Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-08
IN THE BARBER SHOP

~aiheu Ia one muggy AFTERNOON Soupie
of weeks ago.c He was fat. middle -ased and
well-dressed. andshe looked like man who
knew where the money was to be had. But
he had gronch. she slammed his hat onto
the hook asdf he wanted to pull the hook
down, threwsalis noat and vest at the boy
as If the boS had done something to him,
yanked OF his collar and necktie as If he
never intended to use them any more. and
pumped himself into that end chair there.
az want "a shave he growled. sitting
straight UP in the chair and looking the
barber square in the eye. Yes, 1T Is hazy
anC muggy afternoon. I don't know
whether it's the beginning OF Indian sum
mer or not, and don't care. Uh-huh, I've
read about how the House is going demo-
cratic. Let 1t. ! am willing to acknowledge
that my hair is getting thin on top, and to
let 1t go at that. No, I don't know whether
we're going to have an early winter or not
l have observed, as you say, that the price
of coal has come down. No, am not lying
awake nights, wondering whether I'm going
to win at the Benning meeting. NO,
haven't been to that hot variety snow
that you mention as yet. Yep, the razor
does hurt me-sharpen 'er up. All that
want just now, and the man with the
Crouch leaned back in his chair in way
to indicate that It was all off, is to De
shaved, and
ut was at this point" continued the boss
me to execute any uttle butt-in. L strolieo
up behind the customer with the crouch,
and said to him:
Excuse me, sir, but this barber is
deaf mute'-was it true? sure not.-'and
he's not liable to bother you any.
Il never saw a man look so much like
1O-cent base ball after the kids had batted
1t around the. lot on a drizzly afternoon:
He glared at me, and then he glared at
his barber. who miraculously managed TO
keep straight face, and then he settled
back In his chair with sheepish grin
It's on me-. was all he said. and when
the barber that he believed was mute got
through with him the customer slipped him
a half and pleasantly went through the
motions of pouring one down.
Now, he was one of the very few, went
on the boss barber, who do not like to talk
with their BARRIERS. All Of this stun that
you read about the misery and grief OF
barber shop patrons who fall into the hands
of ta1kative BARRIERS is pure moonshine. The
chinny barber passed out at least ten years
ago, and he never was so chinny as ne was
pictured. AS matter of fact, nine out OF
ten men who patronize barber shops like to
talk to the barber They get to know the
barber, land they've got line of talk all
mapped out to work off on the barber when
they get into his chair. Just keep your
ears open in here for ten minutes any time
all of the chairs are occupied and you'll
find out who's doing the bulk of the talk
ing-the BARRIERS or the customers. Fact rs,
some customers talk so much that it hard
to shave them. A good many patrons who
come in here regularly begin talking as
soon as they hang up their hats, never leav-
ing off until they climb out of their chairs,
and the BARRIERS scarcely ever dipping in
with more than word or so. They drop
in with little piece of news that they've
just heard, and they just enjoy putting us
next to the tid-bit and gassing about 1t
while they're getting shaved. Very often
of news at all, while we may really have
been onto it hours before, just because we
don't want to disappoint EN-. A lot of men
visit barber shops whose wives and fami-
lies don't pay much attention to them when
they try to spin out their little accumula-
ton OF talk at home. and these somewhat
stepped-on unfortunates find it a positive
pleasure to get to place like the barber
shop, where they'll not only be listened to,
but where they'll actually be encouraged to
talk.
Most BARRIERS pride themselves upon be-
ing able to come pretty close to judging a
new customers business or occupation by
his looks, but they get dumped at that sort
of thing occasionally, nevertheless. That
barber covering the third chair there caught
1t wrong in this way short time ago. A
young fellow. of thirty-five Or so that none
Of us had ever seen before came in, and ali
of US said to ourselves as we took
survey of him. Fam If ever a man look
ed like an actor. he was the boy. He was a
corking locker with a tragedian map and
with fine mass of wavy, prematurely gray
hair. He was all the money as far as his
toys were concerned. too, and he had the
stride of the duck who gets under the spot
light and yells, I am here % save that wo-
mans honor with me life,'
We'll, he climbed into No. 3's chair
there, said To the bone when the barber
asked him II he wanted to be shaved, and
we all got to wondering where this partic-
ular Brutus could be performing
Does it look as If you're going to have
a good season, sir?' the barber said. think
ing to get the supposed ham wound up, for
some of the actors dearly love to hear the
music of their pipes when they're in the
BARRIERS chair.
Season? What season. inquired the
man with the Cassius countenance
Why said No. 3, the professional sea-
son-theatricaI season
Say, back up grunted the good-looker
with the Hist! she comes. appearance.
Don't you go to Tnixin me I'D with them
people. | don't stand FIR It. l get too much
of It, I'm dealer in butter and eggs on
the market and l couldn't swing a spear
as a supe without fallin' over me kicks
Profesh me eye-cut Ii out
after he went out man in another
chair told us that the chap with the ham
my look hadn't been kidding US at all, and
that he really was a butter-and-egg dealer
in one of the uptown markets
But get back where l started the talk
fest in the barber shop, there are a few
men who utilize the BARRIERS chair for
thinking purposes, and who, therefore
don't want to engage in any conversation
with the barber. I've got two customers
who tell me that they often figure out their
knottiest problems while in the BARRIERS
chair. The BARRIERS understand the desire
of these men for quiet while they're being
barbered. and they, therefore make no re-
marks of any kind on any topic. And then
there are some naturally silent men who
don't particularly care to talk to anybody.
much less barber. A few years ago / had
a customer who actually let on that he was
deaf and dumb so that he wouldn't have
to talk or to be talked at while being
shaved. 1 addressed some little remark to
him upon the occasion of his first visit to
the shop. and he pointed to his mouth and
ears as If to indicate that there was moth
ing transpfring in the way of talking or
listening so far as he was concerned Then
he passed his hand over his face to indicate
that he wanted shave. Well he came in
regularly every day for a shave after that.
About six months after he first turned nm
he pranced in one Saturday afternoon with
a pretty comfortable bun on, and the wav
he did converse during that sitting was
sure a lesson for steam calliope. l didn't
remind him of his half years Imitation
of a mute but he must have got to think
ing of howsffes di given himself away when
he woke up the next, morning for he never
came back tt, the shop and lost one of NV
best customers just because of the lag that
oiled up his conversational machinery.
--7T-s-
Peat as a Manufacturing E,,aI