| OCR Text |
Show BARBER-SHOP LITERATURE. j Collrgo rrofcuinr Coiiiilulm of tho "Sporty" Stylo of Nowapnpor. "Why Is it," nsked a mild-mannered collego professor of n friend by whoso sldo ho sat waiting for his turn In a barber-shop "why ia it that barbershops, barber-shops, of every grade and In evcrj locality, lo-cality, always provide for tho delectation delecta-tion ot their patrons tho most lurid of 'sporty' publications? I don't look like a sport, do I?" And tho friend looked him over, nnd with n droop of tho corners of his mouth nnd nn elevation eleva-tion ot his eyebrows agreed that ho didn't. "Yet." couclnued tho professor, "whenever I sit down In a barber's chair tho barber Immediately thrusts Into my hands n sheet of pink prurience, pru-rience, or sotno less highly colored but more openly Indecent Illustrated abomination. abom-ination. Somo tow hotel barber-shops have a stray copy of n dally newspaper lying around, but I have yet to find a barber-shop whero 'sporty' papers aro not tho chlof literary entertainment provided for patrons with which to beguile be-guile the tedious waits for a chanco nt tho chair. Ia thero any reason for it, or Is It Just a trado custom for barbers to subscribe tor such publications when they open their business, Just as they order soap nnd Bhavlng papers? Is It that all the thousands of mild-mannered, mild-mannered, overy-day citizens who aro not 'sports' shavo themselves, and thero is thcrcforo no need of catering to the literary tasto of the casual customer cus-tomer ot that kind? But If, as I imag ine is tho ense, tho barber's customers aro men of all classes nnd calibers, why don't tho barbers provide something some-thing to balance tho spectacular effect, at least, of tho 'sporty' papers that store at ono from every chnir? A copy ofsomo good monthly magazine would not cost as much as a sporting wcokly, tor Instance, nnd would bo really a treat for dozens of customers, where tho superfluity of pictorial abominations abomina-tions nro really offensive But I didn't intend to suggest how a barber should run his business. I only started to volco my wonder ns to Just why barber shops nnd lurid 'sporty' papers should always havo to bo associated together In one's Impressions. Can you think ot ono without thinking ot the other?" |
