
regularly once week for quite SPELL" ex-
planned the village barber to Sun reporter, who
CHANGED to be under his minstrations, land I've
got EN- down as fine as silk
The reporter supposed that only the milder
lunatics were operated on and said so.
mot by any manner of MEANS" said the bar
Der. II take EN- as they run. one after another
soft and hard, peaceable and wild, well-ordered
and frenzied, just as they happen along 1t
doesn't make any difference to bangup expert
like me. Mildly looney or pleasantly vicious,
smiling or grinning, whistling or whooping
slightly liberated, or jumping, bowling. rip
STAYING mad manage EN-. That is, such as
demand my services, and, as they're nearly all
rich patients, there amt many but want more or
less tidyin' up in my line at least once week.
But why did you think that l only tackled the
harmless lunaticsl,
Because OF the risk of handling a razor with
in reach of a violently insane person. the re-
But think I observed that had got 'em
down pretty fne.'
True; but is there not danger of such Gus
toner snatching the razor from your hand un-
awares, with suicidal or murderous intent|
The tonsorial artist of Pleasantville smiled
happen to have EN- down fine, as l have. But
even then you have got to be almighty watch
full I've had numerous tcklish experiences
with my cranky customers-some of which come
next door to- blood-curdling-bu I've always
managed to come off first best"
The reporter begged for experience or two
and the Pleasantvllle barber complied with q
readiness and loquacity that would have done
credit to a professional paragraphist.
Zone day." said he "a crazy Wallstreet man
confined over there, after playing 'possum for
fully ten minutes, suddenly gave yelp and
made dive for my razor with one hand, and for
my throat with the other. l quieted him with
some difficulty. Another man, wealthy lawyer
80 violent and trcacherouS as to have to be
shaved in straight jacket, once snapped a hole
in my shirt-sleeve, in a mad attempt to nip my
razor hand, and in some way hurt himself or me-
l soon subdued him. Then most plausible
crazy gent over there once luled my suspicious
to sleep so thoroughly with his reasonableness
that actually forgot he was insane for minute
or two, in which l laid down my razor while
turning my back on him.. | recollected myself,
and wheeled on him just in the nick of time, for
he was out of the chair fronting the mirror with
One day portly patient, with the stiffest beard
in the asylum, thought he would be witty, and
asked me if l wouldn't shave him just once with a
hand-saw or an iron hoop. by way of an agreeable
change, and he wasn't commonly looked on as
downright. idiotcally crazy, either. After
I had mitigated him, another plausible pa
tient, who took his place in tho chair, tried
to swallow a towel, in order, he said
to keep from bursting with laughter at
what he called the last mans joke, and while
was saving the towel from disappearing he SHE'D
the shaving cup at my head, and tried to bung
up my left with the shaving brush. curbed
his exuberance. Another patient one day pre-
tended to fall asleep under my manipulations
and even got to footing and snoring like a fog
horn, when the first thing knew he bounded out
Of the chair swearing that he must have razor
for plaything, if only to cut his head off with.
l managed to moderate him, however. Only a
week or two ago they brought me the widest
most terrific, bowling hopping treacherous--'
But the reporter here indicated that he had
had enough hair breadth incidents for one sit
ting and begged to know the secret of the quiet
ing, mitigating, ameliorating system which the
artist seems to have exercised so effectualy over
his troublesome and outlandish customers.
The Pleasantville barber again smiled know
ingly. did you never hear, said he "0f some
men possessing the power of controlling mani
acs with single electric. repressive Look such
as the wild beast tanners bring to bear on their
savage and ferocious captives of the forest, the
jungle, and the scorching DESERT"
Yes said the reporter II have heard of
that rare gift. Is it possible that you are en-
dowed with itf
''Well, no, not exactly said the Peasantville
barber finishing his task but the keepers at
another of the keepers is always present when
shave.a lunatic. Still, all you've got TO do is to
get EN- down fine. and that's the way I've got
'em-just as fine as silk"