The Sunday globe., 1901-05-05

| On the Avenue ana IN some OF lne au-
! Joining streets in the vicinity of the Bow
! cry the observant pedestrian will notice
where the traditional striped poles greet
the eye and admonish the bearded that
| the tonsorial artist awaits his pleasure,
one may read window sign announce
ments of "antiseptic razors, clean towels
with each shave" and this list of
! charges:
.'..'' oc.
Hair Cut.,.........,.....a.... lOc,
Shave, Hair Cut and Shampoo. 20c.
Having contributed a fair share of a
modest income for more than aquarter of
! a century to establishments where the
cost of a shave alone would secure, ac-
cording to these prices, shave, hair cut,
and shampoo, the writer determined to
! try the tonsorial bill of fare.
1t was yet early in the forenoon and
the business of the day had not fairly
commenced. Two men were present,
one engaged in mending the fire in a
rusty and crack ed stove, while the other
was putting razors in order. The furni-
ture Of the room consisted Of four shabby
| decayed looking barber chairs, and four
mirrors in different stages Of preserya-
ton, A few dirty looking water and oil
bottles were sitting about much likocon-
yalescent soldiers in front OF a hospital.
Everything looked dirty, limp, and di.
lapidated. An air of poverty and pain
hung over the place like pail, and fell
upon the hoor I'm "dull, ,sickeni thuds."
| In response to the invitation OF the in
| dividual sharpening razors, the writer
placed himself I'm one of the barber
chairs aud strung up his nerves for the
! inevitable and irrepressible which he
knew must soon begin, Mixing some
lathor in a dirty looking mug, the bar
Der looked carelessly out the window
hummed q stanza from "Pd Leave My
Happy Rome for You ;" and plugged oul
mouth full of ill-smelling and worse
tasting lather. Blowing the soap and
water from our mouth and noStrls, we
sat ttoright in the chair and giaTed at the
barber in a way that has made helpless
paralytics Of several individuals, but il
had no more effect upon this knight OF
tho razor than an appeal for a subscrip-
tiOn to convert the heathen. Having fin
tShed the lBthering process he began
shaving; and right here came i'm an
agreeable disappointment, The razor
was sharp and cut cleanly and quick ~
The operator handled kfs keen -bladed
| instrument with deXteYity and rapidity
and bat a few moments elapsed bet0rt
the newspaper man was sitting upright
in the ohSir and the barber was smiling.
ly iuquiTing; use oil, sir?n The writer
never does use oil, but inasmRch as he
wass seeing all theshows for one price o.
, ! admission, he took ga little oil - and
I 81 A l..
couldnever have removed the Villainous
rancid smell which possessed it. IL was
the PersoniticatiOn Of all that isVile anC
! abOninable in the production of oil anC
fat, end as sOonsGs we got cat inthe sur
we smelled Ikea starch factory,
,kfter the hHtr'was comeBed and brush
cd and a littlepowder brushed over thS
face, the newspaper man banded over hi'
nickel and suiS;
'"This is the cheapest barber shop 4
over visited. How do you make tAit
thing pays"
d" WELL" replied the proprietor, "sv,
do very we'll; in fact, we make som,
lmoney. You see, we make our mosiey
by shaving fast. We harry over a manr
face as tast'Bs we can go and get riS o
,him as soon as possible, We take nc
pains withany one, All we care foriis, tS
grip off the beard collect n nick eland vel
ltneXt.'"
d treatment Don't they kick ?"
III "Our customers do not 'eXpeG any
Il better treatment. They have no rigls
Il TO demand any more for five cents thar
b we give, and as q rule they are satisfied
Il We have long list of regular custom,
Z ers, mostly working men, and iyOU
should be in here soUle Saturday might
and seeous turn of the work end tht
customers, A man hardly gets settled
comfortably in the chair before the bar
Der is through with hiR and ready doI
4 the next. OF course, we don't pretend
that the shave is a good one, but we talk {
of the beard, and that 6s the most that
our patrons care for"
" How, long have You been running
this shop, and about how much do you
clear week In operating it2'
| " hsve been in business here show
over SIX years and have managed to
clear about S25 per week over and above
AZ expenses. But to do this have to work
pretty. hard myself. IhaWe often shaved
4 hair and shampooing An average NAM
i ber."
] Customers began to pour into the We
cent barber shop" at this time, and the
reporter withdrew, followed 30 thedoor
lsby the, proprietor, who insisted upon his
calling again and promised better
-ShaVe next time.
1t mBRt in justice be said, however,
lrthat themajority of the five sent barber
l-shops in Washington use clean towels,
and in every other particulars ,0f appoint
: ment and treatment differ but lEtle
trHin thetegular ten cent places.
a