The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-10-09
EUROPEAN MONARCHS IN
 HANDS OF THE BARBER

Curt Meyer in the New York World.
 Vi HOSE thoughts do not revert to w Francois Haby, the great and
 only Francois, with a halo of princely favor encircling his placid brow, official barber of Germany-when the sub feet discussed is first-class barbering Iron Chancellor. Master of Bayreuth and Court Barber are worthy of being men tioned in the same breath, for the deserts of having given Germany new style of dressing the beard" are surely no less great than are the merits of having ere- ated "Parsifal' or of having founded the German Empire
 Germany was in dire distress. The coun- try was in want of a national style of hairdress. How could country not able to boast of having it's own style Of beard expect to be ranked among the first nations of the earth? And To and behold! The unsurpassable incomparable, heav- enward- -bristling German national mus taehe was invented by Francois Haby.
 And a grateful country showered recog- hilton in the shape of sonnets and of ready money upon him, and the first and foremost man of all the land rewarded his brave deed with medals and confer red upon him the title of Court Hair dresser to His His Royal Majesty the Emperor" Consider well the title, Court Hairdresser.''
 But never mortal man enjoyed llfe's undiluted pleasure" for, true as it is that Haby was permitted to set the imperial head right, he was also ordered to main tain perfect silence while doing so. But our modern Figaro, not feeling equal to 4Ia fttnn n n TrAnn1Gf. was tempted one day to break this i'm perial commandment. The question he dared to broach must have been of mo- mentous import, one fraught with danger, and if answered, likely to dlsturD the political balance of Europes status, and in consequence Haby--a victim of Princes whims and of political intrigues-Was chased out of the temple.
 The chagrined Francois, bearing Ill will to all humankind retired from active life, ceased to dress boards and to brew unfailing hair tonics and unsurpassed To- tions, and as a natural consequence the number of bald pates soon grew to un- limited proportions. Marriages became rare, the number of births lessened. and soon the danger of a decreased conun- gent of recruits loomed up.
 And then the soldier-emperor, graci- ously taking pity on his endangered coun- try, received his dsgraced artist into favor again. Haby has learned to know the meaning of the proverb silence is golden." and speaks only when spoken to, even not then always And the heavenward-b -bristling German mustaches again do grow in number and size.
 The Shah of Persia is the only sov- ereign making an extensive use of per fumed waters fragrant essences, etc. Loubet. the president of the French re- public insists on having nothing applied save water-clear, pure water.
 Of course one likes to take plenty of time when serving gentlemen like these. The sovereign with whom the coiffeur has the greatest trouble in this respect is the Emperor William of Germany, who. as is kell known, never has any time to spare. He would like everything to be done, and well done too, in a jiffy, and sometimes If this imperial wish is not carried out, hard words are apt to fall.
 King Victor Emmanuel the grandfather