The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1901-03-09
BARRIERS IN washington
HOW GOVERNMENT OFFICERS
FROM THE PRESIDENT DOWN
ARE SHAVED
DEAN OF ToNsoRIAL CORPS
John w. DabneH, Colored Man,
Attends to the President's Face
The Most Modest of
-.-' '=e-..- -s.r Men.

T. ..# wen.
Over a little shop in an F street base
hapS pulled the noses of more distiTl-
guished men than any other man in the
country, writes the Washington CORE
spondent Of the New York Tribune
Withal he has pulled them gently and
has for years been great favorite OF
the men who have thus been assailed by
him. The man in question is John W.
Dabney, a colored barber, who is the spe-
scial barber of the president of the United
States and of twoscore other public men
who, like ordinary mortals must be
shaved, and delight in having that duty
well done, and with due regard to their
own comfort and convenience
There are three sets of official BARRIERS
in Washington--the executive, the senate
and the house of representatives-bl the
dean Of this corps Is, Of course, the man
who shaves the president and looks after
his hair and scalp. Dabney IS one f
the most modest of men. He is not talk
active, and if the man under his care
wishes to sleep during the operation per-
formed on him he is permitted to sleep
1t must not be inferred, however, that
President Mckinley does not know how
to handle the razor. He shaves himself
every morning, and Dabney is only an
occasional visitor, and he becomes the
official. barber when the presidents hair
needs trimming and when his scalp re-
quires attention. There is a BARRIERS
chair at the White house, but it has fall
en- into disuse. The president sits in an
ordinary easy chair while Dabney spends:
the time required to properly dress MI
Mcklnleys head and shave him. The
presidential face Is somewhat tender anI
demands some care His beard grow.
l1ct ha hon 1oI rri,,o
In the chair the president is one of tie
most pleasant of men. He talks freely,
ana discusses the current matters of the
day, save politics. That he carefully
eschews He enjoys the operation, chats
enterta1n1ngly, and after his head has
been rubbed and the scalp treated the
president>expresses his satisfaction AMI
| goes about his arduous duties refreshed
and contented.
| Then Dabney returns to his shop and
| waits on ordinary mortals or makes the
rounds of the houses where he is daily
expected to care for the hair of the wom-
| en- OF many official families For thirty
years he has welded the scissors and
| razor, and twentythree years of that
| Tune has been spent in WASHINGTON
Among those whom he has served or Is
! now serving, besides the president, are
Secretary Root, Secretary Long, Vice
| President-elect Roosevelt, Senator FRYE
| n
son. Justice Harlan, Gen. Miles, Admiral
| Dewey, Senator Aoar, Senator Carter.
| Gen. Clarkson, Henry Watterson, Gen
! Tracy, former Secretary of the NAVY
and former Senators Murphy and Smith.
Among the well known men now dead
VINO We're habitues of his shop were
James G. Blaine, Secretary of state:
w. W. Corcoran, philanthropist: Secre-
tary Window, Of the treasury; Secretary
Rusk, Senator Farley Of California. and
senator voorhees,, Of Indiana In the
palmy days Of Chamberlin's, Dabney
| was called there almost every morning
to attend to senators and members of
the house, and was popular with all of
them. He was often Entrusted with the
personal affairs Of bachelors who were
about to become benedicts
/ discussing the habits of great men in
the the, chair, Dahney said: Mr.. Roosevelt
thing that happened to be of public at
| tention-politics, prize fights, sports re-
iig1on, or ANYTHING that people We're talk
eoran were reticent. They had little to
! say, but were always pleasant The
| German and French ministers liked their
oTn t, peculiar foreign hair cuts: express
| "a their satisfaction when well served,
)ut ala no talking. Secretary Root likes
200 attention, is pleasant and agreeable,
~, y re- deserved, as Secretary Long. is man
| II lew words at all times, and fewer still
When in the BARRIERS chair Former
| Vice President Stevenson had a pleasant
"oid Wherever ne entered the shop, took
! ly pleased. Few men are testy when
,noer the scissors or razor if you o1:ly
tudy, what they like and endeavor TO
| live it to them ~
Since his appointment as the White
| touse barber three years ago, Dabney
las had many calls not only from prom
nent ofticials. but from the wives OF
IND social circles, whom he has attended
or hair and scalp treatment One inter
| sting thing In connection with his work
| ; the fact that he refuses to use any
| + the numerous so-called remedies for
ne scalp in the market He uses his
| Wn compounds, and the secret of them
| jealousy guarded by him.
| In the legislative branch Of the gov
rnment there Is q staff of nine Official
/ arters. Three are on the senate side
me capitol and six on the house side.
N t ine nouse side three mem are assigned
o the Democratic. On the Republican
'de Alexander Thomas is foreman. He
,as worked there for thirty years. and
neE who have passed in and out Of pub
ic life IN that time: He IL sixty years
I'D, and native Of MARYLAND. Savoy,
rouse shop for twenty-eight years, and
| johnson, the other, is comparatively a.
e'Tcomer, having been there only six
| ). W. Evans, Of Ohio, watches over
ne hirsute adornments on the Demo
ratio side of the house. He has stood
| uard there for sixteen years; while his
hief assistant. Williams, has pulled q
lzor over the faces of Democratic states
zen before and after election for twerty
ears. The other assistant. Barton, is
ON Iowa, and is still a novitiate hay-
g been on the governments payroll only
| ,ur years.
The house employees, secretaries. etc,
ave permission to use the house shop
p to 10 o'clock in the morning. After
nat hour members begin to stroll IN.
nd raZors and shears fly swiftly until
,ng after the house meets With shay
i lg done at government expense members
| all anxious to be shaved daily
| The senate shop is more exclusive It
not within the precincts of the cham
4 er. Down on the basement door is a
rorn elaboratelv fitted for the BARRIERS
1 this shop Is ]. L. Hickman. who has
| resided in this same shop fo- thirty
! our years. He has known every man
i lersonally who has been in the senate
i that time, and understands well all
L heir idiosyncrasies and whimls. Hickman
md achy at 10 o'clock bright and really
,rilliant by the time the sepate meets
i lis two assistants Sims and Williams
AVE learned their lessons thoroughly
;nder the old master, and have served
ong years each. Each senator has mis-
walks into the shop and finds some COZ
i league ahead of him he twill patiently
abide by the rule of next" that prevails
\ and wait until his own barber can serve
i i'm. The senate BARRIERS are fortunate
4 individuals. They draw a salary Of SIS a
month, whether the senate is in session
i of not. This is a yearly rate and in the
fo,ss 4Saff