The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-08
4 MISTAKE OF TH4CKERdT
He Made the Whiskers of His Heroes Too
Iuxuriant. Says Prof. Chumley.

PITTS BURG, oct. Z Prof Arthur Chumley
now scientist, formerly barber, has Just re
turned from England, where he satisfied his
curiosity regarding literary matter that had
long puzzled him. lie came TO America when a
little boy, and learned the barbcr's trade Like
John \, Brashear, who was formerly a carpen-
Ter, and is now an astronomer and expert maker
Of astronomical instruments, he was ambitious.
His shop lay in a district filled with Italian and
Slnvonic immigrants, who, their arrival.
brought their own and their childrens heads to
Barber Chumley for inspection and correction.
Chumley cast about for the drugs suited to cure
the ills that afflicted their scalps and was thereby
led to the study of chemistry. and insect life.
The wonderful construction of hair cells and an
accidentally overhead mention Of the phrase
capillary attraction induced him to devote some
OF his spare time TO acquiring knowledge
Of physics The search for a cure for badness
carried him on 10 the study of the human scalp,
the construction of the head and then that Of the
body, so that he became an anatomist. He learned
all about zoology in seeking a connection between
mango on animals and human badness. In
short when Chumiey's grandfather in England
died and left him some money he abandoned the
decided to perfect himself in literature II is in
consequence OF his study of the literature Of
fiction that he was able to make the observations
told below III his own words
a few weeks ago ! read in London period
iCal, said the professor, AN essay the CASTRO
nOmic phases of the works Of the novclists. show
ing how Scott and Dickens and ThaCkeIay and
other authors describe the meals in which the
characters they describe frequently participate.
Reading this | wondered why no one had ever
taken up popularity Of Thackcray's Now,
ThnckeIay is my iavOrie novelist Yet until
my last visit TO England had always believed
that in one respect this author was frequently
guilty Of eXaggerauon. ] refer 10 the preCoCious
boards, II ] may use the word. Of his heroes. II
you will recollect the whiskeTs Of Arthur Pen
dennis cost him much time and expense when
he was only sixteen Philip Firmn spent money
on his whiskers when he but eighteen. and
Give NewcOmo proud of his hirsutc appen-
dageS at an age when the average American boy
looks vainly in his mirror for a sign Of hairy
growth on his face
Il will admit that in this country one may como
across occasional youths. whose facial Caplllature
is the envy of grown menlesS abundanty endowed,
but in all cases these boys are dark haired. Now
IN all my twenty years experience MS a barber
never saw whiskcrs or the sign Of whskers on
ligh haired boys 10 years old As regards red
haired men il has been my experience that their
whiskers are rather slow in coming. Yet II you
read Thackeray attentvely you will observe that
the whskers with which he endows his heroes
reddish II seems IN me that our author il do
serving Of severe anmadversOn for his want Of
the knowledge Of the nature OF the beard. And
not only his heroes are abnormally gifted with
hiTsuteness: countless boys particularly loIdlings
strut in their teens through his pages. with whis
kers dripping mAcasSaI oil