The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-15
WAYS OF RAZOR WIELDERS.
Peculiarities of the Ururllme EarDer
and the Modern Tonsorial Artist.
Story of How Professor Knox. Well-Known
Sporting Barber. al "a. Rid of n TroubIe-
some Thunder Dog.

There's great difference between the barber
ing of to-day and that Of dozen or more years
ago. In the east the white barber has to large
extent crowded out the coloreG razor-wielder,
but here the sable brother continues pre-eminent
The finest Shops or rather stonsorial parlors,"
In this city are operated by colored men. There
are few men who will not allow colored bar
Der to shave them, while much larger number
would under no consideration allow white bar
Der TO rasp their razorable chins
The young barber is often distressingly risky
and garrulous, but the elderly barber of color is
dignifed and when he talks, which is usually
when an old resident is in his chair, his tones
are tender and soothing as mothers lullaby.
and nine cases out of ten his customer will fall
asleep, to find upon awakening that By some mis-
understanding he has not only teen shaved, but
his thin looks have been trimmed, and his head
has received baptism from the Phoenix restora-
tive. The customer pays the charge without
grumbling He has had balmy sleep. and en-
ioyed refreshing half-hour. skilled barber
knows more about the bumps on q mans head
than any professor of phrenology. and his deft
fingers can play upon them: hide and seek
through ones seven locks of hair as skillfullY as
Miss De Smiths light, tapsrine fingers upon the
piano.
There was time in Indianapolis when the
barber took the place of the daily newspaper,
hut that time has long since passed. The vii
laga barber. to some extent. continues to be the
daily gazette of all the happenings, great and
small, in his little community. the retailer Of all
the gossip proper and improper.
At one time barbering was the only digniied
and lucrative business in which colored man
could engage. The colored barber monopolized
the best colored society, and looked down upon
hotel waters and other less fortunate mortals.
He was nearly always performer upon the
guitar and much inflated on account of supposed
possession of great musical ability. He was al
ways to be seen at the opera with the iauntrest,
Handsomely society belle, and green-eyed envy.
which he desired and fairly dotted upon, followed
him. Other avenues of labor have opened to his
formerly less fortunate brethren pursuits quite
IS digni6ed, If not as lucrative, as barbering,
and the knight Of the razor is no longer the one
bright particular star of society.
When the colored barber is accomplished in
his business no white man need attempt to COM
pete with him. He is Chesterfield in polite
ness and an Admirable Crichton in the diversity
of his gifts Like ST. Paul. he is all things to
all sorts of CUSTOMERS, and can tell at glance
what Is to be done and how best to do it, having
the quick perception of artist
The bum barber" is the unskilful non-pro-
fessional who employs the razor and tho lather
brush internationally with the whitewash brush
and mortar spade Sometimes he is also
. sod bahbah" A sod-barber Is one
seasons, goes about cutting grass. He
IL muscular person. and when you are seated
in his chair with the lather piled upon your
face like mortar on a bod, he gallops his razor
over strap, tries its edge on his thumbnai, in
way that makes you dread the worst, grasps
the top of the head as in a wise, and then with
deliberate bloodthirstiness begins to murder his
customer. He fixes you with his elittering eye,
and no matter what suffering you may endure,
SOU dare not artculate your agony. There
many BARRIERS who would not under any consii-
Grafton, shave a colored man. not even COM
Pade In the same shop. They have horror of
touching a colored man to shave him, and say it
gives them the s'shivers" There are BARRIERS in
this city who shave colored men exclusively,
and never complain of the "shivers," SO it Is
probably matter of fancy or prejudice.
BARRIERS soon get to know all the good custom
ers men who are easily shaved and easily pleased,
and to shrn the grumblers and squirrels" A
squirrel, as the BARRIERS term him, is the GUS
toner with the rough beard usually sandy, the
grain" running all sorts of ways In some
shops, not in well-conducted shops. however. the
BARRIERS converse among themselves in slang
Shat bewilders the customer and not infrequently
drives him to the verge Of distrac-
tion This conversation is not usually
Of an elevating or refining character.
They ambiguously refer to the customer before
them quite out of gender, calling him 'she" with
remarks about ''sQuirrels,' and other references
that would be uncomfortable could the victim
understand them The young ladies with whom
shey associate are mysteriousy designated as "a
party" aud their compilations are given in ton
serial lingo as marble front, "blaek oak, !" 'yel
low oak, etc.. marble front being woman al
most white, black oak being one of an ebony hue
and yellow oak referring to one of yellow COM
plexion.
One Of the old-time BARRIERS of this city was
the late Augustus Turner, q portly, digniied
eolored man. who, had his day afforded the OPP
portunities of education to his race that are
given In this, would probably have been great
man among his people, as he had q well DIS
ciplined mind, practical common sense and many
gracos as talkcr He acquired considerable
pranertv. and at one time was comfortably well
OF in this worlds gear.
Henry Mann, called Doctor, for the reason
that he assumed knowledge Of medicine. and,
1T times practiced the healing or the killing art,
was another noted character The Doctor
Stained to have Indian blood in his veins, and,
as his hair was Jet black. and straight, and
glossy his claim went undisputed
Professor Knox was another quaint character.
The late George G. Harding formed the acquaint.
nnee of she Professor, and for time made him
famous. The Professor was an enthusiastic
sportsman, and frequently, gun in hand. with a
dog at his heels, could be seen beating up the
woods and fields. mo. sab, I'm not doin' moth
In in de spo'tin' way now, sah," said the PROBES
Bor 10 the reporter. II haven't any dog"
The reporter suggested there need not be any
snrcease of sport on that account-that dogs
were plenty.
'Yous right, sab, very right; but if you evan
abadsany 'sperience with a thundah dog you
would be a leetle keerful in takin' up with any
sort of QIadrooped. Don't know what thun-
dab dogisi One day white genlem gave me
De finest settah l evan saw in my life.
wouldn't a-pahted with him fo' fifty dollahs. He
WAS what we would now call dahlin, Well
took down my gun one day and stahted out with
the dog 1t was beautiful day, de sky blue
and cloutiless. see de dog look
round Gil ovah de sky as we
sfaht out. but wasn't 'spicious CT anything.
When we went to go through de ole nash'nal
nnaa hridoa oval, White r;v.h-vo, bror, 49, a.