The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-05-13
FREE SLAVES AND HAIR CUTS.
No Charge to Subjects in a College
of Tonsorial Arts.

of Tonsorial Arts.
Six hundred men get free shaves and
haircuts in Denver every day. TheI
surgical operation in parting their
countenances from the fringe costs
them not a penny, and they are as
welcome to it as to the free air from
the snow capped mountains. All that
is asked-demanded-o them is that
they make no complaint if piece Of
flesh is amputated or the south end of
an ear is clipped It's all free and all in
the game.
And the women! They are as well
come to free hairdressing, manicuring
or faciak massage as the men are to
amputation About fifty women APP
pear daily for treatment, and they
march away from the parlors with as
much dignity as the dame of the hill
who rides in carriage and leaves
tip fer the girl who frizzes or crimps
her faded locks.
It's really one of the sights of the
city to walk into barber college on
Larimer street and see the budding
tonsorial artists bud and the material
they have to practice upon. The place
is upstairs, on the second floor, and all
the hoboes west of Omaha Know it's
location. Likewise thousands of men
and women who have not fallen into
the lap of fortune. Some of the men
have employment and are earning
moderate wages. Yet they are frugal.
They would not be seen patronizing
scent shop, and they don't feel they
can afford the 10 and 10-cent varieties.
So they compromise by paying moth
ing, and trust to fate they Will fall
into the hands of barber whose ex-
perience have moved him down the
line at least dozen chairs from the
novice who has just started in and Is
clumsy.
There is plain system In vogue at
the largest barber shop In. the west. On
one side of the room are two rows of
chairs facing a little raised shelf that
holds the cups. strops and combs.
There are forty-eight chairs and most
are attended by students. Along the
other side OF the room is the mourn
ers' bench" where the waiting victims
are listening to the magic next"
| A neat little instructor walks up and
| down and watches the whole affair,
stopping now and again to show to the
novice Just the proper way of hold
ing the blade. He also Keeps order in
| the assemblage and cornects and rec
tifies all mistakes in answering to the
| next"
When the candidates appear he is d.
! rected to the seat on the "mourners'
bench" There are probably sixty
men ahead of him, the line stretching
along to the alley windows. The men
| answer to the invitation in rotation; as
one gets up the whole line moves along
| one seat.
! Down near the end Of the line. but
| across the room, the beginners IN the
business are located. AS they pro-
gress in experience, and students ahead
Of them are graduated, they also move
up one chair until they get into grad
uating class, which has corner all TO
itself Here four of the best chairs
are facing the usual sideboard and
mirrors of the barber shop.
| They have clean towels and all the
| appearances of first class shop and
are, of course. the kings OF the place.
But each student knows that II ne
STAYS with the game he Will eventually
reach the gilt-edged sanctum and then
be pushed out on the world to shave
| for money Men and women students
take the same course. Sex makes no
distinction here, and all men and wo-
! men are equal in handling the razor.
| OF course there is a choice as to
BARRIERS. But when next is called the
customer is given no choice. He steps
bravely up to the vacant CHAIR ana
puts his head back on the pillow win
n sigh. If he is lucky he win be
| down the line or even in the graduates
| denartment, But If he is unlucky--
We'll they say blood will always tell.
There is no idea Of charity in the af-
! fair as will readily be understood. The
students who want to become BARRIERS
nav for their tuition and the college
must furnish the material. The can
didates are on hand, however, from '