The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-01-08
RILEY AND HIS BARBER.
he INDIANAPOLIS Sentinel.

From the Indianapolis sentinel.
The smooth. cleen-shaven face Of
James Whitcomb Riley is a familiar
one on the streetssof Indianapolis. Old
and young, rich and poor, black and
white, recognize the droll smile and
sparkling eye Of the poet, and there fol-
lows in his wake on the crowded thor
oughfares a continuous succession Of
nudges and turned heads.
There are three reasons why this Is
so. First, because Mr.. Riley is univer-
sally popular in Indiana; second, be-
cause he is generally known, and,
third, because he gets shaved every
day. The poets trip to the barber
shop is as regular as the recurring day.
He has patronized one barber for e
number of years now, and, as he says:
II have been as true to him as could"
This means that he has employed him
whenever he has been in the city.
The barber in question is Jim Nc
Eloroy; short, ugly, black, and good
natured Jim. A typical negro, with
all the habits and characteristics as
well as the eccentricities of his race.
Jim has held Mr.. Riley as his customer
and the daily visit of the poet is the
one great and pleasing event in that
little shop, at the corner of Meridian
and Washington streets English shop
keepers have for centuries delighted IN
the proud distinction of being custom
er, haberdasher, taller, draper, or jew
eler to the king, but none OF them ever
announced this fact in the same proud
way in which Jim tells dem common
niggahs" that he is ''Missur Riley's ba-
bah, sab"
''Cahn't hab dat chair, sab; sorry.
sab, but Mistur Riley am expected heah
in few moments, sab, an be am fust,
sab" was the salutation that greeted
the Pickings man as he hung up his
coat and, after surveying his stubby
chin in the mirror for a moment, start
ed toward the chair which Jim was
brisl<ly brushing.
The cheap customer before referred
10 took the adjacent chair and was soon
covered with lather by the sable at
tache who there presided
The door opened. there was fow OF
fresh air, brisk step. bright and
CHEEKY Hello, jim; look little pale
to-day,"a jump on the part OF the me-
gro at the other chair as he sprang TO
help the new conner of with his great
coat, and Mr.. Riley had arrived
Jim Cby Jim" in this bit OF history
is meant the negro in every easel bus
tied around ner~ously trying to do
everything in his power TO express his
willingness, and in such haste was ne
that he stumbled over the poets foot,
dropped his hat, let his Goa. drag on
the floor in picking il up, and got
twisted up generally. That Jim was
ratified was apparent but this fact in
stead of causing vexation- only made
the eyes of the poet twinkle with sup
pressed amusement as he walked over
to Jim's chair and prepared to sit down,
but he didn't
With apparent vexa.ion the poet
asked the negro for whisk broom,
which was handed to him with aston
ishment and some disnnAy.
"This chair seems 10 be dusty, said
M. Riley. Is though 70 himself, IS be be-
gan brushing il briskiy- Jim began VOW
ing that IL couldn't be, but don't con-
tradict me, jim" from the poet auieted
him, and he stood there with an air OF
q brother who had been caught With
two chickens in the legs OF his trousers