Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-07-17
IN A CITY BARBER SHOP.
AN iNrEREsriNa CHaT WirH
kNiGHr or THIN RAZOR
uc r.ils How the Dude Now Cuts TITS Hair And
what Hopsnsa Tie i- To the Trade
Narbcrs Expected to lie Soionons
Aud To Dccid. Pine Questions.

al don't SEQ 50 many closely cropped head,
OF hair this year." said an lNrELLtGENCER
reporter to a popular Lancaster barber, who
does the largest part of the dude tonsoria
trade ot tho city.
"No, the clippers have not been In such
general use this year as heretofore. DO you
know the reason The gilded youth this
summer are affecting n once popular iemi.
nine mode uf hair dressing. Would YOU be
lieye II They want their hair cut n Ia Pom
padOur, brushed back from their forehead
and about three iourths ot au inch long As
you will readily understand, IL takes pretty
soft, fine hair to stand this at such a length.
But the dude, who knows no law but fash
ion, will brush his hair back IN this style II
his hirsute capillary covering il stiti rs a
broom. But the barber must not mind the
trouble that dudes give him, ios they are his
best customers
CLOVIS that ." was asked.
"Noll, you see, they are nearly all the time
having something done IN our line, and
though they are very particular about their
work, they don't object to paying Tor IT.
Three weeks is about the longest that "A dude
will permit his hair to go without trimming
which means seventeen hair cuts a year
This at - cents cut makes II pretty snug
sum that our gilded youth Is worth TO the
barber IN hair cutting. Aud then, IL he has
get shaved at least three times week, which
multiplied 10y lOcents, aud that SUN III turn
multiplied by - makes pretty good yearly
showing in shaving. No sir, We stand up
for the dude. He is what IN vulgar parlance
is known rs "pieh To- our business
"poes what you have told me represent
all that you succeed in gaining out OF this
molecule of humanity ?" WAS the next Ques-
ton hred at tho genius OF the razor and scis.
SOrS.
M "A 40, 10,
pooed very frequently. lie usually wants
tonic and he Is sure victim of our wiles in
the sale of u bottle of bay rum. II it would
not be for those of his ilk, BARRIERS would
have a sorry time getting along. Take our
country trade, for instance There are hay
seeds who COrle with stubbly boards that
nearly defy a ra2ur's keennesS and the work
ui shaving them is long and arduous. Our
dudish young friend with light down can loo
disposed OF in half the time for the same
money"
SATURDAY NIDHr HAIR CUTTING.
"But, there is one evil that | wish you
would call attention to in your paper" per-
sisted the knight of the razor strop, "aud that
il tue fatal error city people make in having
their hair cut on saturday night Common
sense ought tn teach them that when busI-
ness j. rushing, they cannot receive that at
tentiOn which would bc given them on any
other occasion. We don't mind country
people doing tins, for they are not i'll town
often and must seize the occasion when ii
presents itself. Besides they don't need the
line work of city folks, and we can make a
little money out OF them. There is nothing
more diSheartening to a barber and to those
impatently awaiting their turn than to see
two or three particular city customers take
seats in the chairs and arrange themselves
FOR a hair cut. II they have a pair of steps
cut in the back of their heads, in the hurry
and rush, they have none but themselves to
blame"
"Do YOU havc much Of a call tor moustache
and hair dye ~
"Nu that part ot the business is practically
played out. | don't believe | have three
customers who doctor themselves in this
manner, when once had few who did not.
The belief that persistent use of hair dye
would bring on mental ntirmity killed that
trade in short order, and | am not at all
sorry for it, because the operation of dyeing
IS not the Cleauest in the world"
DECIDING FINE POINTS.
"A barber is often called upon to play the
Solomon" continued our peTsoniiicatiOn of
garrulousness. "Eou would not think that
such little thing a. who's next? !? would
create the tremendous excitement that it
sometimes does. But have lost many a
customer by choosing between the rival can
didateS for the vacant chair. Those were my
green and callOw days when had not much
to decide between conflicting claimants.
They always appeal to me, but feign ignor-
anCG OF their status, and leave 1t to "A CustO-
mer. There is nearly always one of the
latter ready to say that a came in first or Il
arrived on the ground earlier. In this way
am not committed, and ! stand good
chance OF retaining both customers II de-
Cidod one to have priority, tho other would
leave the shop in high dudgeon and never
be likely TO RETURN
81 guess you have had some odd expert
ences with customers in this line" inter-
jeCted the reporter.
"Well, | should SMILE" was the reply. 81
remember one day a lawyer customer of
mine was moving lelSurely down the stair
way that leads from the street into my shop,
when he was Overtaken and passed by n
brisk business man, the latter arriving on the
floor of the shop before his predecessor. |
tell you, then there was a hot wrangle. The
lawyer claimed that from the moment he put
his foot on the top step Of the stairway, he
was practically within the shop. The other
maintained that entrance into the shop could
only be obtained by crossing the threshold
of the door. AS he had done the latter first,
he insisted that the vacant barber's chair was
his. The argument got so hot that thought
they would come to blows. ! was called
upon to decide, but held my peace. Finally
the lawyer LETT Disguised. Had ] been re-
quired to choose between the two | would
have pronounced FOR the business man, for
tne crossing lUe llEesuOlt Is tDe point AT
which we decide priority Of entrance into the
shop"
WHEN BARRIERS ARE SHAVED.
The reporter observed in neighbOring
chair man to whose mOustache cosmetic
was being literally applied. When he was
out of earshot, the critic asked the barber
whether this form of moustache treating was
very common.
ayes, very much so. Particularly it is
popular with the young men whose nous
taches are like gentle fall Of snow, that il,
slowly coming down. They seem to have
an idea that cosmetic will stimulate growth,
which is all nonsense. You don't tind
BARRIERS when they get shaved ask for any
thing OF this kind for their whiskers They
will take tonic for their hair but that is all.
There is another popularity about the shaw
ing OF BARRIERS. They never want a close
shave, because they know il is hard on the
skin, and besides ii does not keep the face
clean Tor a greater length OF time. 1t is
pleasant for those who can stand 1t to have
their faces as smooth as those of babies after
the shaving operation, but very few can per
nit it with impunity. Those who have
tender faces in particular should never be
closely shaved"
The reporter was out of the chair now, th'
next customers face was enyeloped IN ses
OF lather, the barber's torrent OF conversation
was turned in another direction, and mus th'
interesting z chat came to au end.