The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1888-08-02
! BEARD AND MUSTACHE.
rODAY'S FACIAL ORNAMENTS ONCE
MUCH RlDlCULED.

Republic Were Entirely Beardless or
Smooth Shaven-Facts Concerning Presi-
dents and Presidential Candidates.
The beard and mustache as an appendage
to the face is Of comparative recent date
In the United States. Thirty years ago .
beard was an exception, and thirty-flve
years have scarcely elapsed since the
woarer of beard was either an object Of
ridicule or suspicion. When q boy the
writer listened to q sermon in which the
smooth faced preacher descanted on the
sin of the beard, and conclusively proved
that Adam was not endowed with this
facial appendage until after his fall, and
that 1t constituted the actual thicket be-
hind which he sought to hide himself
from the sight of his maker.
1t is quite evident it was at least O.
difficult for the ancients to keep down the
growth of the beard as 1t is Tor the modern
youth to raise one. Before the invention
of the razor, which dates back less than
two centuries, the hair was kept from &C.
cumulating on the face by rubbing the
skin quickly with pumice stone, which
gave it that peculiar polish and hardness
of outline noticeable In old paintings.
BARRIERS are first mentioned In English
history about the year 1920, during the
reign Of Charles l. when q number Of
Puritans were ordered to be punished by
having their "beards shaven from their
faces with sharp knives, and the hair to
be cropped close to their heads Herewith,
in addition to having their ears cut of
and tongues bored with q red hot iron,
and to be thereafter stood in the pillory."
SUBJECT OF R1DIcULE.
About 1885 boards and mustaches began
to make their appearance in this country
on the streets Of the cities, and were
everywhere the subject of ridicule. 80
much so that few were vain enough to
cultivate them. In 1888 the fad for wear
ing hair on the face was given q great
thrust forward by a picture Of Count
D'Orsay, published in Frazer's Magazine,
illustrating how copiously chin could be
cushioned. and which, it was conceded,
reached the climax of hair arrangement In
that quarter.
Still for a number of years later long
boards were considered disgraceful; as
masks behind which criminals and out
laws sought to hide their identity. As
late as 1S4S the writer remembers to have
seen Jew with long hair and beard
"bated" on Beaver street, in this. city, by
crowd of boys, who chased him with
sticks and stones through the streets and
alleys of what was then one of the most
attractive portions of New York, and for
no other reason than the great mass Of
hair which concealed his features. And
on this occasion the sedate business men
of that part of the city gathered at their
doors and cheered the boys with their ex-
pressions of approval.
One or two judges about that time be-
gan to make their appearance on the
bench with whiskers. This the public
took as an ofiense, and the papers seri-
Ously discussed it as a matter of prime
Importance "Whisllers," says The
Democratic Review, are bad enough at
the bar. and even then they are pest&ent
accompanies tent for counsel. There Is no
gentlcmanly managing jury with them.
Men are not open TO reason or pathos that
might issue from any part of face thus
cultivated. They continually, and for
good reason. suspect those who talk to
item III a mask. But to carry whiskers
up to tho tribunal is unbecoming the
judge as it is unfortunate for the wool
sack What would men have us think2
DO they mean to enforce decisions by tho
ferOcity Of their countenances2 To make
US fear instead of honor them? Or would
they. wherever they may be, have us
understand that their strength, like his
of old. lies in their hair?"
None of the fathers of the republic ever
wore beard The appendage of hair is
not to DC found on the face of any Of the
siEners Of the Declaration of Independence,
ana it was unknown to all the officers of
. Inf: -
great minds. iron will and strong purpose
stood forth in the broad light of day with
faces SO clean that their every thought
might be read
THE CROPPED SIDE WHISPER.
The war of 1912 brought no generals to
the front with boards, but all the COM
manders Of the navy appear to have cult.
waited the mutton leg" as it was once
called-the side whisker reaching an inch
or SO below the ear. but always kept
troppcd This is the whiskers we find on
the pictures of Perry. cambridge, Deca-
tur, Lawrence and others, and is the
plant which was afterwards built out and.
u connection with the mustache, became
the Burnside" All the principal officers
Of the Mexican war were also beardless,
although the mustache and beard began
about that time creep into the army.
OF the presidents of the United States
John Q. Adams and Zachary Taylor had
mere bunch of hair, extending the
length of tho ear. Martin Van buren,
had more of the mutton Leg" which
curled forward. and being Of a sandy
color, gave that peculiar expression to
his face which caused him to be nick
named 1.-The Red Fox of Undertook" or
"FoSy" Van Buren,. AL the other presi-
dents had faces shaven Of every particle
of hair, and up to 1861 no man had &C.
cupied position Of prominence In tho
national government who wore q beard ON
his chin or q mustache. John C. Ere
mont. the first candidate Of the Republi-
can party for the presidency, also cult
waited his entire cheek and chin space for
hair. and Abraham Lincoln, his successor
ON the ticket four years later, and the first
Republican president, also wore q full
beard.
The cabinet which Lincoln assembled
was composed largely of bearded men.
The despised abolition sentiment had OBJ
tanned the ascendency, and men by tho
rather have been caught burning house
than raising beard, threw away their
razors and turned their faces out to nature
for coverings. The officers in the field of
both armies let the beard grow or cut It |
In shapes to suit their particular fancy or
appearance. until smooth faced man be-
came almost as rare as q hairy one had |
been few months previous.
Presidents Grant, Hayes and Garfield all
appeared in full boards, and we all re-
member tho luxurious Burnsides of Chester
A. Arthur. the re-eminently gentlemanly
occupant Of the White House. Cleveland |
is the first president that ever was elected |
backed by mustache only.-New York
Press