The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1903-01-15
A SCHOOL FOR BARRIERS.
WHERE "TONSORiAL ARTISTS" ARE
TAUGHT SECRETS OF THE CRAFT.

now They Obtain Material for Prnctic"-.
''""go Characters who Take hdFnn-
a"s" or tho Opportunity OF Having
'"''r H"ir Cut and shave for Nothing.
ohe or the most curious of the many
Sllahge institutions Of New York City
IS school established not long ago
on the East Side, where young men
and boys are taught to become skilled
BARRIERS. In this school long rows of
BARRIERS apprentices are at work all
day throughout the course, ScraD;ng
diligently at sundry stolid counten-
anCcs provided for "clinic material. "
When not working in this capacity,
the majority of the faces SO used
might be met on the Bowcry or in
kindred regions, surmounting the
Siouching frames typical OF Americas
leisure class. Some are placid cOun-
tcnanccs, bearing evidence of a Mi
cawbcr-like trust in potential good
luck; others are sullcn or troubled,
with the hunted look that comes to
the face OF a man out Of job; but
a free shave and haircut even when
awkwardly done by unaccustomcd
hands.
In order that material for practice
may be plentiful and at hand the
school is situated far down town.
where traffic Of every sort is thickest
and where the great city's voice takes
Oh its deepest and most insistent tone.
" ith the first drOwsy srowls Of that
multiple voice at dawn the men be-
gin TO gather and form in line at the
rntrance to the building. Many of
chem have stood for hours in the mid
night bread line on broadway that
they might break their fast at least
once in the 81 hours, and now come
to he frcshcncd up as much as posi-
bic before starting forth again on the
weary quest 10" work; others. equally
alive TO tic advantages Of being shay
Ell and shOrn and made as prCs2n:ablc
as may he, come by way Of living up
to their life principle Of getting some
thing for nothing, and getting it be-
tole any one else.
At 9 O'clock tho school is opened
and work begins. Men come and go
all day, and tho aspirants to barber
craft work like beavers, getting more
practice in one day than they would
get in Il month under the old method
OF apprenticeship. All sorts and con-
ditiOnS of mon come under their hands
uampS, vagabonds, crooks, worlimcn
out Of n job. gentleman adventurcrs
down on their luck, fat men, shriv-
,1n ,l,l
men with skins like rubber, and men
surfaced like nutmeg graters, downy
youth and StuDbly eld--herc is exp
rience varied enough to qualify any
one. Only three kinds of men arc
barrcd-the unclean, the intoxicated
and the men who have once stolen.
begged or given any manner Of trouble
in the school. One offence is sufficient
here. The master barber, quiet and
alert, has an uncrring eye and n
strong ann, and woe to the man who
sncaks in for Il shave after having
been forbidden the place.
This gray November morning, wheI,
the master barber told Of the teaching
and learning Of his craft, saw about
200 men sitting on benches in the
darkest corner Of the wOrkrOOm, await
ing their turn. The big room was din
2y but clean. we'll lighted from one
side, and Sparsely furnished with two
long workstandS running from wall
TO wall and nanked by double rows OF
well worn barber chairs. These were
all filed and fhe ranks of busy bar
behring's were hard at work. Most OF
them were boys, ranging in age from
lG to 20 years, but here and there an
Older man stood by one of the chairs
learning his trade al a time when
most men are wcll established in life
white as snow. worked Datiently ly
| among the students. though at bcS;
it could be but few years before
| hand and eye would fail. and dexterity
with 'he razor would be a thing of tho
past. All the students worked steadily
and conScientiouSly. aided now ant
! again by hint from the master bar.
| Der as he strOlled mp and down thr
lines. Some OF the beginners attarket
the task before them with nervous
| painstaking care, each grasping The
lHIol UditHct" Wise Ill tense n3llGS an{
| dragging il like Il gravel crushc,
across the unrcSiSting jaw Of his cs.
! pccial segment OF clinic material
Othcls. presumably lie born BARRIERS
| or the more advanced students. worked
freely and confidently. wrist and 81.
bow loose and the razor hc,I light
Cr":t'Ntiy from the waiting benche.
men went and came. and contrary tt
ai .rad:uoIS nt barbarian lOuuactv,
the work was alricil on i'm almost
| unDrOEcn silence
I'VE have students here from all
parts Of the United States. Canada thc
West Indies and even Englnnd." said
| the master Barber. "'rhrrc arc ArsI-
cla!i BARRIERS among all mathematics;
OF course, bGt The mlcn who take movi
readily 20 the work are USUALLY It,l-
! iahS or Germans. italians are as linn
Der and loose mnsrlr,l as eats. and
Germans don't get nervous and afraid
OF the razor. That is tho difJicultv
win women There is big demand
FOR women BARRIERS. and we have num-
H"IS OF them come here to learn tho
race. Thcy make good BARRIERS in