Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-11-05

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The West Has No Monepoiy of Long Hair |
and MINISTER'S.
II is n common, nevertheless mistaken, |
notion that whskers are n native to the |
Western States. The student will find, |
however, that lwhiskers, like many an
other thing, came out of the Fast, says |
the Pittsburg Times, and followed the
destiny of civilization westward through |
many centuries. One of the first faces
that is presented TO the youthful mind
is that Of Moses, the ancient law-giyer,
with his graceful beard, while the prcc-
ious ointments that flowed down -Aaron's
beard and to the skirts of his garments
have been sung.i psalm and in the litera-
ture of church and fraternity Among
the Hebrews the beard in early days was
cultivated carefully, as il was in India
and is to this day. Magnificent and lux
uriant boards characterize most of the
pictures Of the ancehts. Throughout the
Orient some of the finest specimens of
human manhood are the bearded patri-
archs of the Armenian and other old
churches. Some Of the old histories say
that the Greeks who wore boards dis
continued the practice only In war, when
their enemies used the whiskers as a sort
of graphing hold, to the discontinue of
the men with the hair ON their faces.
The Greeks accepted the beard as
symbol of wisdom, and the philosophers
cultivated the most abundant growth
possible Samson thought II u source of
strength, and while he mistook the effect
| for the cause, il Is likely that physical
strength and vigorous growth of the beard
are frequently found together. Certainly
| the ancient bearded Germans or the early
| inhabitants of the north of central Europe
| were men of rare physical gifts, as their
domination of all Of Eastern Europe sub
| sequently shows. The Lombartls, who
overran Italy. were nothing but the long
boards of Germany, whose names We're
given them from their faces with hairy
appearance. 1t is said that until the
eighth century the popes wore boards,
when. to distinguish him from the East
| ern priests, Leo Ill inaugurated the
smooth face.
| From time to time the fashion of boards
shifted in Europe, but at the present time
most countries favor either a beard or n
| morstachc. Many OF the monarchs are
whiskered, either with the pointed style
of the Russian Emperor. the flowing side
| whiskers of Franz Joseph, the moustache
of Emperor William or the round and
longer crop Of the Sultan Abdul Hamid.
the clergy of Constantinople and among
the Russians.
II is singular thar the oply bearded peo-
pie are those Of the Caucasian stock. The
Chinaman has suull excuse for whiskers.
| The American Indian studiously plucks
out any few hairs that he may find on his
face. The negro is not given the luXur-
ious whiskcrs possessed by his neghbor,
whose ancestry comes from the countries
north of Africa. The perfection of whisk-
ers ut the present time is still in the far
east of EuroDe, for while the west i'll
America is running To boards, the line
dignity Of the Orient Is not approached
by the carelrssiicss which II 50 largely re-
spousiblc for the chin covering of the
Kansas populist.
WhiskrrS in this. country seem to be not
, the survival of a religions or philosophical
turn of mind, hut rather an accident that
sprung zip from the rcmutcnrss of the bar
!. her shop When tile pioneers followed
their OK wagons across the broad prairies
they permitted their unkenpt hair tt
chase itself down their backs and over
their nccktirs because they had 10 means
of getting il off except as il was removed
e occasionally by II Ind Indian. Gradually
Is what has come from neglect grew to b,
a fashion, and when such men as Buffalo
Bill. and others in imitation. came fortl
+ from the West with long hair the thini
e got Il fashionable grip among the pseud,
q "bad men," and it has been popular cvel
since.
In Russia or Persia or India the Ions
; heard has grace. In western America i
y has n ncglgee mir that does not command
;, the pattern. 1T is too suggestive of hay
u ing been turned out in the fall to ''rust
Il for itself" MS the cowmnn of the plain
$ says, and of having slept in the leaves to-
often during its retirement from civilizt,
ton. 1t is too redolent of tobacco am
too near akin 10 the wild goats of tn
mountains. 1t is in no wise patriarcha
u II is the offspring of the Orient, hut Xix
wild horses Of the plains another oifSprin
!. of the far East, of Arabia and the steI
" pes, it has tcgcncratcd toward the print
y tive type.
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