The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-03-13
TALKATIVE BARRIERS
THEY ARE VALUABLE BECAUSE Gus
TONERS DEMAND 1T.

ed Profession. 1t Is the Knight of
the Razor. Not the Victim of 1t. Who
Is Bored by the Flow of Words.
The little barber was inclined to be
uncommunicative and confined his at
tention strictly to shaving his custom
er. This tlther unusual mood bothered
the custclper. and after several inef-
fectual attempts to engage the little
barber in conversation he asked:
why don't you say something more
than yes AMI nor Usually you are
perfectly willing to talk and especially
SO when the man you are shaving
wishes to be let alone"
That's right" retorted the little bar
ber as he made vicious dab with bis
lather brush and managed to insert the
tip of it i'll his victims mouth. That's
right. OF course we BARRIERS always
want to talk-not. It's just you people
that come Ia here expecting to be en-
tertained While you lie back in the
chair that cause BARRIERS to keep up
conversation while they are shaving
you.
ITS funay idea that everybody
seems to have that barber is a sort
of encyclopedias. anxious to furnish in
formation on every conceivable sub
ject The truth of the matter is that
should be no conversation. 1t takes his
mind off his work. and then. unless he
agrees in every particular with the
man in the chair. the iatterNis very apt
to take offense and quit the place.
THAT may seem drawing it rather
strong. but it is mild One day last
week there was ulab in this chair
| who made about the saIae remark that
| you did just now, and told him just
about what | have said 10 you. He
| wanted to make bet. and accommo
| dated him. bet that the great ma jor-
| ity of men who came in during the day
| would begin the conversation. while be
took the opposite view.
! I'VE each had Il piece of paper. and
| after we had noted down q men he
| handed me the money and went out
without word. Out of that u all but
| four had started the conversation and
had done their best to prolong it.
"The first man had small package
| wrapped up in newspaper in his hand
when he entered. AS I was latherina
| him he asked. DO you know what is In
that packageY
| 81 FASTENED to assure him that | was
no mahatma and was willing to let II
go at that
"'Well. I'll tell you he said. It's a
couple of pieces of gaspipe that have
riously worn
"And with that he started to talb
about the thing and tell what a great
scheme he had to prevent electrolysis
and what a fortune he would realize
from it. He was still talking about Il
when the boy helped him on with his
coat, and then he talked to man sit
ting in one of the chairs and waiting
for his turn until the man went over II
the stand in the corner and had hi,
shoes shined to escape from him.
Next came man who knew al
about prizefghting. | had to listen t.
the history of every fighter of the pas
25 years. And it was only when maj
in the next chair turned and called hin
down for slipping up on date that b,
stopped talking. At that he waited un
til the man who had called him dow
left the shop and then informed m,
that he could prove what he said.
"Then there was one Of these rea
l xryicp in, cI,
poo. He was pretty near the limit
There wasn't single subject that b.
wasn't thoroughly Informed on-in hi
own estimation. And he wanted ev
erybody in the place to know what b
knew. He could give you more misin
formation in less time than anybody
ever met before. One Of my regula
! customers came in then, and as he az
peared good natured smiled at him
Who told you about itY he aske
when he saw me smile.
"'About whatY says l.
"'Why, my little adventure with tina
> toupet you picked out for me- he ar
swered. and then he went on and tol
me all about 1t.
at kept up that way all morning
religion, politics. sport, business an
everything you could think Of. And
had to appear interested in each sui
ject. Out of all the men who came |
no two talked on the same subject. A
but four began the conversation. Hal
of them went out dissatisfied becaus
had dared to disagree with thei
views. and the other half probably sc
me down as fool. And yet you sa
, that the barber always wants to tall
, Come in here some day and sit fo
awhile and then wonder why | don
care to do a rapid fire conversatio
! turn with every man that sits in th
/ al n oir