The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1900-01-05
SHAVING ACCIDENTS.
TIE BARBER DISCUSSES THEM WITH
THE MAN IN HIS CHAIR.

finances 10 CUT IhrO8tS Ihat are NOT
Often Taken Advantage Of-Narrow
Escapes From Serious Mishaps-A
Fathers Dream.
"Did it ever strike you" asked the
little barber, how easy it would be
for the man that shaves you to kill
you"
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:
at seems a queer question, know,
but it is a 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 a thing. and you would
have no warning nor any opportunity
to save yourself.
"There is always a chance Of a seri-
GUS accident happening to the man in
the chair. | have seen a number OF
such accidents and have a horror Of
even nicking the man | am shaving.
In fact, such an occurrence makes me
feel out of sorts for the rest of the
day. 1t was only a few days ago that
I almost had an accident that gave
me great fright and completely I'M
nerved me. l was shaving young
man, and in passing from one side Of
the chair to the other q button of my
waistcoat caught in his hair. 1t pulled
q trifle, and he moved his head sud-
denly just as I went to put the blade
to his face. ! came within an ace Of
slashing him. and only a quick jump
back saved him. The perspiration
stood out on me, and l had to call one
of the other men to finish shaving my
customer.
But the worst accident l ever saw
in barber shop occurred while was
working in small town in the west.
One of the patrons Of the place was
daughter was lying at the 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 fell
asleep Immediately after he had taken
his seat in the chair next to the one
"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 it 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
ever 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 a doctor while
we stanched the flow of blood the best
we knew how. Even as the doctor
was at work sewing up the wounds
q 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
f1uence 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 it was her cry
that had caused him to make his sud-
den movement.
For years after the accident he con-
tinued to shave in the same shop
where it had occurred, and it was
never mentioned. He carried a re-
minder Of it for the remainder of his
life. In addition to the scar on his
throat, the fingers of his right hand
were 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-
cali dozens OF instances Wnere II LAS
been only the merest chance that has
prevented serious if not fatal mishaps.
Nine times out of ten where the person
getting shaved receives q nick and lays
the blame on the barber he should
thank the wielder of the razor that it
was no worse. The probabilities are
that it was quick action by the barber
that prevented a bad cut. A slight
nick often would have been a case for
the doctor or coroner were it not for
the watehfulness Of the barber. Here
yesterday / happened to draw blood
from a young fellows face near his
ear, and he made a great fuss about it,
until / showed him that it was only
the sudden withdrawal Of the razor
which resulted in the slight nick that
prevented him losing 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 barber