Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-11-22
SHAVING ACCIDENTS.
THE BARBER DISCUSSES THEM WITH
THE MAN IN HIS CHAIR.

Chances to Cut Thronts That Are Not
often Taken Advantage of-Narrow
Escapes From Serious Mishnps-A
Fathers renm
"Did 1t ever strike you asked the
little barber. "how easy 1t would be
for the man that shayes 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:
1T seems a queer question. | know.
but II 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 1t 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 q chance of n seri-
u accident happening to the man In
the chair. l have seen a number OF
such accidents and hare a horror OF
wen nicking the man | am shaving.
In fact. such m occurrence makes me
feel out Of sorts for the rest of the
day. 1t was only q few days ago that
l almost had an accident that gave
me a great fright and completely I'M
nerved me. I was shaving a young
man. and In passing from one side of
the chair to the other a button Of my
waistcoat caught In his hair. II pulled
a trifie. and he moved his head sud-
denly just as l went to put the blade
to his face. | came within an ace Of
slashing him. and only a quick jump
back saved him. The Precipitation
stood out on me. and | had to call one
of the other men TO finish shaving my
customer.
But the worst accident | ever saw
in n barber shop occurred while | was
working In a small town In the west.
One Of the patrons OF the place was
a business man whose S-year-old
daughter vas lying at the point of
death. Her father put In most OF his
time at her bedside. One afternoon
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
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 IL 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 haif
crazed. He hurried for n doctor Will.
we stanched the fiow OF blood the best
We knew how. Even as the doctor
was NJ 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 ut the time and did
not know. but afterward. when he
heard of the circumstances attending
her death. he insisted that he had
heard her caIl as he lay there asleep
In the chair and that il 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 1t had occurred. and Ii was
mentioned. He carried a re-
hinder Of 1t for the remainder OF his
lie. In addition IN tho soar nm hjs !