THE BARBER OF SILENCE.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 September 1921, Page 3

THE BARBER OF SILENCE.

SUDDENLY STRICKEN DUMB, ’AND IS SO FOR NEARLY SIX MONTHS. SPEECH RETURNS'AFTER -JOYOUS NIGHT.

(Sydney Sun).. I For live and a half months he worked an a barber and lie spoke not a word to niivone. This was the experience customers had with Mr Charles Smith, formerly of Hokitika, employed at Peters’ hairdressing saloon in Hunter’s street. The fact is rather asteiiishing. as will be admitted by all mid sounds more like music ball humor than actual happening, ft wits, indeed, treated hy hundreds of uty business men as a phenomenon which with considerable justification one might bring one’s friends to study at close range. It, was no joke, however, for Charlie Smith. One morning in his home, fif) Regent-street. Newtown, and, greeted by "(Hie ol bis children, he found he could not reply. He was stunned, and could not comprehend hi" inability to speak, for his tongue moved and the muscles of his jaw seemed to be under control. Nothing had occurred 10 bring such a calamity upon him. Net. irv ■!" lie would, lie could not speak. I ' SPECIALISTS KAIL. I It was ipiite a time before anyone ! would believe that the stricken mail J was not joking, and at last, when tlm

! tnitli was foned upon them, cit stout - 1 began n> toko Tar more interest in tl„. > I ■ml) barber 1- fm ii tiny over did in the liarlier who. like other members „f hi,, ratlin-, chatted with them, told , them stork-. gave them the “oil." nnd I duriisM'd the evils of shaving tco close | t „ the skin while removing the in- ' growing hairs from the neek. I To the leading specialists of Sydney 'Mr Smith took his trouble. Several ' eminent men attempted to euro him. It.' had gargles find sprays sullieient to 1 -tart a chemist's shop, hut no remedy I did he litid in them. Even a leading j Melbourne threat specialist became in- ! (crested in his extraordinary ease and ! treated him for some time, without • success. i The afflicted liarher resigned himself ' sj lending the rest of liis days m j silence, and purchased n notebook i which provided the means to indicate ’ his wants and a medium, for the inter- ' change of ideas. He tells many Imuii-(i,-oits stories about himself. Eor tost a me. many customers, under the impression that he was deal' as well as Pimh, frequently expressed themselves sympathetically in his hearing in a. tolloquinlly rough way. Strangers who , . lt in his chair and knew nothing <>f his trouhle marvelled at the liarher who could not he induced to -peak. Others used to bed low ill his ear, thus making it necessary for Mr Smith to write in his notebook that he could hear quite plainly, and that there was m, need to drive everyone out of the "'an KXI’I.OSIVK EXPERIMENT, i 11 is tlmiiliness worried him ' j am! unahli* to sleep. ° tu ‘ n ' walked about the streets, until the rlv morning. Two months after slimes' tlc.-i ended -.m him his hair was ~„ite grev. When doetors failed to . give him relief he tried «i few experiments. The most, interesting oeeltrred, : Mas, he gave to a friend a large re- , •■ulrer, fnllv. loaded, with instructions 1 unit when he was not expevting it the revolver was to he discharged hehi.ul 1.j,,, lie luqied by means ol this shock .-cover liis spee.li- ( >l>tiei»gh v Ins friend stalked him for several nights ami then, in a, park, he suddenly emptied all the chambers behind sm ’ th - The result was several , detonating explosions and the utter demoralisation of an old gentleman who was taking the air hut the desired speech mime not. « the CHAMPAOXK (THE. suddenly as words failed him did words return to him. One evening lie met some old acqiiaintanees from the West. They did not know of. his dumbness, at lirst would not believe it. and finally, when eonviction »»s brought to them, they insisted that on such an occasion they should cheer up their unfortunate acquaintance. Tliev had wealth, as men need to have who Imv much champagne. The wine with the winking bubbles came and went, until just about the time when oven the stars lieg.in to wink like the bubbles. Smith went home. \t in the morning he »as awakened by one of his children, who was sick. Smith said to his wife. “Muni, where’s the castor oil i “Since then.” said the liarher, as lie stropped his razor. “I’ve never stopred talking."