The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-02-23

did it ever strike YOU asked the
little barber. ''how easy ii would be
for the man that sl,a you to kill
your
The man in the chair sat up quickly
and looked carefully at the barber.
who was feeling the edge Of the razor
with one finger. The barber smiled
to reassure his customer and said:
ut seems a queer question. | know.
but 1t is q wonder TO me that there
are not a number Of people killed in
that way every year. 1t would be
the easiest thing in the world for the
barber as he welded his razor to make
one sweep with it and sever the jugu
lar vein. and you would be dead almost
on the instant. Suppose. for instance.
that the barber should go insane
There would be nothing. TO prevent
his doing such II thing. and you would
a no warning nor any opportunity
to save yourself.
''There Is always a chance OF II srri
Gus accident happening to the man IL
the chair. have seen Il number OF
such accidents and have II horror OF
wen ni"king the man nn shaving
In fact. such an occurrence i!!l"rS t.'r
feel out OF sorts for the rest Of the
day. It was only a few days Z that
| almost had an accident tili &;!""
me II great fright ana completely Nh
nerved me. was shaving II yor::G
man. and IN passing from one side OF
the chair to the other u button OF my
waistcoat caught in his hair. 1t pulled
n triie. and he moved his head sud
denly just as | wen, TO put the blade
to his face. | came within an az" Of
slashing him. and only Il quick lamp
back saved him Ihe pprspirntIOn
stood oUt on me and | had to call Il
of the other men TO finish shaving my
customer.
but the worst accident | ever saw
in a barber shop occurred while was
working in a Snlall. town in the west
One Of the patrons Of the place was
a business man whose S-year-old
daughter was lying at he point OF
death. Her father put in most OF his
time at her bedside. One afternoon
while she was asleep he came in here
to get shaved. He was SO exhausted
through lack Of sleep that he fe!'
asleep Immediately after he had taken
his seat in the chair next to the one
behind which | was at work..
"He dreamed that some one had
come into the place to tell him that
his child had died. With a cry Of
alarm he started up just as the barber
laid the razor against his neck. Into
the flesh 1t sank. He was not yet
thoroughly awake. and as he imagined
that some one was holding him back
from his child he threw out his hand
to free himself. and his fingers closed
over the blade of the razor. SO dazed
was he that he could not realize what
had happened. but sat there in the
chair. with the blood streaming from
his throat and fingers.
"The, man who had done the cutting
was the first to act. although half
crazed. He hurried for o doctor while
we stanched the flow of blood the best
we knew how. Even us the doctor
was at work sewing up the wounds
a messenger came to say that the little
girl had died suddenly in the greatest
agony. calling for her father just be.
fore she died. He was under the in.
fuence of ether at the time and did
not know. but afterward. when he
heard Of the circumstances attending
her death. he insisted that he had
heard her call as he lay there asleep
In the chair and that 1t was her cry
that had caused him to make his sud.
den movement.
'For years after the accident he 0
tinued to shave In the same shop
where it had occurred. and 1t was
never mentioned. He carried Il re.
minder Of it for the remainder Of his
life. In addition to the scar on his
throat. the fingers OF his right hand
We're all drawn up and useless.
Sudden movements while in the bar
ber's chair are always apt to be attend.
ed with serious results. and | could re-
call dozens of instances where it has
been only the mereSt chance that has
prevented serious II not fatal mishaps.
Nine times out of ten where the person
getting shaved receives a nick and lays
the blame on the barber he should
thank the wielder of the razor that 1t
was no worse, The probabilities are
that it was quick action by the arb
that prevented II bad cut A slight
nick often would have been Il case for
the doctor or coroner were 1t not for
the watchfulness of the barber Here
yesterday happened to draw blood
from IA young fellows face near his
ear, and he made n great fuss about 1t.
until showed him that II was only
the su,Men Withdraw wal of the razor
which resulted In the slight nick that
prevented him losing a good part OF his
ear Then he was grateful and thank,
ed me, besides promising to be more
careful in the future.
but there are other ways the barbe
has of getting eveu," continued the lit
- L. Ia.I.A.., Ga.u- ~ hi NM anA rilo- nH