Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-13
WORK OLE THE MANICURE.
Finger Nails Cteansed. Cut and Polished
How Lucrative Business Has Been
Developed.

calling professional cleaning, cutting ant
polishing of finger nails has been devel
oned. While walking along fremont
street the other afternoon, the writer bad
his attention attracted by very snowy
sign which bore the word "Manicure."
lie looked at his nails moment and
quickly came TO the conclusion that they
would be- greatly improved by treat
ment and maze up bis mind 10
t'pass upon the inside and see
the tiger in his native jungle"
rs the side-shOw man Of Barnum's circus
would say 20 a gaping crowd about blm.
Up short flight " stairs to door, deco
rated with Kilt letters and bearing the
name nj the occupant. the writer proceed
ed. With some trepidation he turned the
knob and walked in. An elegantly FUR
nished apartment met his gaze. The
walls were hung with rich silk draperles,
chairs and lounges upholstered in velvet
We're placed about the room, valuable
paintings adorned the walls, and gener-
a atmosphere of refinement seemed TO
pervade the apartment. business must
be good was the thought which came
into his mind as a very pretty lady.
dressed bec0mingly stepped from behind
screen and asked him 10 be seated. She
was then engaged. a chair was taken,
and while waiting, the writer studied mis-
surroundings and listened 20 the hum of
voices IN the retreats where the mani
cures for there were several of them)
each had a subject, and where cOnversing
on politics. weather. and kindred topics,
as do the BARRIERS. After the lapse of
few moments one of Boston's substantial
business men came out OF one of the
little screened apartments, and
handed the lady who had treated
his nails bill, at the same time east
ing an admirlng glance at his fingers, on
the ends of which his highly polished
rails flashed, evincing substantial evil
dence of improved appearance. When he
had departed the operator said to the
writer: "Come this way, please When
in the operating box he was shown to
deep chair, INTO which he sunk, as it
seemed to him. never to rise. Let me see
your nails" said the operator. She took
the writer's hand and cast a critical
glance at the nails. "You bite your
nails" she said, land that will never do if
you expect to have nice looking hands"
With this remark she rubbed "A small
quantity OF a dull, brown cOlored powder on
The nails, and then, with pad or ''butler,"
as it is called-made of channels skin
she rubbed them. This accom- plished,
she put sort of ointment on the nails,
and placed the hand IN a silver bOwlfiiled
with hot water, while she gave her atten-
ton to the left hand. This she put
through the same course, and into the
bowl To soak it went to keep the other
company. They were allowed To remain
there about 10 minutes. While waiting
for the hot water to soften the nails the
writer considered it good time 10 talk
for points. The operator very willingly
cOnversed about her business. She said:
IL am pupil of
NINE. ALEX ANDINE sITr, or PARIS.
10 which city studied this art. Here is
one OF my models" she said. Laughing, as
she opened drawe- in her Instrument
case and took out what seemed TO he a
little roll Of paper, but what proved to he,
when the covering wa removed. human
finger. ''This is what we use 10 study
the anatomy Of the nail" she remarked,
as she noticed the rather curious glance
the writer shot at her. She rolled up the
hideous little thing and placed 1t back in
the drawer. "Fhe anatomy OF this mad Is
an interesting stud, like all other por-
lions OF the body" she sald. 1.-The nail
is composed Of three layers. The inner
one is bard and has a gram running
1engthwise. The next is porous or
epOngy. and the outer il composed
Of scales which, of course, can only
he discerned by the aid OF a powerful mi
croscOpe. The habit whcn most people
have contracted Of scraping the nails
with knife or sharp Instrument Is very
Injurious. The inner hard shell Ia scraped
of, and the spongy layer exposed and dirt
collects under them. People clean their
nails and shortly after notice that n guam
fIty Of real estate has again gathered I'M
der them. They wonder why IL is. They
do not realize that every time they scrape
their nails they expose a spongv surface
20 which dust will cling.
The nails should never he cleaned
when the hands are dry, and an ivory
cleaner or scraper Ia the best thing to use.
guess your nails have soaked long
enough now" sac remarked, as she re-
moved the silver bowl from the tray which
had rested on the writer's lap. With an
ivory cleaner she delicately scraped the
nails. taking great care 10
SHAPE THE ENDS,
or rather the flesh where il separates
from the nail. perfectly. This took some
time, and when il was done on one hand
the nails were rubbed with a pink sub
stance bearing very much the appear
ance Of Vasaiine, and the hand was then
wrapped In napkin. where IL remained
Till the same work had been performed on
the other hand. A file was tsen taken.
and with the greatest care the ends OF
the nails were perfectly SNAPPED. Care
was taken that they should he filed
HiANA~iN ~ NAA'i ~ NANNht ~ little as
possible Of the porous layer. What little
Is necessarily exposed is on the end
where dust cannot collect and cling.
Then came very difficult and
delicate piece Of work. The optrAtor
look up chisel. specially pre.
pared, and gently pressed the euticle
back IRON the nail. separating it there
from. The effect OF this was to lengthep
stand prevent hang nails. This done.
she brought INTO rcquisition pair of ne.
y culiarly constructed nippers and trimmed
the cuiicle. Here Is where the Parisian
method differs from the American re.
marked the operator. The American
manicures Use curved SCISSORS, such as
are made tor surgeons. and many times
accidentally cut the cut'cle so that blood
flows. or so much go rs % make the fin.
ger feel sore and dsagreeahle. People
who have been 20 American msnicure-
ind This, with one or two Otner methods
source Of much annoyance With these
nippers IT is impossible 10 injure the cuti
Gle"
The nails ha in been polished in g
prelim mary 80 Sta a. cleaned. cu'
and shaped, I've final operation was taker
up. A pink pomade. differing from thai
spoken o!, was applied very spariugly. II
was used
TO DFLICArELH TINT THk NAILS,
aud after &c. bad been carefully rubbed on
and G. eancd 81 where IL had stuck to 10,
80. H. "a d