The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-01
COUNTRY BARBER SHOPS
TYPICAL ONE DESCRIBED BY a
FAITHFUL OBSERVER.
Proprietor Was a Melancholy, Poetic
Fellow and Carried His Combs
in His Curly Hair.

why, Il SnaVe myself
'I thought So" returned the commune
cative one, at the same time pointing at a
huge cut on his companions chin.
That's the result OF a dull razor" re-
sponded the receptive one.
There's no excuse for that; little as a
man uses a razor for his own purpose, there
Is no need Of it being honed or strapped.
You can put an edge on a razor by dipping
1t In hot water or holding II under a hot
water faucet L haven't been able to learn
the philosophy of this, but il is neverthe-
less true. This will not work In the case Of
ordinary metal. such as in a penknife for
II has TO be highly tempered or very brit
tie steel. Even this will not put an edge on
a razor II your wife used IL TO sharpen
pencils or rip dresses. Speaking Of shaving
reminds of a barber in my little native
Indiana village. He, in the parlance of the
profession, ran a three-chair shop over or
the north side Of the courthouse square,
and was about one generation removed
from the period OF BARRIERS who kept leeches
and pulled teeth-pulled teeth with a
wrench somewhat resembling a huge door
key
The grade OF the sidewalk had been
raised after the building was built. you
had to step up one step TO the doorsill,
open the door. then go down three steps to
get in the shop. The operating chairs were
of black walnut, with arms carved in the
form of snakes. coming down at the sides
and meeting the seat with the snakes head
open-mouthed projecting beyond. The seats
and backs were upholstered in rough car
pet OF a flower garden design. The ends Of
the wire spiral springs had cut through in
places and you had to be careful when you
sat down, not to stab yourself. In front of
the chairs was a shelf which were kept
the bottles, brushes. combs. cosmetics and
general paraphernalia- Underneath the
shelf. convenient 10 each chair, was
ordinary water bucket, TO be used for
double purpose. cuspidor and place for
discarded razor papers. You see in those
days they used newspapers and handbills.
cut into convenient size. to wipe the razors.
The first thing, when a customer got in the
chair to be shaved. the barber placed one
OF these little sheets of paper on the pa
tents breast. On the wall, in front of each
chair, was wavy mirror, and when your
countenance was reflected you looked like
you had the mumps. Further down on the
side of the wall was a box divided into
pigeon holes and filled with dozen or more
prominent citizens In gilt letters, with OBJ
jects embiematic of their business or pro-
fession. For instance: Stephen Adams, the
liveryman. horse collar and couple of
whips; Jason Snodgrass. the druggist,
mortar and pestle; Ambrose Bolih. the I'M
dertaker, a scythe and sheaf OF wheat;
Jake Kern. the shoemaker, boot, and
Ichabod Potts. the butcher. a meat saw
ter.
ION the rear wall was a framed sign
which read: IF you can't raise 10 cents
raise whiskers.' On the other side of the
room. a row of chairs behind which. on the
wall. shone a row OF grease spots. In the
middle of the floor. on a marble-top table,
were BOTTLE of ink. pen and some double
blue-lined note paper, with picture of the
national Capitol stamped in the upper left
hand corner; several tattered numbers of
the Police Gazette and Police News,
clothes brush. whisk broom and a greasy
book entitled, Funny Stories by Funny
Drummers. or How TO Entertain Your
Customers with a picture on the cover of
a man in grocery with a plug hat on the
side of his head and a grip on the floor in
front of him. He was telling a story to the
his hands on his sides. was laughing i'm
moderately. There was another. called
Hand Book of Useful Information, telling
how TO mix whitewash which would stay
on how TO remove pitch. tar, paint or
grease from any fabric how to restore
the drowning what to do in case of acct
dents the care and use of firearms and
how TO make secret or sympathetic ink,
what was written until 1t was exposed to
heat
THE BARBER AND HIS HELPER.
1.-THE barber. tall. thin man. had a mass
of kinky. oily brown hair. in which he car
ried his combs when he worked He wore a
brown velvet coat and vest, with the edges
and pockets trimmed with a wide silk
braid, lavender pants. red socks and patent
leather dancing pumps tied with black rib
bon. His skin was dark and shriveled.
which suggested a raisin. He had large,
romantic brown eyes and a thin mustache.
with melancholy droop. He was a dolefuI
sort Of fellow and showed the effects of
daIlying with the muses.. for he often wrote
verses containing phrases such as For to
come for to do In the long summer aft
ernoons he usually sat back in a corner.
thrummed a guitar and sang love songs
through his nose. Although it was a three
chair shop, the proprietor was the only
regular barber. During the rush. Saturday
nights. he called in a scroll saver from
the planning mill TO help out This fellows
middle finger OF his left hand was bent
down at the second joint. The end had been
cut of and there was a long nail growing
out like a spear. which. of course, made it
a great inducement TO be shaved by him.
In rubbing your beard it got tangled in your
hair and pulled out two or three hanks by
the roots. Like the regular barber. this fell
low was unsteady inclined. He played the
piano around at the dances until he got
two more fingers cut off. then retired, play
Ing sliding trombone in the band. 1 remem-
Der when he played the piano this spear
like nail clicked on the keys and sounded
like cooking revolver. There was a funny
circumstance about this scroll saver bar
Der and the loss Of his fingers. One day,
when working at his saw. he made slip
and cut OF one OF them. OF course he laid
by week until IL healed and when he re-
turned TO work the following Monday all
his companions were glad 10 see him again.
They gathered around his table and while