The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1890-12-13
TONS0RIAL ODDITIES.
sooTHlNC INFLUENCE OF A LEFT.
HANDED BARBER

HANDED BARBER,
Wenasa Hnrhars and Whom They are
Utlired--Tbs Team Shave and How it
Wsrks--A syutem Of Economy for one
Barber.
The man Of leisure who thinks no has
exhausted the pleasures Of life and sighs
for more excitement should not give up
entirely until he has boon shaved by a
left-handed barber. This experience may
not be entirely new, for most men have
been shaved In some way, but while the
tonsorial arr is ancient the left-handod
application OF It is a novelty.
There may be left-handod BARRIERS IN
New York, but I have never encountered
one there, aud / have met but two elso-
where one In Sallda, Colorado, and the
other In St. Augustine, Florida. Both
we're excellent BARRIERS. A man who has
never been shaved by left-handed bar
Der, and has never heard OF one, Is in
terested on the first occasion when no
secs him strop his razor. He thinks that
this is only a momentary variation for
novelty'e sake OF the familiar rhythmic
stropping, and when he sees it continued
he expects every moment to see tn >
razor nick the strap, but It doesn't do it.
When the artist turns and approaches,
with the razor still in his left hand, tho
man in the chair doesn't know what not
to expect, but when the FIRST touch gives
assurance Of a practtced hand he realizes
what It means, and asks, In modified
surprise "Are you left-handed ?" The
artist says, Yes, SIR and proceeds TO
shave him neatly and comfortablv, but
in the reverse order, beginning where
the rlght-handed man would leave Oft
and finishing where he would begin. The
lsft-handed shave is, throughout, sea-
soned with the sense Of something new 4;
and it is an experience that makes the
man in the chair feel, somehow, when he
gets through, that he has taken part in a
Joint achievement.
OF course the man in search OF novelty
has been shaved on steamships and
steamboats,, and on the cars, perhaps,
but IL ho hasn't been let him take either
Of the great limited trains between New
York and Chicago and try that. Or It he
travels extensively, he may in some
small town be shaved by a woman, not in
ladies' barber shop like those that oc-
sasionally flourish for time in the larger
cities, but in q quiet and comfortable
little shop and by the barber's wits. who
her husband being away, shaves the Gus
toner In a neat and business-liks man.
nsr. If he has mover had team shave
then indeed has the man OF leisure
something worth living for.
It seemed like q piece Of luck to hnd a
vacant chair in barber shop In BOOM
ing California town. The outfit Of the
shop was not costly, but it was sufficient,
and the two BARRIERS we're cheerful and
active. The barber lathered my face and
rubbed 1t gently. He put ON more
lathsr, until wondered why he didn't
go ahead and shave me. The customer
in the next chair had wiry beard, and
It took a long time to shave him. Mean
while my barber painted my face up and
down and orosswise and In diamonds and
circles, and rubbed 1t In again.
While this was going on three more
customers came In. When the other
barber had finished shaving the man in
his chair he moved without word to my
chair, without dampenlng and drying the
first customers face or combing his hair,
and at once began shaving me. Then it
was clear why the lAthering had been
prolonged. 1t was team work. 1t
wouldn't look business-lilIs to lather a
man and then make him wait TO be
shaved, and so the lathering was kept
up until the other barber was ready.
While the shaving partner was stepping
to nay chair the painting member OF the
frm was crossing to the other and, drop
ping the brush and taking a bowl and
the bay rum bottle, he proceeded to
complete the work on the first customer.
own you please sit up, sir ?" and he
dressed his hair, making good time, for
he knew my beard was light and that the
shaving barber would get through with
me quickly. Before tho barber had
finished shaving me the painter had ln-
ished dressing the first mans hair and
had got another man in his chair and had
his face nicely lathered ready for the
shaving barber to begin work on. Then
they changed places again with no per-
oeptible loss of time, and when l heard
the bay rum gurgling over my head /
knew that the bottle was in the hands
of the painter.
Why do you work In this way ~ !
asked.
when We came to this town" was
the reply, Eve thought there was room
for another barber shop. / couldn't
shave, but could do everything else,
and so my partner does the shaving and
do the rest"
Thus they worked all day long, sur.
prlsins many, pleasing all, and making
money.
ssvon Steers In a Drug store.