The San Francisco call., 1910-06-24
BEAUTY NEEDED
TO GET CUSTOM
AS MANICURIST
Personal Charms Aid Operator
as Much as Proficiency in
Polishing Nails
Gray Haired Woman Fails to
Draw Business Like Pretty,
inexperienced Sister


The declaration that the gray haired
manicurist is not wanted and will not
be patronized by the public, first voiced
'y the manager of the barber shop of
he St Francis hotel in discharging
TWO girls for that reason, was cor
roborated by majority of the pro-
prietors of the leading establishments
IN the city yesterday. With few ex-
ceptions they said that the old mani
curlst, regardless Of her ability and at
tentiOn TO business, did not draw the
business which an inexperienced but
younger sister did.
They regarded il merely as one of
the business conditions which they had
70 face. They pointed out that a mani
curist needed as much as her skill in
polishing nails q gay and happy de-
E meanor, an ability to carry on q con-
VersatiOn with every man that came
along and sufficient personal charms to
attract that man.
PRETTY GIRLS PREFERRED
i do not say that it is either right
- or wrong" declared r. Hartman, pro-
prietor OF the Golden West shop, 81
Ellis street but I understand the
average man well enough to know that
ne would rather have his nails mani
curde by a young. pretty girl than by
middle aged woman. have known
OF instances where competent mani
curist who was not good looking could
scarcely bring in Sc a week, while at
the same time a young girl in the same
shop, not so rapid and experienced but
better looking, was busy from morning
TN night.
When the man sits down in the
chair TO have his nails manicured he
prepares himself TO wait anywhere from
10 minutes TO half an hour, and while
the work is being done he likes to chat
and Joke. Now the average man would
rather chat and Joke with a pretty girl
than with an elderly one.
QUESTION OF HUMAN NATURE
In fact an attractive manicurist is
ia herself a drawing card Many a
man who had no intention Of getting
his nails polished ofttimes changes his
mind when he sees a pretty girl walt
- ing 10 do the job for him. If an elder
ly and unprepossessing woman is en-
ployed the chances are that he will not
think OF his finger nails at all.
The question is simply one OF
human nature which businessmen have
10 meet. We are all willing to admit
fl is hard. but there ought to be no
protest from the public, because the
public creates the demand. We simply
supply it."
While this seemed TO be the general
there ! a
which has other views. The latter
hold that primarily the public demands
good work and is not at all particular
whether the girl is gray haired or
wears brilliant golden pompadour.
HOMELY GIRL GETS BUSINESS
in all my experience said T. A.
Ruge OF Ruge & Cast, Ellis street,
the manicurist who made the most
money and did the most business was
about as homely g girl as one would
care 70 see. She knew her business,
however. and never lost customer.
In my mind, it is absolutely inmate
rial whether the manicurist is young
or old, good looking or not. The longer
she is in the business the more expert
enced she becomes and the more capa-
bic she is to meet the whims and fam
cies Of the various customers.
When q man pays to have his nails
manicured he looks upon IL as minor
business proposition Usually he is in
hurry and wants the work done quick
" In my opinion the men who engage
q manicurist IN order to have their
hands held and TO pay compliments
are the exceptions, and I think the
aversg ge man realizes that barber
shop is about the last place in the
world in which to carry on q mild fir
tation-
DIFFERENT WITH YOUNG MEN
TT depends somewhat, 1 presume. on
the locality Of the shop. There are
places around which young men con-
gregate and in such I have no doubt
a rnanicurist would be selected as
much for her good looks as her ability,
but these are the exceptional cases.
The average businessman pays very
little attention to the appearance Of the
rl1aniourist OF course do not say that
an untidy manicurist will be tolerated,
but any woman can be neat whether she
has gray hair or not.
The same views were expressed by
= Armstrong, manager of the Flood
building barber shop.
VvOMAN's AGE ISfMATERIAL
1T depends on the class Of customers"
he said.
In a big Office building, where the
patrons are mostly businessmen, the
age Of the manicurist is absolutely i'm
aterial. The probabilities are that
man will have his nails manicured
while he is being shaved. and paying
- commitments under those circumstances
would be dangerous. can well see,
- however that in other localities an
attractive manicurist. young and pret-
". will prove a drawing card
The experience of T. Amendole, 731
Market street, was decidedly different.
II do not like to say it. but I am
forced TO admit that the public wants
voung and good looking manicurists."
he said 7 have observed that the
customers are quite willing TO have
their nails nanicured by good look
ing girl when they would never think
of II II the women in the shop were
elderly and gray haired.
AVERAGE MAN WILL TALK
The average man, while having his
nails nanicured, drops into a conver-
sation with the girl, and 1t seems that
he would rather talk TO young than
an old woman. The latter may be the
more experienced, but there seems to
be so little difference in the grades OF
workmanship that her experfsnoe does
not count for much.
The manicure girl is in the same po-
sition as her sisters In other fields.
When a chorus girl grows old and
wrinkled she has to step out; young,
good looking waitress is preferred to
the other kind; handsome saleswoman
will get a job before homely one.
Whenever man has to do business
with a woman he likes to have that
woman handsome. Therefore. in select
ing the manicures for my shop. while
I sympathize with the older women,
business forces me 10 give the jobs to
The young ones"