The San Francisco call., 1896-03-17
TWENTY TONSOR|AL TYROS
All Learning to Strop and Shave
at the Wilson Barber
College.
The Latest Addition to the Numerous
Educational Institutions of
the City.

No one can now plead poverty as an eX-
cuse for appearing abroad without a nice,
clean shave. Like Wisdom in the script
ures, the genial young proprietor of.the
Wilson Barber College invites all earth s
unshaven ones to come to him for relief
without money and without price" The
college is situated in the lower floor of the
building comprising 1511, 1913 ana 1915
Howard street, occupying an area intended
for three stores. Here men who need and
want shave are attended to free OF charge
by the pupils of the college. The custom
ers are naturally in reduced circum stances
or, as the college circular euphoniously
phrases it, "Our subjects, to practice upon
come from the army of the unemployed. !"
Entering the college at No. 1911 the vis-
itor finds himself in a sort of pen. COM
passed about by wire fsnce perhaps a
yard high. The adornments of this apart
bearing such legends as "All Work Done
Free of Charge" Shaving and Hair Cut
ting Free, '"Blind Men and Cripples Need
Not Await Their Turn and other an
nouncements of similar import. In the
pen yesterday when THE CALL man, un-
happily already shayen, visited the col
lege were number of men waiting to be
attended to. AS might be supposed, their
appearance denoted that the world was
vicious or criminal-lookiDg faces could be
seen. The men were ranged on the benches
in the order of their entrance and were as
quiet as though in church.
A gate in the pen opens into what may,
perhaps, without offense, be styled the
operating, room. Here are twenty-five
barber-chairs, ranged on either side of a
fah hlo nvfn ho lor ,cvfh Nf =
apartment. Most of the chairs were occu-
pied, there being twenty students at work.
The patients, so to speak, were enveloped
in cloths of bright blue, covered with large
white flowers, strongly resem bling in de-
sign the parrions or breech clouts of the
Tahitian islanders. The faces of the Gus
toners wore an expression of resignation
which was truly touching. After endur-
ing for years the hard knocks of a cruel
world it is, perhaps, comparatively easy
thing to submit even to the caresses of an
amateur barber. An occasional groan
they say, is heard, and rumors are rife
that at times wild oaths rend the rose-oiI
scented air. when perchance some razor is
found to have more than its proper share
of "nicks"; but these demonstrations are
of rare occurrence.
Beyond the workroom is the dormitory,
where some of the students sleep on COM
fortable-loOking cots, and in the section
corresponding to No. 1915 is the office of
the proprietor, G. w. Wilson. Mr.. Will
son was out yesterday afternoon, but the
head master, w. S. Budlong, an agreeable
young gentleman with Paderewski ban g,
was glad to speak about the work of the
college.
You would be surprised" he said
among other things, Ito learn how
quickly our students master the tonsorial
art. l suppose the poor subjects vince
little when they fall into the hands of
beginner, but after a week or so most of
the students are able to shave man with
out causing him any pain. 1t then be-
comes a question of speed, and we find
that eight weeks is enough time for any
one of ordinary intelligence to attain de-
gree of proficiency enabling them to shave
a customer quickly, painlessly and well.
1--WE are prepared to admit lady stu
DENTS" continued Mr.. Budlong, s'though
we have none at present. Several, how
ever are expected, and have noticed that
women make first-class BARRIERS with very
little instruction. Practice seems to be
what they most need, and the theory of
the business seems to come natural to
them.'
AT this juncture lad appeared at the
Office door and asked the head master to
give him some directions for the dispatc tch-
ing of an unusually stubby Subject"
The tonsorial pedagogue prepared to go
with his promising disciple, but as he
wished his visitor a cordial au revoir re-
marked:
II forgot one thing. We present all our
graduates with q complete outfit, consist
brushes, shears, razor-hone and case as
souvenir of the COLLAGE -