The Somerset reporter., 1888-06-28
BEARD AND MUSTACHE.
TODAY's FACIAL ORNAMENTS ONCE
MUCH RIDlcuLEo.

Republic We're Entirely BeardIess 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 a
beard was an exception. and thirty five
years have scarcely elapsed since the
wearer of beard was either an object of
ridicule or suspicion. When boy tho
writer listened to a sermon in which the
smooth faced preacher descanted on the
sin Of the beard and conclusycly proved
thHt Adam was not endowed with this
fncial appendage until after his fall. and
that it constituted the actual thicket be-
hind which he sought to hide himself
from the sight of his maker
1t is quite evident it was ut least as
difficult for the ancents to keep down the
growth Of the beard as it is for tie modern
youth to raise one. Before the invention
of the razor, which dates bacb less than
two centuries, the hair was kept from nc.
cumulatng on the face by rubbing the
skin quickly with pumice stone, which
gave il that peculiar polish and hardness
of outl line noticeable in old paintings.
BARRIERS are first mentioned in English
history ahuut the year 1929, during the
reign of Charles l. when a number of
Pliitaits were ordered to be punished by
having their boards shavcn from their
faces with sharp knives. and the hair to
be cropped close to their heads Herewith,
In addition to having their eacs cut off
and tongues bored with red hot iron,
and to be thereafter stood in the pillory."
SUBJECT OF RIpIcULE
About $50 boards and mustaehes began
to make their appearance in this country
on the streets of the cities, and were
everywhere the subject of ridcule. so
much so that few were vain enough to
cultivate them In 1888 the fad for wear
ing hair on the face was given great
thrust forward by n picture of Count
D'Orsay published in Frazer's Magazine,
illustrating how copiously chin could be
cushioned, and which, Z ;"as conceded
reached the climax of hair arrangement in
thut quarter.
Still for 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 1913 the writer remembers to have
seen jew with long hair and beard
'bated' on Beaver street, i'll this city, by
q crowd of boys, who chased him with
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 oflense, and the papers seri-
ously discussed it as matter of prime
Importance ''Whiskers," says The
Democratic Review, are bad enough at
the bar and even then they are pestilent
accompaniment for counsel There is no
gentlemanly managing "a jury with them.
Men are not open to reason or pathos that
might issue from any part of faee thus
cultivated They continually. and for
good reason, suspect those who talk to
them III mask. But to carry whiskers
up to the tribunal is unbccoming the
judge as it is unfortunate for the wool
sack What would men have us think?
Do they mean to enforce decisions by tho
ferocty of their countenances2 To make
us fear instead of honor them? Or would
they wherever they may be, have us
of old, lies in their hair
None of the fathers of the republic ever
wore beard The appendage of hair is
not to be found on the face of any of the
signers of the Declarationof Independence,
and it WAS unknown to all the officers Of
the revolutionary army. Those men of
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 adj the com
manders of the navy appear to have cult
waited the mutton leg, as it was once
callcd-the side whisker reaching an inch
or 50 below the ear. but always kept
cropped This is the whiskcrs we find on
the pictures of Perry, cambridge, Deca-
tur, Lawrence and others, and is the
plant which was afterwards built ont and,
in 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 the ear. Martin Van Buren,
had more of the mutton Leg" which
curled forward and being of sandy
color, gave that peculiar expression to
his face which caused him to be nick
named The Red Fox of Kindorhook" or
"FoAy" Van Buren, All the other pres-
dents had faces shaven of every particle
of hair, and up to 1861 no man had oc-
cupicd position of prominence in tho
national government who wore II beard on |
his chin or IL mustache John G.. 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 n full |
BEARD
The cabinet which Lincoln assembled |
was composed largely of bearded men.
The dcspised abolition sentiment had OBJ
tanned the ascendency, and men by the |
thousands who ten years before would |
rather have been caught burning house
than raising beard. threw away their |
razors and turned their faces out 10 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 hairy one had
been few months previous
Presidents Grant. Hayes and Garfield all |
appeared in full boards, and we all re-
member the luxurious Burnsdes of Chester
A Arthur. the pre-emiucutly gentlemanly
occupant of the White House Cleveland
is the first president that ever WAS elected
backed by Il mustache only.-New York
Press
As If Nothing Had Happened.
A few wears after the war a gentleman