The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-07-19
WONDERFUL.
The New Experience of an Amer
lean Traveller Abroad
Barber Shop Who :WiIIingIy Yields
His Next Privilege to
Another.

To the city after a foreign tour saws that
he enjoyed one experience while abroad
the like of which he never before heard
of. says the sun OF that city. During
my life in New York. for forty years.
ne said. Il have met plenty of nice
people and seen more acts Of courtesy
and deeds of kindness than would I'LL Il
book. | have known of a sllintiint Civ
ing money to the needy, and of pas
senger i'll an elevated car reNi@ning his
seat To a woman. and of a Wall street
man with Christian symptoms. and Of
smoker handing his lighted cigar
right end foremost to Il stranger who
asked Il light and of human being
who always had match when anybody
needed one. and of a woman who would
dote ON the beauty of another without
jealousy. and Of an entertainer who
would cut for his guest a better piece OF
porterhouse steak than he kept for him
self. and even of a curmudgcon who
would, upon occasion, give proof that
there was streak of virtue in him. All
such things one can safely expect at
times in the world
But, though | have been customer
at BARRIERS shops in New York for
twenty years. | never saw and never
heard Of a ease in which man who.
when il came his turn to get in the
chair for a shave. and when the barber
cried Next" would resign his place To
any other man in waiting. He Will
stick up for his rights there against the
world. | have seen many quarrel
and two or three fights. between men
waiting To get shaved, when there was
a crowd. as To which one came in first.
| was angry myself one day when
fellow who had been getting his boots
blacl1ed in the rear OF the barber shop
and whom | had not seen, stepped up
to d chair which | was about To take
and said he had come in before me. No
matter if another man Is in a hurry. or
if he must catch train, or If his wife
is anxious about him because he Is too
late for dinner, YOU wont give up your
turn in the BARRIERS chair on ms ac-
count There il one of his rights a
man will stand up for, and you can see
il at the BARRIERS
When | went abroad | found the
same thing in England and France. In
London once | asked a barber if he
could not put me ahead, and he
answered sharply that he would not
do it for the bank of England. The
PariSians are polite everywhere eN-
turn comes. and YOU would have To-
fight duel if YOU asked one of them
t. let you get shaved before him he
cause your soup was growing cold.
1t was in my programme, after See
ing the French and English. To take
trip through the highlands of Scotland
| SAW plenty of historic spots a. / made
my way far up on the Grampian hills.
where the frugal svvains feed their
flocsS. and further yet, where the fish
,.rInyu breast the waves; but | would
give them all away for an experience |
had when | reached an aneIcu. town
beyond the GirampianS one NLturdd,
afternoon. At the inn asked for i
barber. aS | wanted To go u church thr
next day. and must be shaved When
| got 60 the BARRIERS place his only
chair was filled, and four or five Gus
toners were waiting their turn. ln
few moments the chair wa- emptied-
and | expected that one of the men
would spring into it. Not man
moved The barber looked at M.
smiled. and told me he WAS ready for
me | said to him in IA low voice that
several others had been there before
me. L dinna mind that, he replied.
You're a stranger up here. maybe an
American and the stranger always
comes first wi rs | glanced at the
other men as if to apologize or To Sc
cure their assent. Aye. said one of
them. the stranger must always he
first here: we can wait | took the
chair with thanks. and the price of
shave was twO-pence.
The seven wonders of the world. all
put together. and with the addition of
Clenpatra' - Needle in the Central park.
would not have impressed me as deeply
as was impressed by this romantic in
cidrnt. never before paraIleled in my
experience. | have travelled from Bo>-
ton to Chicago. from Cripple Creek to
New Orleans without ever hearing of
a thing of the kind
Il do not suppose that many Amer
leans possess sufficient brain power to
believe. in the literal truth of this Incl
dent: vet for all that. it il true a. the
Grampian hills Of the highlands of scot
land. where it occurred. | have told
the story To two or three Srotchmen
since | came back to New York. but
they did not think there was anything
curious or sensational Il bout 1t.