The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-10-07
A CHICAGO LADY BARBER"
She Describes the Vanity of Her Male
Customers.

II
BARRIERS talk them to death. If the
men didn't gossip to the BARRIERS the
BARRIERS would not chatter to their GUS
toners. forbid my girls to do any
thing more than simply answer ques-
TONS"
Thus spoke Mrs. Alonzo Mullen,
"lady barber of Chicago, according
to the New York Tribune" The
Windy City is kind to lady BARRIERS"
Mrs. Mullen's shop is onely one of at
least half a dozen where the gentle
art of barbering is followed by young
women.
I'm not the pioneer lady barber
of Chicago-no, indeed" declared Mrs.
Mullen, deftly going through a case
of pomades and ointments with
cheesecloth buster the while. 1.-THE
first woman to take up the business
to my knowledge was Mrs. Willard,
who ran barber shop somewhere in
Michigan more than 20 years ago.
and then came to this city, where she
practiced till within year or so.
There are two colleges of barber.
ing in Chicago I entered one of them
to learn hairdressing and manicuring,
but as all my teachers said there was
lots more to be made in barbering,
took that up, too. and now I'm glad
of it.
Il pay my girls SIS and $40 a
week. Their tips bring their weekly
earnings up to S25; but they have to
work from s A. NJ. to s P. NJ, and
half the day Sundays. It's hard work
standing, too"
Three months are usually enough
to learn the business, according to
this authority. Hair cutting is the
hardest part to master. Men who
have once been shaved by woman
usually come back, saying that wo-
men make the best BARRIERS, their
hands are so light.
Our very worst customer is the
born crank. A cranky man-Oh, my!"
and the lady barber heaved a gentle
sigh.
"Of course, il you cash mans
cheek while you are shaving him, he
isn't exactly a crank II he objects
well, a little strenuously you know
but Il he's the kind that keeps look
ing at himself in the hand mirror and
saying: Don't you think you've left
1t little long on the right temple?'
or Can't you outline the parting a
little clearer or 4 don't see what in
thunder made you trim the southeast
| corner of my mustache so short
why. then, the lady barber wishes she
was dead-or a dressmaker! There's
nobody for fussing like a man, pro
vided he's the funny kind.
And, vanity!''- Mrs. Mullen re.
moved the glass stopple from a bot.
tie of brilliantine, wiped round the
mouth carefully, then returned the
stopple to its place vigorously. well,
| won't go SO far as to say all men are
vain. AS rule the more they have
in their heads the less they worry
over the way their hair is cut. Bust
ness men think little about their per
sonal appearance. 1t is the elevator
boy, the low salaried clerks from de
| partment stores and such like who
make the poor BARRIERS life a burden
Elevator boys are terrors. They will
follow every motion Of the barber
with the keenest interest, and want
all the powders, perfumes and hail
restorers in the store used.
what makes men bald?' Why
in my opinion, tbs hereditary in the
sex of man. They can't help it, pool
things" she added, in a tone of hal
contemptuous pity. as she stepped for
ward to pin white calico pinafore
around the neck of fresh customer