The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-09
TAKE A SHAVE AND A SLEEP
TRADE OF BoWERT BARBER SHOP
OPEN ALL NIGHT.


After midnight, when the sea Of humanity
that surges all day long in the Bowery has
dwindled down to a desultory stream. the
lights In most OF the show windows. having
fulfilled their missions to allure. are extin-
euished or turned low. thus shrouding great
stretches Of the thoroughfare in gloom. But
In the window OF ono establishment at the up-
FER end OF the Bowery no sooner has the clock
struck II than the lights fare out In reiuve.
mated splendor and discover 10 the gaze OF the
belated this legend. inscribed In gilt letters:
The All-NiRht Barber Shop. Walk In"
In many respects 1t Is a very conventional
and commonplace establishment. There Is
the same orderly:array ot.ratent chairs. the
same distribution OF cheap fancy bottles be-
fore the mirrors and the same dull atmos-
phere redolent OF hair oil. pomatum. cologne
and scented soaps. with an occasional trace
OF malodorous stale tobacco smoke. to he
found in any other barber shop In the Bowery.
The manager Of the all night shop is conven-
tional barber. a dapper little fellow, curled.
oiled and scented into tho LITIGATION Of
all that Il good hirsute FORM according to
Bowery bar bers' standard. But the singular
signs which hang on the walls aud the
trasting characters nj the patrons give the
place marked individuality. Take an egg
rub for that A. NJ. tired feeling" reads one Of
that lag. Five cents" decares another
Don't go home In the sma' hours without a
clean shave and q haircut" advises a third.
They make a new man Of you and keep the
old man out Of trouble"
Before II O'Clock the all-night establish
ment 10 forced to compete with the thousand
and Que ordinary barber shops which are
sprinkled from one end Of the Bowery 70 the
other. and its business logs along at placid
gait. But afeer that time all the chairs are
filed with customers. as a rule. and remain so
until long after sunrise. the manager and
hts assistants may be at work on the chins or
heads OF their bslated patrons. or they may
not: still the chairs continue to support the
relaxed forms of the shorn candidates for a
shave or haircut. for" said the dapper little
man aver to curious visitor who dropped in
somewhere between aud 3 in the morning,
we permit our customers to remain in the
chairs Just as long as they please. providing
there is not too much OF a rush and the chairs
can be spared without detriment TO the husi-
ness"
You don't mind II they fall asleep. sup
pose?" suggested the visitor.
For answer the barber lied and pointed to
the lower end of his long sho.. where stertor-
Gus noises saving the air at regular intervals.
proclaimed the sound sumbers OF brace OF
customers. Permission to sleep on the prem
ises." said he. is one OF our principal induce
ments and one Of the things which help to
make Knight barbering success.
Now. come back here. and I'll show you
something you never saw before in b barber
shop in your life. I'll bet hat continued the
barber confdentaly. as he led the way to
room in the immediate rear OF tho shop Softly
he opened the door. and the visitor peer ng in
cautiously as directed. beheld a singular spec
ind Re ~ har ~ hottpmaJ
| mon wooden chairs were RANGED along the
| tour sides OF the room. and IN nearly every
| chair was a sleeping man. The sleepers did
| ion prescribed by custom. Most of the N sat
| straddie- legged. as the barber put it. and
rested their arms aud heads upon the stout.
| broad chair backs Some ot them were snor-
| ing Justify. and all we're breathing and putting
sleep induced by too enthusiastic plying Of
NO" went on the darrer little tonsora ar
tist hastily anticipating tho question. we
don't rrsMtend 70 run anything n; Ike lodging
1t Is simply an accommodation. chucked in
with a shave. shamnoo or haircut which !,
room because the barbering chairs were not
enough to accomm odate all our late patrons
a hey
out into tho street to make their wav home.
Very few Of them vii sleep on chair until
| half an hours nap and then go home You
| will notice that on the sleeves Of the sleepers
some red. some white. some blue. Well. they
| let the bar ers who have shaved the bearers
shSe ven 90 s room
the barber fastens a card on him and makes
mole OF IT, Promptly at the time agreed upon
This saves heap OF trouble due to failure to
wake man at the p,oper moment"
TO all classes" returned the barber. from
there !. one thns those who come eG here be
tween the hours OF midnight and in the
mornine haze in sha that Is fond
them here. for there is nothing in the world
that makes man feel better when he's about
how beiuddled he may az be: It is bound to re.
.s shavns oowsd f by Vigorous Sn1 on m rub
bling and anplicaton OF hot water to the face
When the head boss concluded t . open this
Joint as an al. mig ht ,shehang he had The Bow.
cry DRINKS In mind IIe had shrewtly, b.
concert halls and tho Raines law hotels early
in the morning they we're apt to drop into the
cheerful. with its lights. no matter whether
| 1t was a. cheap restaurant. a drug store or
cnSy ike man "s who ss "e or
along by the all; night barber shop and sees the
| bright light and three or four friendly looking
compapy. When. however. he nnds how re-
and ru b-down knock hi. Jag. he il. liable to
come in on business after the initial Wait
eve-y time ne goes on noodle. Yes. sir, i'yo
| seen many = man reel into this shop 30 full he
| didn't know his name and after going through
| almost al OF tho tonsorial motions and getting
! in an hours sleep drop out Of the chair as
straight and clear, as he was before he started
! out to round un all The liquor In tho b. very.
Very few indeed Of our customers be long
to the regular Bowery lodging house class
hath in the morning for what a shave after
hours costs. and they do not care to take ma ps
on chair, Most Of our customers are men
while. hardly more than twice week. and
many. live awav up In Harlem. Thev are
as a wife. son, daughter or mother-in. law.
before they 60 to bed. and. OF course, they
want to show m TO tho best advantage Now.
when a mans drinking. III bound to show first
| In his face. The eyeR become drawn or In
famed and tho skin takes on color and Jrv-
moss which make man feel as II his face was
dirty and ragged. Maybe YOU know how i Is
| yourself. Then. too. when n mans drinking
more than is good for him, the heard grows
quicker. and this assures him that his face IL
not clean and adds certain amount OF mental
distress which tends to set bis Jag more firmly
| ST. haa 49, IirI,,