The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-26
ON THE HAIR CUTS.
THE REFEREE DISAPPOINTS ALL
HANDS BY No AWARD.

GladiatOrs as They Now Forty Heads
Four Ways-FOur Men Tied for Medal
--ShOuldeFlng the Champion Old Man.
~ Ten of the best Italian BARRIERS OF the
town, some of whom prefer to call them
Z selves tonsorial artists, competed in hair
quitting last night under the bright electric
= lights OF the ballroom of the Murray Hill
a Lyceum, in East Thirty-fourth street. After
a the subjects" had been sheared there was
a ball that lasted until the chickens in The
Bronx began to crow, but the ball was OF
minor interest to the Italian BARRIERS, mostly
dark as to complexion and picturesque as
10 hair and attire, who had come to back
ard bet on their favoriteS among the con-
testants.
Ten big chairs, chiefly red cushioned,
were strung along the middle of the ball
room, facing west. Up in the galleries
many bright eyed young women looked
With interest at the combat, like other
Roman girls at a gladiatorial show.
J%ourneymen and apprentice BARRIERS sur
Grounded the duellists and watched with
sRn intense professional and personal IN
t0rest the progress Of the battle.
Every one Of the ten men wore a spotless
4 white Jacket and a smile. AS nearly every
body present was a barber there was no
Jack Of conversation. A favorite in the
contest was the man presiding over the
\ second chair, who was referred to as "the
old man, although he does not look more
than 40. He Is Salvatore Iesu. His hair
was we'll trimmed and he had an air OF
superb confidence. Salvatore Ragone,
young and smiling, with q wealth OF flow
Ing locks and trousers that suggested an
Italian tenor rather than a man who be-
lieves in the harvesting Of hair, also came
in for 9 lot Of appreciation; especially from
2the girls In the gallery.
Referee Giuseppe Piro let each con-,
ttestant produce four Italians who needed
a haircut. Nothing but BARRIERS shears
was used and no water. Each contestant
had to get through In one hour to have a
fchanoe Of winning, The first ten men who
cuts. As the flashing shears were raised
Sabove the heads Of the subjects most Of
them grinned. Nearly all were friends OF
the BARRIERS In whose chairs they sat.
When Referee PRO called out the eqqiva.
lent In English OF Are you ready? Col"
every journeyman who stood on a chair in
front or back of the line of working BARRIERS
held his breath. For a few seconds you
could hear the coarse hair Of several dark
and broad shouldered Calabrians hit the
floor as it fell of in punches. Naturally,
the silence did not last long. Following
quickly came shouts Of encouragement
for Giovanni, Mic, Salvatore and Francisco.
The first mar through with his first SUBJ
IA 1CCL XIV q kViVIo SIICV llolll nv VI LOU
But 1t was not a speed contest, and the bar
beers themselves did not get enthusiastic.
Every one of the ten got through in an hour.
Salvatore Iesu was the first to complete his
stunt. His time was A minutes. A dozen
ItalianS grabbed him and carried him
around on their shoulders until he protested,
which they set him down. The second
style Of cut was the military. Nearly all
the sitters were boys unde 49,. The square,
or American style, was the third and the
Kaiser Wilhelm the fourth.
Although the contest was over at 0 O'Clock j
It was not until midnight that the decision
n of the jurors. In the case was delivered
They had had a very hard time of it and
finally called in F. v. stanzione, NJ. Rop-
pucci and other members Of the committee
Of arrangements to help them out. The
competing BARRIERS hung around the jury
room and expressed sentiments inimica !
Of certain barbers.
The jurors had to examine the heads of all
the forty men and boys who had been
ehorn. Two Of these had gone out to get a
drink, and 1t took an hour to corral them
again.
AS each sitter emerged from the jury
room his head was inspected carefully by
the friends Of the barber who cut the hair
and the job was, pronounced very. artistic.
: The friends of the other BARRIERS looked at
the out with lips and eyes expressing some
thing akin to scorn.
The reporters were informed about II
O'Clock that a decision had been rea
but that 1t should not be communicated
by them to the BARRIERS, as it was deemed
diplomatic to give the friends Of the con-
testants and the contestants themselves
time to cool down a bit.
The decision was that the work of the
artists was OF such general excellence
that it was difficult even for experienced
critics to come to agreement as to what
one Of four of the contestants was the
finest exponent Of the four different styles
Of hair cut, but that 1t was the solemn
Sopinion Of the jury that Salvatore Iesu
had cut the best pompadour, Frank Bar
buto had given the best military, Luis
Spagnoletti had turned out the finest square,
or American cut, and Salvatore Ragone
had been! the author of the best Kaiser
Wilhelm.
The committee Of arrangements an
.Snounced that the four artists would meet
again to compete for the possession of the
medal. This was very satisfactory to
the four, but the six other BARRIERS and
their friends accepted the decisionlwithout
tcheerfulness.
Some Of those who attended the ball were
Antonio Zuooa, Celestino Pivo, Coroner
-Aoritelli and j. n. Francolini.