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SOUTH PARK SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF
BUDDY AND JANE HEBERT

SOUTH PARK'S MAYOR

    HE DOESN'T REMEMBER WHO PEGGED HIM WITH  THE TITLE OF "MAYOR", HOW LONG AGO IT WAS -BUT FOR THE PAST 30-35 YEARS I HAVE HEARD THIS TITLE AND HE IS PROBABLY THE MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE PERSON ABOUT THE HISTORY OF SOUTH PARK. AND DON'S BARBER SHOP IS ONE OF THE FEW REMAINING PARTS OF OUR HERITAGE.

    HE WAS BORN A SOUTH PARKER, AND HE WILL DIE A SOUTH PARKER. BORN APRIL 21, 1914, ONE OF EIGHT CHILDREN OF FLOYD EVANS AND PEARL BARTON. DON WAS BORN ON HIGHLAND AVENUE, AND LIVED HIS CHILDHOOD AT THAT LOCATION. HE GREW UP WITH FOUR BROTHERS AND THREE SISTERS.

    DON ATTENDED SOUTH PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, GRADUATING FROM SOUTH PARK HIGH SCHOOL IN 1931. DURING THOSE TEEN YEARS, HE WAS A BUSY YOUNG  MAN - WORKING SEVERAL JOBS. HE WORKED AS A "SODA JERK" FOR THE HIGHLAND AVENUE PHARMACY, WAS SHOE SHINE BOY FOR JACK LANGTAN'S BARBER SHOP, AND WORKED IN MORRELL'S BARBER SHOP ON WOODROW.

    IT WAS WHILE WORKING FOR MR. MORRELL THAT HE LEARNED TO CUT HAIR, AND DECIDED THIS WAS THE PROFESSION HE WOULD LIKE TO. FOLLOW.

   THERE WAS A DAY NURSERY LOCATED AT THE CORNER OF LAVACA AND HIGHLAND AVENUE, AND EACH WEEK MR. MORRELL WOULD TAKE DON AND THEY WOULD CUT THE YOUNGSTERS HAIR FOR FREE.

    IN 1932 DON BARTON ATTENDED LAMAR TECH, WHERE HE WAS MANAGER OF THE FOOTBALL TEAM. IN 1933 HE ATTENDED AUSTIN COLLEGE IN SHERMAN, TEXAS WHERE HE WAS ALSO MANAGER OF THEIR FOOTBALL TEAM.

    IN 1934 DON WENT TO WORK AS A BARBER IN THE EDSON HOTEL BARBER SHOP, AND IT WAS AT THIS LOCATION THAT HE WOULD MET HIS FUTURE WIFE, JOYCE JORDAN - WHOM HE MARRIED IN 1940. ALTHOUGH JOYCE WAS A GRADUATE OF BEAUMONT HIGH SCHOOL, THEY WOULD LIVE THEIR LIVES TOGETHER AND RAISE THEIR TWO CHILDREN, DALE AND JANET IN SOUTH PARK.

    THE STORY GOES THAT JOYCE WAS THE MANICURIST IN THE CROSBY BARBER SHOP, AND ONE DAY WHEN THE MANICURIST IN THE EDSON SHOP WAS ILL, THE MANAGER TALKED THE CROSBY SHOP MANAGER INTO SENDING JOYCE OVER AS MANICURIST IN THE EDSON SHOP. THUS THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL LIFE TOGETHER.

    WHEN THE WAR BROKE OUT, IN 1941 DON WENT TO WORK FOR THE PENNSYLVANIA SHIP YARD, WHERE HE REMAINED UNTIL 1946 WHEN HE PURCHASED HIS BARBER SHOP ON HIGHLAND AVENUE, WHERE HE HAD WORKED AS A TEEN AGER.

