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Another Name for the Art, of Piercing Ladies’ Bare. How the Lobes of the Ear Are Preparsé Gor Carrying Rings—The Steps Neces sary to Be Taken to Do the Job Scientifically and Satisfactorily. (N. ¥. Mail.] On Fourth avenue, near Tenth street, a reporter yesterday had his attention drawn to a sign, the literal meaning of which he ‘was wholly ignorant, notwithstanding his pretensions of being master of the English language. The sign was on blue-stained glass, with bold white letters. It read: ‘“Auratotist.” On the principle of never letting the world know you are ignorant, the Bohemian boldly entered. It was a jewelry store, which made matters all the more perplexing. Just as matters were reaching a climax, an elegantly-dressed young lady, accompanied by a fine-look ing, matronly dowager, entered. The dapper little man behind the counter opened the conversation by unceremo niously asking: “Well, Miss, how is your ear?” “Not at all well. I am sorry I had it pierced at all. I have scarcely slept a wink since I suffered the operation. As there is no use in having one ear pierced I have come to have them both alike. I hope you will exhibit more skill this time than you did last.” Without making any reply, the dapper little man walked leisurely to the farther end of the store, and returned with what looked like a brand-new, darning or knit ting-needle, with a stout piece of cord at the end of it. The young lady was placed in a chair, and the operation of piercing the lady’s second ear was over in an instant. At the touch of the sharp instrument as it went through the lobe of her ear she screamed as though an at tempt was being made on her life. When she looked in a mirror and saw that there was the least drop of blood on her ear the screaming was repeated until a crowd be gan to gather on the outside. Both wom en left the store in apparent high dudgeon. Noticing that there was no payment made for the services rendered, the writer asked if the jeweler was in the habit of piercing women’s ears for nothing. He replied in the negative, aut added that the charge ranged from twenty-five to fifty and seventy-five cents. ‘These two ladies will be back again, probably in a week or so,and settle up. I am used to such pranks, and have to stand any amount of abuse and badinage. Did you notice how flat that young woman's ears are? They cling so close to the hea that the lobe almost forms part of the up per portion of the cheek. A week agol pierced one of her ears and she ran off in the same way as just now, proclaiming that I had ruined her ear. She is of a very nervous temperament and the sight of blood frightens her.” “Is there much business in ear-piercing’” was asked, “I make a good deal of money by it. You see there are not many ear-piercers in the city. I moved here to be near that large dry-goods store over the way, and have within the past two years built up a good practice.”’ “Do all girls have their ears pierced by artists?”’ “Not by any means. People who can afford it prefer artists, but the poor peo ple resolve themselves into artists. There are a great many mothers who pierce the ears of their children at home just as suc cessfully as I could. On the other hand, many pretty girls and women can be seen on Broadway whose ears have been abso lutely destroyed by the manner in which they have been pierced, the perforation being made either too high or too low down. To make ear-rings hang gracefully the ears should be pierced in the center of the lobe. I have had several Vassar girls come here and have their ears pierced for the second time. I learned from them that each pierced the other’s ears with a com mon needle. This does not matter much. The principal care to be observed is as to what you place in the ears so as to keep the hole from closing. If, for instance, a heavy set of ear-rings are put in, such as are worn at present, it is almost morally certain that the hole will be dragged down, which gives the ear an awkward and ugly shape, as well as swelling the lobe, sometimes to an alarming size. “In my time I have pierced the ears of many leading actresses for the second time, owing to the ugly shape the first piercing gave them. After gold, a coarse worsted is the best to run through the hole in the ear until the stage at which they are liable to fester has passed. A good deal depends on the formation of the lobe of the ear. Should it be hard and gristly, it is, of course, hard to be pierced, and the operation causes the greatest pain. “That was what caused the lady who just left to cry out so. Now, no matter what she does, inflammation must set in, and she will suffer a good deal. It is better to have the ears pierced when young, say between five and six and fourteen years, the gristly part of the lobe has not sufficiently formed then to be difficult of perforation. Some times, though, children injure their ears by scratching them during the first week, which, of course, prolongs the stage of in flammation. Still, they do not think much of it, and the promise of a pair of diamond — ear-rings serves as a soothing balm. There is a most barbarous system in vogue among peo le. It that of placing a piece of brown straw in the hole. Such a prac tice is always followed by excruciating pain and suffering, for inflammation must follow, and there are hundreds of cases on record showing that the lobes of the ears have been entirely destroyed by such a tactics. The most difficult customers I cose are, as a general rule, married wom en. The moment they lay eyes on this needles in my hand they go into hysterics, and seem to think they are in danger of losing their lives. In many instances I have been compelled to accompany women of such temperament to a dentist, where gas is administered. My books show that I have pierced the ears of thousands of members of high-toned families. I take their names and addresses, as it may be necessary to call upon them. Besides, I use them as references, which alone brings me a good trade, for all you have to do is to show that you pierced the ears of the daughter or children of Mrs. ——, of Fifth or Madison avenue, or some other aristo cratic family, and your name becomes famous. There are only four auratotists altogether in New York, and each of us has ‘ nice business.’
Newspaper Details
Centralia Daily Sentinel
Centralia, Illinois, US
Fri, May 29, 1885
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
