The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1888-06-16
CHINESE BARRIERS.
The Skill and Delicacy of ORR
entail Tonsorial Artists.
A Visit to Lee Chung's Estab-
liShment in New York.

in China than among the Caucasians.
His position in the Orient is very SINH
lar to that enjoyed there centuries ago
by the chirurgeon of Merrie England. He
Is dentist, aurist, .dermatologlst, barber,
cupper, and leech, all combined. Unlike
his American cousin, he is compelled to
pass through long apprenticeship, and
not until he has been examined and
graduated is he allowed to practice his
craft. In the New York Monaghan
colony there are five accredited
BARRIERS. OF these the acknowledged
head is All Lee Chung, who has
queer little shop on the second floor of
90 Mott street. The visitor enters, and
finds himself in narrow room, not
more than ten feet wide and twenty
long. On the mantle-piece opposite the
entrance a joss-stick slowly burns itself
away in fragrant smoke in honor of
Buddha, while over it, in comical con-
trast hangs a cheap Autograph which
reads, "God Bless Our Home" At the
end of the apartment is a two-storied
bunk, where customers repose while
waiting for their turn. A narrow pas
sageway leads past the hunks into
series of rear rooms, from which float
the odors of Chinese cooking, Canton
tobacco, and now and then the unmis-
taxable fumes of opium.
Shaving in Lee Chungs establishment
is no simple matter. The proprietor,
dignifed and successful, is In no hurry,
and usually requires considerable persua-
sion before he will crafty Fah-Kee
(Americau) consumer. The latter is
seated upon high stool, and sometimes
upon a straig CHIT hacked, uncomfortable
chair. A cloth is next tied about the
neck. This not the familiar stiff towel
of New York barber shops, but a soft
and tenuous shawl-like square of red
silk. The face and neck are Washed,
or rather sponged, with lukewarm
water slightly scented with musk,
rose, or some other perfume,
and thep dried with a second
silk napkin. The shaving resembles
our own, the razor employed being the
ordinary Sheffield make. The brush.
however, is different, being a curious
little affair, very much like the average
toothbrush. The operator fathers two
or three square inches at time without
any rubbing, shaves off the growing
hairs, and then fathers second patch
Of skin. After the face and throat
have been scrapcd in this piecemeal
way, the temples and back of the neck
are shaved, and the eyebrows trimmed
to the shape demanded by Monaghan
fashion. The next stage of the treat
ment is decidedly peculiar. From a
black shagreen case the barber produces
an ear-razor, pair Of twee-
zers. horn scrapers, and cotton
brushes The ear-razor is narrow
blade of highly tempered steel, five
inches long and less than quarter of
al inch in width. The tweezcrs are
compass-like in shape, and nearly
foot in length. The scrapers resemble
miniature shepherd hooks, and have
neither point nor edge, while the
brushes are duplicate of our aurilaves,
substituting balls of fresh cotton for
our little spongcs. With the ear-razor
the ear is shaved on both the outside
and inside.
Words fail to describe the skill and
delicacy with which a Chinese barber
SLAVES the ear. The narrow blade
sweeps around, cutting hair. down, and
dead skin, and ever going deeper in to-
ward the end of the auditory passage
With The scrapers he then removes the
debris and all dirt blown in by the
wind. Lastly tho cotton brushes are
applied, and the ear rubbed and pol
shed until it is smooth, warm and
pink. The sensation, strange 10 say,
Is extremely pleasant The third stage
consists in removing the hairs that
grow in the nostrils The last stage is
aChinese version of the Swedish move
met cure, in which the muscles of the
face, scalp, neck aud shoulders are
kneaded, pinched, rubbed, pushed, and
pulled until they all are moist aad al
most sore. Then the arms and trunk are
taken in hand in about the same style,
The fingers Wcracked y and the head