The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-05-04
BEST OF ALL BARRIERS
TO Be SHAVED BY AMERICAN Ne.
GRO WAS a DELIGHT.
Entertaining, sklIful and Humorous,
He Has Been suppIsntsd BY the
More 6uslness-LIke Modern
Tensorlal Artist.

The tear Of regret may slistsn for a
moment in the corner Of the eye OF
some elderly man when be revisits in
Imagination the barber shop Of long
ago, That was In the day when in
the middle west popular prejudice
held fast to the opinion that the negro
was a natural barber, the American
negro the best barber in the world.
He knows more about family trees
than any college OF heraldry--if there
ie such an institution--could possibly
Anow and how long and interesting
he would talk of your folks folks In
Lexington. Ky.l
Let me rest yo' hat, and yo' coat.
sab. Yes. sir. Judge G. was heah this
mornin' and Col. b. got out of the
cheer only few minutes ago."
With sigh OF anticipated comfort
you sank into the chair and stretched
out your legs. Yes. sab, yo' really do
need a shave. sab. It's a pleasure TO
me to shave you. Yo' beard is just
as It should be. Now and then get a
rough neck with squirrel whiskers
that upsets me TO whole day
Perhaps you may recall story in
an old text book about very differ
ent kind of barber. that began after
this fashion.
A prating barber who waited upon
certain king. came one day to trim
his hair and asked him: Sire. how
will You have II done? Silently said
the king.
IL is not necessary to continue that
story. the Indianapolis News remarks.
One may know at once that the bar
Der of this churlish king was not a
negro. He was probably a mere ton
serial artist. wholly devoid OF the de-
lightful charm OF entertaining that Ia
possessed in so high degree by the
black knight of the razor-one might
now. alas, call him the disinherited
knight as 50 many have come In tc
crowd him from his place.
Only one superfluous question would
he ask. and that was from long estab-
lished habit: Does she pull, sah?"
Yet he well knew that In his skillful
hand the keen blade was as light as
gossamer. for as he gfterward ad-
mitted he had "honed and stropped her
down finer'n gnats heel" How
deftly he would spread the cool lather
over the rough and razorable cheek
and chinl With what tender care he
avoided the wart that nestled on your
upper lip. close to your nose. and
never say word about this blemisn
on very handsome face!
But you did not get out of the chair
In any such brief time as this tale
has required in its telling. BY no
means. How he would daily about
you. comb and shears In hand, clip.
ping here and. there an infinitesimaI
bit OF hair which. in his critical judg
ment. spoilt the symmetry of his
work. And. at last. as though loath
to let you go until his sense OF the
perfection OF his work had been salts.
fled in every artistic detail he would
still detain you for a last lingering re
gretful inspection. following you to
the door and watching your shadow as
It heightened In the afternoon sun.
What a genial humor he had. what
a knowledge OF human nature, white
and black? The newspaper, even then.
vas well enough in its way, but not
10 be compared as a news teller to
him who gave the gossip of the dear
old town with racy flavor and pic
iuresque beauty that proclaimed the
The new barber has a finer
shop and sometimes foreign accent.
IS more matter of fact and business
Ike candidly, you know he is
aot--well, he's not the old barber