Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-10-17
THE RURAL BARBER SHOP,
Its Pecularities Set Forth by One Who Has
shaved There and Wanted to Get Re
f. h. ". il Puck.

II. h. VI. ~ EUCA.
The country barber shop is such a news
! exchange that il must have a serious effect
on the income of the country newspaper.
The editor OF the country paper would
no doubt do well to 20 into partnership
with the barber, who is perhaps the
greatest newS-gathercr in the vicinity.
He is not, strictly speaking, a news-gath-
erer, because he does not gather news. He
does not 90 forth TO secure the news; the
news comes to him. 1t is brought to him,
unsolicited, and left there. or presented.
A country editor with full beard, and
the waving hair peculiar to that class Of
poets that produces nO poetry, would never
be able to get his paper out, against an
active barber.
The country grocery is not TO be men
toned in the same breath with the country
barber shop as an intelligence depot; he
cause the grocer doesn't like his customers
to come in and find every barrel and box
covered by Il hayseed who is simply dying
to get a chance to tell a story that he re-
CARDS rs the Had OF his little locality. II
is apt to give the grocery the air of being
a resort for idle people, and the grocer
naturally doesn't like it, and takes little
part in the talk, and laughs ut their jokes
as seldom as possible-iust enough to re-
tain their meagrc patronage, and not offend
them.
But doesn't make any difference how
many men rongregate i'll the barber-shOp,
The more there are the bcttet barber likes
it, and the more repulsiye they are from
the need OF his services the better it plcascs
him. lie is willing TO have them lie around
his place six deep.
Therefore it il the best news-depOt in the
village, and the editor who arrives there
when it is full, and waits for his turn,
literally walks out of the shop with the
next issue of his paper i'll his notebook.
And when the paper comes out, the bar
hers patrons look over it to read what they
already know, to see lift is printed rightly.
The shop differs from the city shop in
many ways. The ceiling is generally ies-
tOOned with tissue paper of various shades.
artistically arranged to blow the flies of
when agitated by the breeze. The cups
tell the calling OF the owners by the pic
| lures on them. 4 stranger in the place
could take his position in the chair and
write i directory Of the town, by simply
consulting the cups.
The stove, which Is allowed to stand all
summer, Is n rich russell, because 1t is never
BACKED. The kittle stands on it with the
water left from last winter, and the highly
colored design in p%asteboard OF the negro
saving wood is still in place aboye.the ket-
tie, waiting for the steam TO come and set
it going.
The showcase is full of collar buttons,
ncckties that iasten on with elastic loop
that used to be known as butterflies, paper
collars and cigars that rank with the
stronium.
The arm-chairs are all carved with in
itials and designs that have no meaning.
The legs are loose at the roots from being
tipped back against the wall, and if the
hair renewcr the barber sells has n health
full effect on bristles, he ought to soak the
~all-colners' brush in it, or else use the
brush in the stable for q curry comb.
The wall is hung with tax commissioners
notices, placards giving the dates of
sheriffs' sales, posters telling when a hog
guessing takes place at Lem Fairbanks
tavern, and hand bills o auCtiOns and stay
ell cattle.
The conversations are different fromthOse
held in the city barber shops. They are
all on local topics. Earthquakes are not
considered wOrthof consideration when the
fate of Silas Higbce's COW is under discus
sion. The fact that GilThrockmOrtOn has
bought a new reaPing machine is more
earnestly discussed and commented upon
than the political outlook. The meeting Of
the board of chosen freeholders, and the
circumstances of the towns pride, Empire
engine, 40. ,, having played 4 stream over
the liberty pole at the green, are subjects
of more moment than the nations pros
perity.-
And the barber himself. He is a kindly
sort of a man who has never been out OF
the place. He is always ready to give in
formation on any subject, or get inform
ton out of you for some one else. He
knows every one, and everything-except
how to shave you or cut your hair.