LOUIS FILE
Arizona Republican Newspaper
October 25, 1909

The following item from the Williams News will be of interest  
to a great many Phoenix people as the deceased lived here for 
many years, going from here to Williams four or five years ago:

Louis File, a barber by trade and a well known pioneer of 
Arizona, passed away at the county hospital in Flagstaff 
Wednesday night after a short illness. He was taken to the 
hopsital from this city on Wednesday evening and death came 
a few hours later of heart disease.

The deceased was born in France, sixty four years ago and 
came to the United States over forty years ago and for years 
was prospecting in the Cripple Creek district in Colorado. 
He came to Arizona in 1876 and since made his home in Phoenix 
and Williams. His wife died in Leadville, Colorado in 1875.  
The deceased leaves two grown up sons in France.  The 
deceased was kind hearted and accomodating. His appetite 
for strong drink was his only failing.

Conditions in a pioneer country develop many eccentric 
characters; indeed, it might almost be said that all who 
live in a pioneer country for a number of years become more 
or less peculiar.  "Louie, The Barber" was among the most 
eccentric, thought he was by no means one of those sour old 
cranks whom nobody likes to meet.  He was one of the most 
pleasant persons in the world. There was almost nothing he 
wouldn't do for a friend, be it finding him something to 
eat or cooking special dishes for someone.  Louie was an 
excellent cook.  During the last few years of his residence 
in Phoenix he conducted a barber shop in a little brick 
building facing the alley in the rear of what is now 
Griswold's Bicycle Shop or just accross the alley from 
what was then the Saloon Row on Washington Street.  His 
shop contained one and sometimes two chairs, the second 
for the use of some "broke" barber who chanced along and 
wanted to make a dollar.  The walls of the little shop 
were decorated with all the pictures and cartoons of the 
current illustrated papers, calendars, etc.  The rear of 
the shop contained a bed and bath room and when Louie was 
not using either, someone else probably was. 

Professionally Louie was just a peculiar as he was personal.  
To be a friend of Louie's was to know that his shop was a port 
in any storm.  When Louie first came to Phoenix the price of a 
shave was 25 cents.  Competition soon brought it down to 15 
cents in the best shps but Louie never changed. He charged 25 
cents.  Louie had no cash box and ordinarily made no change. 
His money lay on a shelf below the mirror.  At the conclusion 
of his services, a patron was instructed to make his own 
change.  He did so settling his own figure on the value to 
him of the work performed.  His favorite phrase was "Well, 
you didn't make this world and you can't run it."