Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-08-17
THE BARRIERS MISTAKE.
ing to Meet Only q Gentle
Zephyr.

There is a barber in the north CEN
trial part of the city who used to be
full of gossip about prize fighters. He
could tell you who anyone fought in
1878, their weights, the number Of
rounds, and how the Knockout blow
was landed. In fact, he was some
thing of handy man with the mitts
himself he admitted under pressure,
says the Detroit Free Press. He had
a back room that was kept clear, SO
that he could retire with a few friends
once in awhile to give an exhibition
of the manly art His chief stock in
trade, when it came to an encounter,
was his reputation and his ability to
initiate windmill in motion. How he
got his fame, unless, like many other
fighters, by his ability as talker, was
a hard thing for the boys to under
ike all fighters, Mr.. Barber one day
met more than his match.
A minister was in the habit of call
ing at the shop for a shave, and, al
though the boys usually let up on the
! fight talk when the clergyman was
present, they were sometimes SO inter-
ested and the barber so ta1kative that
| the conversation went along and the
minister got in on the grand wind-up
of some of the gossip. He even dipped
in occasionally, while the barber was
| putting on the talcum powder, and he
| expressed an interest in the art, from
| the point of view of self-defense. that
made the crowd think little more Of
him.
One day, during the dull afternoon,
| just after the clergyman had been
given his scrape and was reaching for
his hat, the barber winked to the
/ other men and casually asked the min
lister If he would like to put on the
gloves for few minutes and get some
! idea of how the thing went.
He hesitated little, saying that he
feared he would not be able to make
it even interesting for them, but the
crowd, scenting fun, joined in the per-
suasion, and the barber was soon joy
fully putting on the mitts and the
crowd took good seats, where they
would not miss any details.
The barber was evidently as fit as
a cello He danced around the ring
to warm up a bit and when the man
with the watch called: "Ready-go,"
| the barber was ready with a swing
| that would almost take the roof off a
church. But the church was not there,
and the minister was untouched, for
he had ducked. This was surprise
for Mr.. Barber. He felt that to sus-
tain his reputation he would have to
put the minister out with one blow, 50
he got ready again for stinger.
It was stinger, all right, and 1t
landed right on the tip of the barber s
nose. The minister saw what he was
up against, and he determined to get
there first. The clergyman took ad-
| vantage of the moment, and while the
barber was yet wondering whether il
was an accident, there came another
blow that closed the shop for nearly
week. His strong right landed on
the BARRIERS jaw, and for once the
talking machine refused to work The
/ barber lay in a heap in one corner
The minister took OFF his gloves calm
ly, with the remark that it was warm
work, and that the manly art of self
defense is one that pays well for all
the little trouble it occasions.
In an hour or two they got the bar.
Der on his feet and he looked anxious.
ly about him. The minister had gone
did you see me hit him?'' he asked
s'You meant WELL" was the reply
'Ebdt ne got there first
Since then the barber has cut of
his supply of weekly sporting papers
and now he talks about ping-pong ant
croquet. The minister, he learned
later, was one of the best amateurs il
the city, and could make good liv
ing in the ring, IL he ever left thu
pulpit.