New-York tribune., 1901-02-24
OFFICIAL BARRIERS.
HOW GOVERNMENT OFFICERS, FROM
PRESIDENT DOWN. ARE SHAVED
AT WASHINGTON.


Washington Feb. % (speciaD-oyer httle shop
I'm an Est basement there presides man VINO
has perhaps pulled the noses of more disuh-
guished men than any other man in the cOuh'rS-
WithaI he has pulled them gently, and has for
years been a great favorite of the men VINO nave
thus been assafed by him. The man IN questoh -
John w. Dabney. a cOlored baroer, WHO = t'o
pecaI barber Of the President of the United States
and OF twoscore other public men who. like ordi-
nary mortaIs must be shaved. and delight IN nav
ing that duty well done. and with due regard TO
their own comfort and convenience.
There are three sets OF official BARRIERS In Wash
ington-the Executive. the Senate and the House
Of Represe tatives-but the dean OF this corps is
OF course. the who shaves the President and
looks after his hair and scalp. Dabney is one OF
the most modest Of men He is not talkative. and
II the man under his wishes TO sleep during
the operation performed on him he is permitted 70
sleep.
II must not be inferred. however. that President
Mckinley does know how to handle the razor
He shaves himself every morning. and Dabney Is
only an occasional visitor and he becomes the on-
ciaI barber when the Presidents hair needs trim
ming and when his scalp requires attention Ihere
Is barber's chair at the White House, out ~ mas
fallen into dsuse. The President sits IN an orai-
nary easy chair while Dabney spends the time re-
quired to properly dress Mr.. McKnleys head and
shave him. The Presidential face is somewhat ten
der and demands some care. His beard grows
stout" and must be handled gingery.
In the chair the President IS one OF the hiOS1
pleasant Of men talks freely. and discusses the
current matters OF the day. save politics That he
carefully eschews. He enjoys the operation. CHATS
entertainngly. and after his head has been ruooed
and the scalp treated the President expresses his
satisfaction and goes about his arduous duties re-
freshed and cOntented.
Then Dabney TO his shop and waits on
ordinary mo-tals makes the rounds OF the houses
where he is daily expected to for the hair OF
the OF many official families For thirty
he hag Ufat ed he
twenty-three years OF that time has been spent In
Washington. Among those whom he has served or Is
serving. besides the President. are Secretary
Root. Secretary Long. Observation-Disclosures Roose-
Welt. Senator Frye. former Vice-Presdent Adat +.
Stevenson Justice Harlan. General Miles. Admiral
Dewey Senator HOar. Senator Carter. General
CIarkson. Henry Watterson. General Tracy. former
Secretary os the Navy. and former Senators Muir
ply and Smith
Among the well known men now dead who were
habitues OF his shop were James c. Blaine. Seere-
tary OF state; W. W CorcoTan philanthroptst:
Secretary Window OF the Treasury. Secretary Rusk.
Senator Farley o. California. and Senator Voorhees,.
OF Indiana In the palmy days OF Chamoerlins :
Ia bney vas called there almost every morning 10
attend 10 Senators and members OF the House. and
vss popular with all OF them. He often In
trusted with the personal affairs OF bachelors who
wcre about 90 become benedicts
Discussing the habits o. great men In the chair,
Dabney said, Mr. Roosevelt vas always chatty.
public a,tention-politi-s. prlzefghs. sports. relig
ION or anything that people We're talking and think
Ing about. Blaine and Corcoran we're reticent, They
had little 70 say. but always pleasant. The
German and French Ministers liked their own
peculiar foreign hair cuts. expressed their satsfac-
lion when we'll served but did talking Secre-
tary Root likes good attention. Is pleasant and
agreeable. but reserved Secretary Long Is a man
o. few words at all times. and fewer still when in
the b1rber's chair. Former Vice-President Steven
had NJ Uha he
shop. took ercryt hing good naturedly ana was
SCISSORS or razor n YOU only study what they Ike
and endeavor TO give IL 20 them
three years ago. Da5ney has had many calls not
@ny rom pFomineHt qrhSAis 9GI from M ~iVes sis
circles. whom he has attended for hair and scalp
vitb ~ vork = tbe fsSi ibat he refuses 10 use
any Of the numerous so-caled remedies for the
and the secret OF them Is zealously guarded by
In the legislative branch OF the Government there
Is a stan Of nine ofhcial BARRIERS Three are on
the Senate side Of the Capitol and six on the House
side. ON the House side three men are assigned
the Republican cloakroom and three TO the
Thomas Is foreman lie has worked there for
stories of who have passed in and out OF public
life IN that time He is sixty years old and native
been in the House shop for twenty-eisht years and
Robinson & Ihe 10Th other & Is a. comparative newcomer
}. W. Evans of Ohio. watches after the hirsute
lie has stood guard there for sixteen years while
his chief assistant. Williams. has pulled a
over the faces OF Democratic statesmen before and
after election for twenty years The other assist
ant. Barton. Is from Iowa and Is still nOvitiate
having been on the Governments payroll only four
years.
The House employees. secretaries. etc. have per-
mission TO the House shop up to 10 O'Clock I'm
the morning After that hour members begin to
stroll in. and razoTs and shears fly swiftly until
long after the House meets With shaving done at
Government expense members all anxious
be shaved daily
The Senate shop is more exclusive II Is not with
IN the precincts OF the chamber Down on the
basement floor Is room elahoratey fitted for the
BARRIERS and for baths for Senator's The foreman
OF this shop Is J. l.. Hickman. who has presided
known every man personally who has been in the
senate time, and understands well all their
idiosyncrasies aud whims. Hickman can make n
Senatorial head that is dull and achy at 10 O'Clock
meets His two assistants, Sims and Williams
have learned their lessons thoroughly under the old
master. and have served long years each. Each
Senator has his faVOTtte among three apd
when ne walks into the shop and finds some col
league ahead Of him he will patiently abide nv the
rule OF next that prevails. and wait until his
Fortunate individuals. They draw a salary OF s75 a
month whether the Senate Is In session or not
This Is a yearly rate. and in the long recess one
barber attends the shop, the three men arranging
this the wealthy OF the Senate-and this In
cludes fouT-fths of the bOdyare generous in their
tips, while Christmas time never fails bring an
additional allowance that amounts to a tidy s,n,
To the clippers OF Senatorial hair and boards The
BARRIERS Of the country look upon the billet Of Of
hclal baFheTs AT either end of the Capitol as in the
nature OF a SNAP" and their Judgment does nor
appear 70 he In error on that score.
s
PLEASURES AT TAMPA BAY
Tampa Bay. Fla Feb. @ (speciaD.-The event OF
the week. socially. the dinner and dance given