Sunday Washington globe., 1902-04-27
A GREWSOME JOB
shaving Dead Men-How It Feels to
Do so and the Range Of Prices


It would seem that the shaving Of a dead
man would be a most grewsome task for the
barber but like many other disagreeabie
kinds Of work, practice and familiarity in
time make il an every day matter for the
knight Of the razor. Until young barber
has been. called upon to shave a dead man
he is not considered fully initiated in his
trade, but some BARRIERS never make the at
tempt
The prices received by BARRIERS for this
work vary and run from So to $40. Many
undertakers have BARRIERS selected for this
work, and pay them a stipulated price
When the barber is summoned by the rela-
tives of the deceased however, he generally
receives what he asks without discussion
the general opinion being that it would
show small respect for the dead to hagEle
about the price of any of the necessary
work of preparation for burial
Were it not for the natural feeling against
handling a dead body the barber's task
would be comparatively easy one. In
speaking on the subject recently an ex-
perienced barber said
Il do not object to shaving a dead man
When one becomes accustomed to It. it is a
simple task and pays we'll for the trouble
/ make It a rule to keep a set of razors
ready for that sort of work and never use
them on patrons of the shop. I use an old
brush for the lather and throw it away after
having shaved dead man. Many BARRIERS
are not as particular in this respect, but
when I was learning my trade It was i'm
pressed on my mind that If a customer
imagined for an instant that he was being
shaved with the same tools used on a corpse
he would never patronize the shop again.
II willauever forget the 6rst dead man
shaved I was young in the business, and
at FIRST declined the Job, but the man !
worked for told me I would never be a
barber until had shaved a dead man, so
started out On the way to the house, how
ever, I about made up my mind to hire
another man to do the work But after
taking a good stiff drink, braced up, and
finally got through the job. I didn't get
much sleep that night.
There are a good many live men that are
far worse to shave than dead ones. One of
my customers Is a we'll known actor, who
plays in Newark two or three times a sea-
SON. Whenever he is here I shave him in
his dressing room at the theater Just before
the show He gives me S. a week for the
work and think I earn the money, for he
is never satisfied, and often tells me never
to come to the theater again. but he always
sends for NE the next day, and generally
the messenger brings tickets for my wife.
This actor always insists on having his own
razors used. They are always dull, nd 50
I generally substitute one of my own with
out his knowing anything about it.
would rather shave three dead men than
this one live one.
Some people have peculiar notions about
preparing the dead for burial. was called
upon once to shave a dead man and when
I got to the house I was met by his widow,
who gave me a picture of her husband
taken about twenty years before She said
she wanted to remember him as he was
then, and would I FIX him up that way.
Since the picture had been taken the man
had grown beard, and wore his hair differ
emily but fixed him up as near like his
photograph as 1 could, and the widow was
so pleased that she gave me $40 bill"