Smyrna times., 1865-11-22
SCELLAN US.
False Hair, and Where It Comes From

Where does it all come from? a spectator ma
turally asks, as he surveys the harvest OF locks
hanging in the windows of the fashionable
hair-drssSers, or disposed in every conceivable
form on the heads of waxen dummies. And
little does the spectator think of the Blue
beard S cupboard he is asking admittance to
In putting this query. As matter of course,
all products required for the artificial decora-
ton Of the person find their way principally to
Paris, and We accordingly find that city is the
emporium of the trade in human hair. One
hundred tons weight of this precious ornament
Is, we are informed, annually taken there,
whence it is distributed in a raw and manutac-
tured state over the whole of Europe.
The collectors of hair on the Continent are
generally peddlers or persons moving about
the country on some other business, to which
they add the trade of hair purchasing. The
fact that the agents employed in collecting this
precious material have usually been ostensibly
employed In some other occupation, would lead
TO the inference that the trade is not of the
most reputable kind. In one part of France,
however, there appears to have been no false
shame on the part of the women, with respect
to parting with their hair, and this for very
obvious reason. The peasant girls of Brittany
cover the head with picturesque white cap,
which wholly hides the hair; hence from this
quarter the sale of the article has been long
time openly carried on. Mr.. Francis Trollop,
In his " Summer in Brittany" published few
years since, describes most amusing scene at
q fair in COllenee, where, he says, he saw sew
eral hair-dealers shearing the peasant girls like
90 many sheep. A crowd of fair Brittonnese
surrounded each operator, and, as fast as shear
cd, he threw the long hair, tied up into wisp,
ina basket beside him. While he was operat.
their turn with their caps in their hands. Tn,
fashion which enfOrces the wearing of these
close caps of course rendered the damsels cal
lOus to the loss of their hair, for which the
generally got but few sous or a bright-color
ed cotton handkerchief. We have no dout
that even the simple Brittonnese have by tn
time become awake to the increased value
article they have TO sell, and that silk has tai
en- the place of cotton IN the exchange.
Spain and the north of Italy furnish consiC
cradle contributions to the collectors of je
black locks The main crops of the golde
hair, now so much priced, come from Germ
nv, and the yellow hair from Holland. In q
Catholic countries one great source of supply
the convent The splendid tresses the devot
dedicates TO God somehow get back into Il
world again, and are offered up at the shri
Of vanity This hair is known IN the trade
church hair.
Less false hair is used in England than
France yet it is becoming almost necessl
everywhere. 1t is asserted that one woman
every ten in England uses more or less Ia
hair with her own. The larger proportion
this comes from Paris, either raw or manu-;
tured. The prevailing English color is brow
and as the home grown article matches Engll
heads better than any other, it demands p
portionately higher price. When we say tf
the prevailing English color is brown, OF cou
we refer to the better classes: There are, p
hans, a greater number of distinct shades
color in English hair than in that OF any otl
country, and this is accounted for by the N
ture Of races of which English men and won
are built up.
I'd The faxen hair of the Saxon, the blue-bli
of the Celt, and the reddish hair of the ID;
predominant in special localities. Harm
chants, by long experience, have acquired gr
proficiency IN Judging of the nationality OF
article. This Is done either by the sense
touch or smell. Some nations have much cC
q r hair than others indeed, there is a const
difference both with respect to length
weight.
Iight hair is much finer and softer. in pf
raj than black and red. 1t is curious to 3
hair-merchant take up long tress, sniff
long sniff, and say at once where 1t came fr
1t Is possible the chemical constituents of
material 10 some measure lead him TO cor
sion, as there is always found TO be an ez
Of sulphur and oxygen in fair hair, and al
cess OF carbon in black hair. Local odor
also great tell-talos The chifonnters VIII
about in Paris, morning and evening, pic
olt prizes from the gutter, have not over
ed human hair. By their agency the comi
of the fair ParisienDe are returned once
to the human head; no doubt there is Q
heap odor the hair-merchant knows well.
But there is stu another kind of hair, q
which there is Geep mystery. A grim
passes ever the features of the hair-me
Is ne tells you TINT long "leech" of hal
that's the trade name for the small pa
which are done up for sale after being pref