Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-10-27
POINTS FROM A BARBER.
The Difference Between American and
German Faces-Rarbering by Contract.


A fashionable up town barber of Ger
man extraction ventured, with the usual
timidity of members of his profession, to
give a reporter some facts about the face
and the WAY some people desire TO be
shaved. He said: ''ln Germany we can
shave more rapidly than in America.
The Germans have longer and rounder
faces. which permit long swipes with the
razor Their beard, too, is not so stitf as
the Americans In the United States
small and angular faces prevail, so the
razor cannot travel any great length
without coming to n turning point
Heace the razor is limited as 10 its sur
| face capacity as far as one stroke goes.
| A number of small and indefinite swtPes
| are made with the grain. Ii Is difficult
| to shave the average American against
the grain. His beard is too hard for
such a task aud his flesh too tender.
| Once in TWO years perhaps, man may
request grain shave. There Is no need
of a request, though. for | can tell a
| man who is in the habit of shaving
| against the grain His beard sticks out
from his face. About twice year an
| American atsonishes me by asking me TO
shave him with long strokes. Now
don't like the long strokes, for they are
| liable to cut the face.
| zone of the nuisances in the barber
| business is the customer who rushes in
| and swears he has only two minutes to
| spare to get shaved. | hurry up as rap
| idly as possible and in my anxiety man
age to cut him in several spots. The
would-be hurrying man who has worked
me like fire, then coolly stops and chats
| half an hour with another customer. II
| is dangerous to be shaved in a hurry
| The barber is somewhat excited by the
| order to shave quickly and is always
| wondering while at work if he is last
| enough.
1--WE have monthly customers. make
| on some and lose on others. For $3.50
| barber a customer one month-that is,
| give him a shave every day, if he wants
| it, and one hair cut during the month.
Remember, bay rum, pomade, hair oil,
vaseline, brilliantine and powder are in
| cluded. Well, if he took ten cent
| shave he wouldn't get hay rum, but he
| saves all these extras by the wholesale
contract If he shaved every day at a
dime it would only be about 3 per
month, not counting hair cut The
| reduction then amounts to % cents g
month. Now, very few men shave
1
where the profit comes for monthly con-
| tracts.
| Frequently, though, / have n customer
| who gets the worth of his $3.50. He
comes once a day regular before he
| only came three times a week., and wants
a three day, under the skin shave.
have TO daily over his face the same as if
he were paying % cents a shave. He is
more eNacting than ever, wants more
bay rum, and appears very much afraid
he will not get his moneys worth. Now,
| that kind of a customer takes up time,
which is more expensive than bay rum.
| He happens, too, TO always be in at the
proper moment TO keep good customers
waiting. The daisy monthly customers
| drop in three or four times a week, says
nothing about regretting he cannot come
every day, and requires no extra atten-
tion. Yet, if he wanted TO, he could
make a contract for three or four shaves
a week and hair cut for the sum of
| $3.50 per month. Still he is not cheated,
for if he comes once a day on the g. so
contract it is all right, he gets his shave
| There is no fortune in barbering now.
| Competition is too great. New York
Mail and Express.