Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-09-16
FAST MAN WITH A RAZOR.
Eastern Barber's Record Is SevoAteen
Slaves in Thirty Minutes.

Eastern Barber's Record Is SevoAteen
SLAVES in Thirty Minutes.
Seventeen boards cut from the chins
Of as many longshoremen Is Frank
Baia's record in the competition for
the gold medal offered by a sporting
paper to the barber who should shave
the most men in thirty minutes. The
record was made in Baia's shop at 1923
Furman street, Brooklyn, before
notary public, an official timekeeper
and threescore witnesses
About seventy-five men were crowd
ed into the shop when the trial began
and people were standing three deep
before the windows. The subjects,
naturally, were about the toughest,
from tonsorial standpoint, that Fur
man street could product. In fact,
only those whose boards rasped with
a manly harshness as Baia ran his
fingers over them were admitted.
Andy Dean was the first man In
the chair. He had about five days
growth Of beard, which shaded almost
imperceptibly on each side into short,
bristly, black mustache. Baia laid out
six razors that had been prepared
especially for the slaughter tucked
few towels under his belt and picked
up the loaded lather brush
"Are you ready?" called out Jim
Lake, the timekeeper.
eyes," said Baia
"Gow roared the timekeeper, and
Baia made a downward jab with the
brush that scattered lather from one
ear to the other. Two quick swipes
with the brush on each cheek hur
ried chasing of fingers over the raspy
mat and the longshoreman was ready
for the razor. Two strokes finished
the left side Of the face, two more
cleaned the right side and few quick
ones scraped the chin and neck bare.
Andy never murmured.
"Done," cried Baia.
zone minute and forty seconds"
sang cut the timekeeper, and then
there was loud applause.
John Nespfng, whose beard is red,
was the next man up. and he also was
turned out in one minute and forty
seconds, bleeding only slightly from a
cash on the chin.
John COwan's capillary adornment
was easier and 1t went down in one
minute and fifteen seconds. Joe Pack
ard and Jim Mccarthy were finished
In about the same time. A Frenchman
who couldn't speak English, but who
knew that he needed a shave, was the
sixth man. He came out holding his
face in his bandanna and jabbering
volubly. John Keller, Pat Herring
and Tommy Williams were finished
up in fairly quick time. Baia was
warming to his work now and he trim
med Jimmy Henessy's face III exact
ly one minute, the best time made.
Jimmy had considerable blood on him
at the finish An unknown man then
took the chair.
said the timekeeper as this one got
up.
Louis Bey, Turk, came out in quick
time with part Of his promising young
mustache gone. The McNally brothers
were finished up in less than three
minutes and two other men were done
in just about as good time.
"One minute and ten seconds more"
the timekeeper shouted. But Baia had
run out of subjects.
"Quick," he screamed, as he chang
ed razors and the timekeeper himself
was pushed into the chair. Baia took
the last bunch of hair of his chin just
as the gong sounded.
He was cheered to the echo. Then,
just to show that he wasn't down and
out, he cut mans hair in two min
utes and fifteen seconds and shaved
Buck Busted, the man with the iron
beard, who is barred out of all Furman
street barber shops, in just one minute
and fifty-five seconds.-New York Sun.