River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-10-05

I'll let it go for another day. just
give me shave, now"
At this he grabbed towel, and plac-
ing it over my shirt front, began STUFF.
fling it viciously down my neck.
why didn't you let your friend uI
there shave you? | saw you shake
hands with him."
did you see that?'' asked.
"Of course | did,"
"How could your" l inquired, when
you were SO sound asleep had to
awaken your"
Having finished lathering me, he
brought out an old blade as wide as a
case knife and began to rake me ur
one way and down the other.
Nov, see here" I said, you put
away that old hoe, and get out your
best razor, and give me as good a
shave as you ever gave man in this
shop, or I'll bump your head up
against that mirror good and hard.
Now, don't fool away any more time,
for / mean business"
No man ever got down to business
more quickly than he did, and there
after he was courtesy itself. He even
grew confidential, and I had no trouble
in obtaining his opinion of the tall man
with whom I had just shaken hands,
and who, by this time, had another gray
beard in his chair and others waiting.
Jealousy and contempt do not suffi-
GENTLY express this BARRIERS feeling
for the tall man. who had outdone
them all, mentally and financially.
Every man who has been constant
patron of BARRIERS knows that there are
no men in the world more jealous OF
one another. To stand by and see the
tall man raking in coin on graft
that had held good for 20 years was
surely enough to make less fortunate
BARRIERS turn green with envy.
1t isn't only the system of graft, but
the tipping, that is demoralizing the
barber business. The more intelligent
the barber, the better class of trade he
will command, and there is no reason
why he should permit himself to re-
main on a level with the English
lackey or the French table waiter.
If every first-class barber shop
would charge 25 cents for shave, and
forbid tips, the patrons would be bet
ter satisfied, while the BARRIERS would
be as well compensated.
Relating these barber gratis reminds
me of the following episode:
Fifteen years ago, while a residen:
of Chicago, had a barber named Dick.
at one of the leading shops, to whom
/ endeavored to give all my work.
One time had occasion to go on a
weeks trip to Kankakee, Ill. had
my hair cut there, and it was about
the worst had ever seen. On return
ing to the city went to the barber
shop the next day and, finding Dick
very busy, / took the chair of barber
named Jones.
''Great Caesar! Johnston" he said,
what a bum hair cut! Where on earth
did you get it?''
"Why?" inquired, whats the mat
ter with it,"
''Well, johnston" he went on, "thai
is absolutely the worst L ever saw
Who Gid it?"
why" said I, "Dick, of course, and
he told me it was the best job he had
done for six weeks, and you know
Dicks reputation as a barber. Just
call Dick here and see what he has to
say for himself"
mo, mol" cried Jones. "You know
how Dick is; he's scrapper. Let il
go; let it CO."
"But," 1 insisted, "I'll not stand for
such e bad hair cut. am going after
Dick, good and hard"
"Oh,'' said Jones. sit isn't so awful
bad To tell you the truth. was jus!
Joking. The hair cut is all right
When ready to leave, I said:
81 am not quite satisfied with this
haircut, and"
"But," he interrupted, "don't say a
word to Dick; he'll half kill me if you
do"
"Well," 1 insisted, 81 shall speak to
him about it, anyhow"
AS came to Dicks chair I stopped
and called his attention to my bad
haircut, and meanwhile I hurriedly
told him the story of how Jones had
condemned it, and how he had taken it
all back when I told him that it was
Dick who had done the job.
Quickly taking in the situation, Dick
started toward Jones' chair, and Jones
Immediately grabbing his hat and
razor, escaped through the rear end OF
the shop. Nor would he return until
some of the other BARRIERS explained
the Joke to him.