Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1891-09-23
BARRIERS I'm NEW runK.

The Changes In the Trade-The Fiye-Cent
Shaving Shops Must Go.
There are BARRIERS of American birth
in New York, but they constitute only
a small proportion of the BARRIERS of the
city, who number about four thousand,
of whom probably not more than ten
per cent. were born in this country. In
old times there were good many bar
Der shops kept by colored men, but few
of them are now left. except in those
parts of the city where colored people
reside. Until two or three years ago a
majority of the BARRIERS in the city had
for forty years been Germans, who
learned their trade in Germany, and
who crossed the sea because they could
earn more money here than in Ger
many. They were regarded as careful
workers, well-mannered in their ways.
anxious to please, and not over greedy
for tips. the custom of giving which
was not much In vogue until recent
times. There were also then, as there
are yet, some French BARRIERS, all Pa
risians, OF course, and all operators Of
unusual skill, delicacy and stylishness
Since the heavy immigration of Ital-
ians and Hebrews began three years
ago great number of Italian and He
brew barber shops have been estab-
Hshed in all parts of the country, and
it is estimated that at this time one
half of the BARRIERS in the city belong
to these races In opening business
here they began to cut the prices that
had been In vogue, and their rate for
shaving was generally fixed at FIVE
cents, though in some cases there was
no fixed rate, and the customer was
told to ''pay what you please" or
anything you like In many of
these places the boss and his man, or
two or three men, are on hand, and
ready for work fifteen or sixteen hours
every day, or from six in the morning
till ten at night. The men get small
pay, often as low as five or six dollars
week. and they are consequently very
anxious for tips, which but few of the
customers are willing to give, but
which, whom given, are not likely to be
over one or two cents. There are ex-
cellent operators among the Italians
and Hebrews, men who know how to
hone the razor and use it, work the
lather and apply 1t, comb the hair and
fix it. though many of them have
learned their trade by the practice of
it after coming to this country. The
Hebrews are said to be especially good
at the business of hair cutting and
dressing.
1t is against the low price for shaving
that the Italian BARRIERS of this city are
now beginning to take stand. Those
Of them who followed their trade in
Italy were accustomed to even lower
prices than they get here. but they say
that rents and the cost of living are
much higher here than in Italy, and
that two cents will go further in an
Italian town than five cents in New
York. They also see that the German
BARRIERS get ten cents a shave, and why
should not an Italian barber get as
much as German? They likewise see
that German BARRIERS are not on duty
as many hours as they, and this is not
fair to the Italians.
The movement in the italian and in
some Of the Hebrew barber shops for
an advance of rates and ashortening of
the hours of service is therefore earnest
and widespread
The bosses fear that the change will
result in decrease in their business,
and that there will always be enough
fve-cent shops to draw away the Gus
tom from the dearer shops. Thus the
case stands at present but the progress
sive party are firm in the faith that
they will bring about the change
which they desire, and that five-cent
shaving will soon be unknown in New
York-N. Y. Sun.