Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-05-18
AMan Who
Shaved His WaQ
To Fame

popular
the of all deep-water BARRIERS Charles Armitage
! whose shop aboard the japanese trans-Pacfc liner
Tauta Mar has become legendary salon OF thousands
of world travellers.
Charlie the Barber as he is better known is pop
uar that mail addressed to him merely Charlie Yoko-
hama" Charlie Hong Kong" or Charlie, Manila VIII
reach him in due
Fity-three years of age and a resident of De-
trot and neighbor of Henry Charlie has made 3Os
crossings the Pacific in the past 80 principally
Francisco and the major ports of the Far East
He has Travelled 100000 miles. He has passed
through Honolulu times than any other living
The Yokohama Fire Department once gave special
display honor and offcialdom of Honolulu recently
feted him upon his 200th visit to that port.
Charles shipboard barber shop Is
30 popular the only Occidental employee
among the 900 Japanese men and women working ON
the 16s ships of the NYK Line White passengers travel
fng and forth to the Orient the Tatuta Mar quite
naturally made congenial club room or Salon out OF
the barber shop.
Besides cutting your hair Charlie will listen to your
stories laugh at your jokes fix aching TOOTH recon-
mend remedies for seasicness give advice to the love-
acquan the uninated traveller with the strange
ways of the Orient.
Throughout the Far East the Tatuta Maru is known
as Charles ship" Both whites and Oenals when they
go buy steamship tickets often ask to be booked aboard
Charles ship" Charlie doubt has spread more Amer
lean good will the Orient than any diplomat ever did
When Charlie arrives in foreign port the social
of the daily newspapers announce the event And
usually his first night ashore, he will insert an
in the newspapers which reads like thls
NOTICE
will be at home to all my friends tonight at the
Imperial Hotel Bar
Charles life however has not been one of effete
activity much of his record might indicate He
has been washed three mes-once when he was
on old Nippon Maru from the Shnyo Maru and
once from a launch in the bay of Yokohama. He has
helped quel mutiny, getting cracked skull for his
trouble He went for brea-neck ride IN heooat
towed by whale another time right in the heart
Shanghai Chinese thugs soaked his feet in tub OF
hot oil in futile attempt to rob him
whale incident happened after he transferred
to the after 20 years service the Nippon
shnyo The Tatuta impaled whale on its bow when
1t struck off the Japanese coast The vessel had
halt boat lowered to dislodge the creature and
Charlie always ready to lend a hand in the boat.
AS Charlie and the members prodded the SEEM
ingly with their the beast became
suddenly alive. and with great splash it wriggled free
gave them all and very dangerous ride over
the until it finally exhausted itself.
THE experience that of Shanghai" Charlie
related The thugs thought had money hidden in
my hotel ROOM They sprang on me IN an alley IN the
French quarter demanded that telephone friend
to bring the money over o their little shack
when I explained that did not have any large
amount money they became angry thinking that
lying to them they boiled up a of peanut oil and
soaked my feet in it 1t was three weeks before could
Charles shop which he has maintained aboard the
atua Marl for the past ten years is no
onsoria parlor Charles shop is like oriental
bazaar for addition to his many duties he deals in all
manner curos, silks kmonos shaws and souvenirs.
has cropped the heads and shaved the faces of
many persons including millonaires movie stars
diplomats European royalty and Oriental Potenates An
Indian prince gave him $500 tip and attempted to
lure him to Ceylon as official court barber But Charlie
decided he'd rather travel.
One of Charles lesser sdelines, which sometimes
proves nonetheess adventuresome taking Of pas
sengers dogs canary birds and other pets
nothered batch of snakes for Frank Buck He recently
nursed baby panda all the way from Hong Kong to San
Francisco and he appointed personal maid
pair Of goats which he had to milk every day.
Charlie spent happy lifetime the Pacific
because has kept his hands clean" he puts IL He
has had many chances enter into lucrative narcotic
smuggling reckets For years he has watched the SNUG
glers try beat the game The Pacific. II might
nav for a pay good Charlie admits but he has
learned Uncle Sam usually gets them in the end
Is Charlie married? No. He says le stays still
long enough to take wife