The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-29

E NASMUCH as a "shine" at boot blacks stand is a luxury, even ad-
 A mitting that well polished shoes should be considered necessity in both the business and social worlds, there can be no reasonable protest against the ad- vance in the cost of a "shine" in Louis- vile from cents to 10 cents.
 A shave" at a barbershop is at once a luxury and a necessity to many men. There are many who would go bearded like the pard rather than try to shave themselves, but anyone can polish his own shoes A very fat man may not be may be unable to see whether they need polishing unless he has laboriously got ten them off. But he can insert one hand in the shoe and with the other ma nipulate the polisher until the shoe is polished It may be hard work, and a good deal of work. The shine" may be much less resplendent than that put on by the delft professional hand. But the process is possible to anyone who is will ling to be extravagant in his outlay of personal labor in order to save his dimes.
 
 job in hand any man may accomplish in an hour so, what the skilled bootblack will do for dime in from two to five minutes. It may not be pleasant. But when is economy a pleasurable indul- gence? It may be expensive if under taken in the wrong way, but as expe- rence is gained education is broadened. wearer of home polished shoes soon learns not to undertake the polishing after donning his linen There is no economy in melting a shirt and collar en- tailing a laundry bill of 15 cents, while saving a dime, to say nothing of having to remove ones union suit to get cold bath and a rub down-another laundry bill for union suit and bath towel-and losing time that may be valuable. The amateur shoe polisher should begin stripped for action, as a pattleship does. The bath may be turned on at the time the effort to polish the shoes begins If a warm bath is desired, remember to find out the temperature of the water after polishing the first shoe by sticking into it any finger or thumb which may not be coated with shoe dressing. If tHo Wdtci lS dDOut tuC li6il tSiiPCA dtui D turn on the hot water spfgot and let it get warmer, to allow for the cooling that will take place during the polishing of the second shoe. Keep on hand a pot or box of mechanics paste"-sold at all drug stores to garage employees, machin- ists and others of like employment-for removing the polish from the hands after completing the shine. It is hardly worth while to scrape it off and save it. | There ares several ''don'ts' for begin
 ming shoe polishers which should be pasted on the wall of the bathroom:
 Don't rest the shoe on piece of fur niture and shoe dress and polish the TUT
 niture. If you do your economy turns | into expense
 ! Don't swear as often or as loud-espe- cially as loud-as you feel like swearing
 unless you live alone in an apartment with ''silenced'' walls.
 Don't leave the windows open if you cannot control your profanity. If you dc the neiehbors will fancy they are hearing an altercation and will start scandal.
 Don't allow a draft in the bathroom while polishing the shoes. By taking this precaution you may at once avoid stiff
 neck and get the benefit of the sweating | out that constitutes the 'raison d'etre of the hot room in a Turkish bath
 Don't expect your home-shine shoes to 1 look as if you had visited professional
 polisher.
 Don't attempt to polish your shoel l when you are due at the bank in 20 min.
 utes. unless you are the president and
 cannot be reprimanded for being late.
 Don't forget that practice makes per. feet. An ambitious young business man lawyer, surgeon, engineer or broker can learn to shine shoes almost as well as a
 Greek immigrant, if he will stick at it.
 Don't forget that if you do forget and