From _Horace Bell, Reminiscences, 1850s_ (http://www.ancestry.com/search/srrd.asp?rd=db&dbid=4181) (narrative accounts from the life of a California soldier and businessman) Reminiscences of a ranger; or, Early times in southern California. CHAPTER II. page 37 On the day following my arrival in this famed city of the South, then by some designated "the City of Vineyards," I betook myself to the city barber, Peter Biggs by name, afterward and during the days of the great sectional strife known as the "Black Democrat." "Don Pedro," so styled by his Mexican friends, was a famous character, and the writer proposes to do his best in conferring the meed of immortality where it so justly belongs, in trying to do justice to the memory of this illustrious and necessary appendage to Los Angeles society, who, for the period of a quarter of a century, or more, certainly made himself known and felt in certain quarters of this eminently virtuous community. Pete advertised in the Star to "shave and shampoo, wait on the gentlemen, run errands, and make himself generally useful." Pete was a Virginian, so he informed me while for the first time submitting to his barberous manipulations, and came here as the servant of Captain A. J. Smith, of the dragoons, afterwards famed as General commanding the 16th army corps of Sherman's army; that he had made a great deal of money in various speculations; that he had married a Spanish lady; that the community, "'specially de ladies and gentlemen," could by no means get along without him. He said he knew all of the ladies, and sometimes carried messages from gentlemen to them, and was always ready and more than happy to introduce a stranger to female society, and to act as interpreter when occasion demanded. At this point Pete came to a period, seemingly anticipating that the author would make some pertinent remark; failing in which, Pete broke the embarrassing silence by saying: "Would ye like to make de 'quaintance of some of de ladies?" I thereupon informed him that I had friends here who would in all probability introduce me into such female society as would be proper for one of my youth and inexperience to know, and at the same time informed him who my friends were, at which Pete seemed for a moment "run chock-a-block," but soon rallied and said: "You see I doesn't mean ladies ob dat high-up class; I means de kind ob ladies dat's always anxious to make de 'quaintance ob strangers; 'specially dose dats got plenty ob de spondulix." CHAPTER IV. page 80 A requisition was accordingly made on the tonsorial skill of Peter Biggs, who, in the presence of the Court, Jury and congregated crowd of gamblers and hard cases, proceeded to denude the horrid creature of every hair, from his jaw-bones to the root of his tail, leaving him as sleek and smooth as the hairless dog Don˜a Concha. CHAPTER VI. page 102 Peter Biggs was in his glory on that election day. His shop and its various branches were crowded all day.