Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-04-28
A PLEA FOR WHISPERS.
Philosopher Dips Into History in Sup
port of "Crowning Glory"

\ western newspaper man is irrltat-
ed because of the copious magazine adj
yertising of patent safety razors, self
stropping raZorS and the latest and
most improved razor strops. They
are all delusion and a snare, he
thinks, designed to make it appear
that the art of shaving has been so
simplified that to the up-to-date man
with the modern equipment 1t is as
easy and painless as removing suds
from a basin with a silver spoon.
Ali of which is erroneous, according
to this critic and practitioner of the
art He declares that he has personal
Iy tested some hundreds of razors. old
fashioned, automatic. self-scraping and
self-stropping. and all the other kinds,
and most of the patent strops, and he
declares that shaving is still one of
the chief woes of man. TO his mind,
if woman's har is her crown of glory
and cross of care" it cannot compare
with the suffering endured by the
clean shaver man. Now and then
some man is heard TO boast that he
shaves in three minutes and gets his
cheek as smooth as a furniture sales
mans tongue. But this man is not to
be believed There has never yet been
a razor that did not try to mimic a
harvesting machine. And there is no
soap that will not bite or smart in
side the mouth. And so he concludes
that the art of shaving is to be set
| down as one of mans ignominious
| failures.
And from this the disgruntled shaw
er boldly argues for the revival of un-
| abridged whislSers. He declares that
| the tombs of the Pharaohs contain
markings that have aroused yearnings
| in many a manly bosom to become an
other Moses. To his enyious mind, the
| Hebrew patriarchs must have led re-
markedly comforta BILE lives. Josephu.
| wore beard, else he could never have
written his chronicles. Shaving con
sumes much valuable time. Whisker'
| leave leisure for reflection, study ant
| creative effect.
So wildly does this objector permi
his whiskerial fancy TO roam through
the pages of history that he finally
declares that it is probable that mos
! of the greatest men in the world wore
boards, although history may furnish
| proof to the contrary. In any event
| he is sure that the moments during
which men have aspired to greatness
have been those in which they were
in least peril of the barber.
This man has no use for shaving, al
though it is to be surmised from tn
| heat of his remarks that he still
scrapes his face at regular intervals
or has it done for him at one OF tn
regular emporiums established FOR ina
| purpose. But the process has becom
Objectionable to him, whether one !
| self shaver or a patron of the bar
her The barber, ancient and modern
he declares, should take a place be
side the headsman of good old Henri
VIII. an operator of the inquisition, o
even a motorman on a flat-wheele
trolly car
1t is to be suspected that this indi
vidual has had extraordinary iii luc
in his whisker-c cutting experience
There are BARRIERS and BARRIERS. an
many of us can testify that some
them are not half bad. Once in
while it is possible to find one who
genuine artist. capable of maxim
. the process of shaving a delightful an
! even luxudious experience.
: There is the important matter 9
time of course Dallying in a barbe
! shop consumes much more time tina
seIf-shaving, and even when the 10
is done at home a man uses up hur
dreds Of hours in the course OF life
: time that might have been devoted
some useful pursuit. When estimate
: in this fashion, shaving represents
great economic waste, but, on the otf
err hand, what is time that it Shout
be so carefully guarded and scrupr
lously utilized? In spite of the moder
rush and restless activity most OF Y
in these days find ourselves with L
: of superfluous time on our hands, an
it is recognized as part Of our dali
occupation to kill it as painlessly q
: possible Perhaps one might as we
{ dispose OF Is or 20 minutes day
the entirely neat and admirable prat