The record-union., 1897-12-27
ETHICS OF WHISPERS.
American Liberality on the Beard
Question.

&0CSNAOAs
The question of boards has always
been cne in which men have taken the
greatest interest. BY turns it has been
popular or unpopular for men to adorn
their faces with hair, but q greater
significance has always attached to it
than &c the mere changing of any other
fashions. In ancient times beard was
mark of honor and dignity. In ORR
entail countries it is still regarded with
reverence. and to pluck a man by his
beard is the deadliest of insults. The
willy Turk who sells the American made
Turkish rug of commerce always
swears by his beard and the beard of
his prophet when he makes All affi-
davit to its being a genuine Oriental
prayer mat. He is talking through his
whislSers and is not to be believed. At
ter the period when every man was
bearded like a pard there came a time
when any hair on mans face was
considered rowdyish, and a mustache
indicated a dashing soldier, just as
chrysanthemum hair labels the foot
ball enthusiast With characteristic lib
erality America has always conceded to
every man the right to wear a beard
or not, as he pleased, and the result
has been that in no other country can
so many varieties of architecture in
Whiskers be seen. In Kansas a good
Wfndproof set of whiSkerS is considered
one Of the prime qualifications for a
political candidate. In many rural
communities a beard is still worn as
satisfactory substitute for a necktie.
Among swell young men there is
great variety of opinion in regard to
the subject. Those who desire to look
French and wicked wear a sharply
pointed beard trimmed down to a hair
line. Others who incline to the Charles
Dana Gibson school Of looks are cleanly
shaved and wear a tired and faraway
look. There are still other men who,
appreciatinS how little opportunity
their sex have for adorning themselves,
give variety to what would often be
an expression1ess countenance by wear
ing their boards in queer little patches,
which suggest that they have had their
faces laid out by landscape gardener.
1t is the Importance of the beard
that makes lawsuit recently tried in
New Jersey of general interest to all
men. A respectable citizen of that
State, the happy possessor of a beard
TO which he was tenderly attached, un-
dertook short railway journey. Upon
the trip he was set upon by a gang
Of roushs who cruelty mfsused him, and
especially vented their fiendish malig-
nifty upon his beard, which they tore
out and disigured, making it totally
useless and valueless as a means Of
adornment. The man brought suit
against the railroad company, putting
the injuries to his beard at the modest
sum OF S2OO-a sum entirely inadequate
to pay for the time and labor and
thought he had bestowed upon it, as
every boy who has ever gone through
the tribulations of raising his first
mustache will agree. The railroad set
up the plea that they were not en-
gagged in the business of carrying
whiskers; that the complainant could
produce no bill of lading to show that
their company received the beard in
good order and condition, and finally
that they were not responsible for any
baggage over the value of $1O0. The
case was tried by a jury of six clean
shaven men and six bearded ones, and
they finally decided in favor of the
heartiass corporation. This will, doubt
less, constitute a precedent, and it is
just as Well for men to be warned in
time that when they travel they take
their boards in their hands.-New Or