    THE BARBER SHOP WAS ORIGINALLY A DRUG  STORE AT THE CORNER OF HIGHLAND AND WOODROW AND WHEN THE NEW PHARMACY WAS BUILT, THE BUILDING WAS MOVED TO ITS LOCATION, ADJACENT TO THE NEW HIGHLAND DRUG STORE BUILDING. THE BEVELED GLASS MIRRORS OF THE DRUG STORE STILL LINE ONE WALL OF THE BARBER SHOP. AND DON TELLS OF A BAKERY THAT OCCUPIED THE REAR OF THE SHOP, WHICH SOLD WONDERFUL POTATO PIES FOR .1O CENTS.

    AS A CHILD I REMEMBER GOING MANY TIMES TO THE BARBER SHOP WITH MY DAD, ALTHOUGH DON DID NOT OWN THE SHOP THEN. IN FACT, ON MANY OCCASSIONS THE BARBER WOULD CUT BOTH MY SISTER AND MY HAIR. DON'S BARBER SHOP WAS WHERE MY DAD HAD HIS HAIR CUT FOR THE REMAINDER OF HIS LIFE.

    A TRIP INTO DON'S BARBER SHOP IS A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE. NOT MANY THINGS HAVE CHANGED FROM THE TURN OF THE CENTURY. THE WOODEN WALLS ARE STILL THE SAME. LIGHTS HAVE BEEN PLACED OVER THE BEVELED MIRRORS THAT LINE THE WALL. A 1928 CASH REGISTER SITS IN THE CORNER - WHICH I UNDERSTAND DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE - BUT IT LOOKS GREAT SITTING THERE. THE BARBER CHAIRS MIGHT HAVE BEEN REPLACED, BUT ARE STILL OLD! THERE ARE CLIPPERS,COMBS, SISSORS, SHAVING BRUSHES (THE OLD FASHION KIND) AND TOO MANY OTHER INTERESTING ITEMS TO MENTION. THE WALLS ARE LINED WITH PICTURES, OF DAYS PAST AND PROBABLY CURRENT. ALL VERY INTERESTING. EVEN THE SHAMPOO BOWL LOOKS OLD, BUT IT DOES WORK. BUT DON HAS A RADIO (OR WASIT A BOOM BOX) SITTING NEXT TO HIS CHAIR PLAYING SOFT MUSIC. I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT TYPE CHAIRS WERE SUPPLIED FOR CUSTOMERS  DURING THE DAYS MY DAD WENT TO THE SHOP,BUT TODAY CUSTOMERS SIT ON METAL LAWNCHAIRS. THERE IS NO TELEPHONE, NO MAGAZINES  JUST GREAT CONVERSATION BETWEEN MANY OLD FRIENDS.

    MANY OF DON'S OLD CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE SINCE MOVED FROM SOUTH PARK TO LUMBERTON, VIDOR, NEDERLAND, BEVIL OAKS STILL COME TO DON FOR THEIR HAIR CUTS AND TO GET CAUGHT UP ON ALL THE LOCAL "GOSSIP". THERE ARE NO APPOINTMENT BOOKS - FIRST COME - FIRST SERVED.

    DON "SORT OF" MODERNIZED THE SHOP WHEN ANTHONY PERRICONE JOINED HIM IN 1955, AND DON REFERS TO ANTHONY AS THE HAIR STYLIST.

    A NO-NONSENSE HAIRCUT IS WHAT DON BARTON GIVES HIS CUSTOMER, AND OVER THE YEARS HE HAS MADE A WEALTH OF FRIENDS. AT 83 YEARS OF AGE, DON IS STILL GOING STRONG - WORKING 4 AND A HALF DAYS EACH WEEK, AND HE ENJOYS HIS CUSTOMERS.

    AS I SAT IN THE BARBER SHOP GETTING INFORMATION FROM DON, I WAS TRULY FASCINATED BY THE CONVERSATION AROUND ME."OLD TIMER" RED KIMBROUGH WAS IN THE BARBER CHAIR, AND EVEN YOUNGSTER CHARLES GIBBS JOINED IN. AND THE TALES I HEARD WERE REFRESHING.