Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1901-02-21
A Haircut and Shave for Nothing

the hobo There ere very few Of
the necessaries OF life enjoyed By
his brothers of energy and wealth
that he does not enjoy, too. and
that without the expenditure oil
any money. There are charity
restaurants for the panhandler all
over town. II he is sick he has
both the haspital and the dispcn.
sary 1t bis disposal. II his teeth
bother him he il a most welcome
visitor at any ofthc dental colleges,
where the young students need
practice, and now down on West
Broadway, New York, great bar.
Der shop has been opened. where all
who come may be shaved, sham
pooed or have hair cut absolutely
free OF all cost.
This barber shop is curious in
stitution. IL is not deliberately fur
nishedr butall the necessary articles
are there, and sometimes there are
more BARRIERS hanging around to at.
tend to people than there are cus-
toners to be- attended TO, although
not often. The place il run in con.
nectiOn with barber school, sew
eral OF which have been started IN
this part OF the country in the past
few years. The students at the
school are trained TO shave and cut
the hair OF dummies. and as they
have competent instructors it ia not
long before they master the rudi.
,neots Of the business They then
get a dummy rszor aud practice
giih II on the face OF an instructor.
This gives them confidence md
after few days Of practice they are
turned loose in the chop.
At the present time there are
flfty-eight BARRIERS putting the en-.
ishing touches on their education
in the West Broadway shop, and
since the place has become known
to the lodging houses and the tene.
ments they have al they can attend
to.
Hoboes flock there and the tifty-
eight BARRIERS attend to their wants
with courtesy, invariably inviting
them 20 come again when the shave
or the haircut is accom- pliahed
When all the chairs 10 the place are
occupied ordinary kitchen chairs
are used, the backs being softened
by pillows or wads Of towels. The
manager OF the place says that it is
the largest shop OF its kind in the
world and on his books he has a
record Of one days business which
be dehes anybody to duplicate. On
one day last month, he says, bsG
people we're shaved in the place.
On that day the establishment was
open from 9 o'clock IN the morning
until after 10 at night, It's moth
ing unusual, he says, for his men
to attend to the wants OF 1000 PEG.
pie in day.
The quality of the shave or hair.
cut that the patrons Of this estab-
lishment get is not at all bad The
customers know that they are being
practiced on, of course, but most
OF them don't mind that, although
some show signs OF nervousness
when the student begins to strop
his razor. II Isn't unusual for
man to get cut once or twice in the
course OF shave, but as rule this
is only a passing annoyance, and
each barber has stick of caustie
handy. Once or twice indignant
hoboes have attempted to make a
mistake Of this kind personal is
sue with the student thst cut them.
But such disturbances end speedily,
all fifty eight Of the BARRIERS taking
a hand in the affair il it 10 neces
cary. The other patrons in the
chairs do not like this sort OF thing,
for it frequently excites the BARRIERS
and makes the a trife unsteady
when they return to their work.
The greatest trouble comes from
the fact that the barber wants to
decide what shall be done to the
patron after he gets into chair
and will not allow him voice in
the matter. Some hoboes object to
having their boards trimmed, while
a student who happens to be short