Year: 1875




"Come, let us go over to the new bar
ber-shop and get shaved by one OF the
girls" was the invitation extended us yes
terday afternoon by a companion, and,
acting on his suggestion, we soon found
ourselves vending our way to West Sixth
street, just below the Gifts engine-house,
where the new establishment with female
tonsOrial artists is situated. On entering
the place we found it large, cleanly, and
| well furnished with all needed accessories
of first-class shop. Four barber chairs
ranged in a row seemed hardly qudntatna
sutfcit for the proportions of the room,
but before we had time to make much
more searching inventory of the shops
contents curly-headed male attache of
tender years denuded us of our overcoat
and pointed out the chair he desired us to
occupy. AS we seated ourselves double
Naturalization of small gong summon
ed a comely-looking little damsel, who
tripped forth from an ante-room, attired in
dark dress, with snOwy-white apron and
bewitching smile. Bidding us "good
day :" in sweet, musical voice, she pro-
duced a nice, clean towel which she pro-
ceeded TO tuck under our willing chin in
| the most approved fashion, and then the
lather was applied with delicacy and
grace that fairly electrified us. When she
came to rub the sOponaceous compound
into our beard she was suddenly taken
with hesitancy that was remarked
by one of the male attendants of the shop,
and he stepped forward, took the razor
from the stand, and, remarking We go
over your face the first time, and the lldy
will finish you up" commenced to whet
his shaving knife on the strap of our chair.
We at once demurred TO this procedure.
We had come there to be shaved by girl,
and we so informed the chap, and we
further Informed him that if he had no
feminine capable of reaping our hirsute
stubble, to wash the lather from our
jOwl and we would seek our regular
practitioner. This put the fellow on
his mettle, and he called another
girl, who took the razor with an air of
confidence that was very consoling to her
victim, who was there merely to give the
readers of the Enquirer the benefit of his
experience. Fearing. however, that over
confidence might make her rash, we sug-
gested that we would be ever so much
obliged if she would leave us strip of
cuticle here and there, merely as samples
OF the original tract. She promised to be
careful, and then she bent forward to her
work. Swiftly and deftly she glided her
glittering weapon over our Jaws and chin,
and if once in q while sne did scrape away
an inch or SO of hide the apologize biting
of her neither lip comforted us for the loss
and no victim standing at the foot of the
gallows ever saw his reprieve approach
with greater joy than we experienced
when we saw our fair artist fold up her
glitteEing weapon and restore it to its
rack at her table While she was washing
away the debris of the lath; r and skin that
remained on our chin we interviewed her
as follows:


Reporter. Where did you learn to
shave?


Lady Barber. In Chicago.


Rep. Have they lady BARRIERS there?


l.. b. On, yes, there are several barber
shops there with lady artists.


Rep. How long have you been in this
business?


l.. 3. About two years; but have not
done much for the last few weeks, and my
hand is out of practice.


Rep. What salary do you get here the
same as that paid to male barber?


L. B. Yes, we are paid fully as well as
the men BARRIERS. Some people think that
this is not a fitting business for girls. but
|, for nay part, don't see why a girl can
not be a good barber without offense.
I'm sure we try TO be much kinder to our
customers than men BARRIERS are, and as a
wOman's hand is lighter and more delicate
than a mans, don't see why she can't,
with experience, become a better artist
than he.


Rep. Do you think this venture will be
a success?


LIB. | think it will. The women's
shops in Chicago are well patroniZed, but
the character of some of the girl-barbers is
NO h1v &c tha
good of the shops; that is the reason lett
Chicago, she added, naiyely.


Rep. Suppose man was to have lady
barber for a sweetheart, and she was to
Glitch him out walking with another girl,
would it be safe for him to let her shave
himt


LIB. Uaughing). Why not?


Rep. / don't know, but it seems to me
that | would take another chair.


By this time our auburn lOcks-thanks
to the artistic taste of our lady attendant
had assumed shape and contour really
wonderful to behold; and, as she blew a
quantity of cologne spray over US from a
patent apparatus, and then encircled us
with her fair arms while removing the
towel from our neck, we felt that we had
experienced new sensation, and blessed
our lucky stsrs that we had not Suffered
more in the process. We were more for
tunate, however, than our friend, for he
arose from his chair looking somewhat as
if he had had his head run through sau-
sage machine; but he didn't feel so bad
when informed by his feminine that she
was "just a trihe nervous to-day; next
time I'll have the hang Of your face, |
think" He thinks the next time she will
net get the chance.-C Cincinnati Enquirer.



The Rage for SeaISkinS.