Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1909-04-08
THE TONSOR|AL
TIP-TRUST

Sl5 week job as barber in the ton
serial parlors of downtown hotel,
the wonder Of his friends amounted to
a strong suspicion of Marwick's sanity
Ii was great come-down, not only
in his salary. but in his social status
as we'll
An intimate friend approached him,
one noon, in regard to the matter and
informed him that a reasonable ex-
PLANTATION for the change would not
only satisfy a growing curiosity, but
would save his act from reaching the
ears of the fool-killer.
Marwick's answer was to offer his
friend "a cigar and inquire If he
thought IL was going to shower.
Come. come demonstrated the
friend. This isn't the way to put
yourself straight. You were under
civil service, so II can't be because
you've taken exception to the politics
of the administration. You haven't
been removed, either, as you have al
ways been a 100 per cent. man. Come
tell a friend-what is it? Perhaps
the boys can adjust it,
'Ill tell you," Warwick finally yield
ed. You see, want to get into bust
ness for myself. and the barber trade
isn't bad business after all. A few
years experience in firstclass shop
and I'll be ready to open my own par
lors.'
Don't believe a word OF it," blurt-
ed the friend. There's some deeper
purpose in your act, and, besides, how
and when did you learn to shave and
cut hair?"
Might school. of coursei Best
night school in the city. Cut hair for
nothing. but the last beggar gave me
a ten-cent tip. Said 1t was the first
hair cut he ever had
We'll, wish you luck" sighed the
friend who was confident now that
Marwick's mentality had received a
wrench. and that the man was more TO
be pitied than censured I'll drop
around whenever I'm in your locality
and let you try your hand on me-"
But when he had reached the street
again this friend shook his head. NO
razor. ! prefer crazy men as poets
not BARRIERS"
The advice of his many friends did
not turn Warwick from his new
course, and before long those friends
had to admit that while he had been
unwise in giving up a well-paid gov
eminent position TO follow the trade
Of tonsorial artist, he certainly had
not been mistaken in his ability to
shave and cut hair.
His handling of both scissors and
razor was faultless, and soon he was
the most popular man in the shop.
Within four months the proprietor OF
the parlors voluntarily doubled his
salary. which. with the liberal tips he
was known to receive, was not bad
pay.
Then he saved more. too than in his
former position, and a couple of years
after he had taken to the tonsorial
field it was learned that he acquired
full title to valuable piece of Forty
second street real estate.
His friends laid their heads to-
gether-heads that Warwick had lately
shaved and sheared' to perfection
and tried TO figure out how he had ac-
complished this financial marvel.
HE gets pointers on the market
from some OF those Wall street
brokers'" was the most satisfactory of
these conjectures.
This explanation held for a while,
then violent quarrel between Mar
wick and his employer ended with
the former suddenly disappearing from
sight and the latter publishing his late
employees secret.
1t seems Warwick had found that by
a peculiar manipulation OF the head
he could excite the stingiest man to
the extreme pitch of generosity, conse-
quently every patron he had shaved,
or whose hair he had cut, had tipped
him most literally, and the total of
these tips had reached a fortune in a
very short time.
He had located the nerve of gen.
erosity, or tip-nerve, and only the quar-
rel with his employer, perhaps over
the sharing of his liberal fees. had up
set his well-laid plans. However, the
loss was not long his, for a short time
thereafter a number of tonsorial par
lors were opened simultaneously
throughout the city, and though none
of his former friends could locate
Charles Warwick, 1t was soon evident
that he had entrusted his secret knowl-
adQa IN select class of harhar oop-
federates and that he was at the head
of the tonsorial tip-trust, as profitable
as any other favored trust.