The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-10-20
The Market for False lIHir..NThcrc the
..HntcrInIIS'' Come From,

"WaIcrGnIIS" Come From.
A pleasant writer in the London Re-
pirp gives IN account of the sources Of
supplV of the inlSe hair for which the
artificial CurlS and "wNtGrfulls" Of the
prevailing EIshlon create II market. The
stock COMES chiefly from Germany, lol-
land, Brittany, Spnin, Italy and the
catholic converts. The peasant girls OF
Brittany cover the head with q pictur-
esQuC white cap, which wholly hides
hair; hence from this quarter the sIlo OF
the article hus been for IL long time
openly carried on. Spain and the north
OF Italy also furnish considerable con-
tributions to the collectors OF jet black
locks. The main crops of the golden
hair now so much priced come from
Germany, nnd the yellow hair from
Holland. III Nll Catholic countries one
great source Of supply is the convent.
This huir Is known in the trnde us
church hair. ain visiting a wholesale
hair warehouse and mandatory Lutte
ly," says the RCUicw, 1--WE were shown
some OF these veStal trcssGs fresh from
an English convent. Vanity Of vNnitiCs
its next appearnnCe,in all probability,
will be on the head Of some maiden OF
Belgravin."
Hair merchants, by long experience,
have acquired great proficiency in
Judging OF the nationality Of this arti-
Gle. One Of the largest dealers In the
trade in England declares that he could
tell IN the durk the nationality Of any
piece of hair. This is either by tho
sense of touch or smell. Some nations
have much COarser hair thnn others;
indeed, there is II constant difference
both with respect TO length and weight.
The average weight of II French hGud
of hair (by which is meant the peiCG of
long hair which forms the knot ut tho
back of the hcad) is five ounces; Of
Itninn, six ounces; of German, ten.
This difference has much TO do with its
color.
The chiiI'Onniers who go about IN
in Paris, morning and evening, pick
ing out prizes from the gutter, have not
overlooked human hair. BY their
agency the cOmbings Of tho fair Paris
iennc are returned once more to tho
human head; 10 doubt there is II dust
heap OdOr the hair merchant knows
well.
but there is still another kind Of hair
about which there Is dim mystery
\ grim smile passes over the features of
the hair merchant nS he tells you that
the long "lccch" of hnir, (ior that is the
trade name for the smiall parcels III
which they are done up for sale, after
being prepared and clrnnScd, is known
ms cIIurchynrd hair. As he draws nticn-
tinn, with II certain Suhdnrd manner,
to the squared end Of the ''lGCch," you
perceive that they have not been cut,
hut pulled out of the head with the
bulb hdhcrcni; sometimes this class of
hair comes TO market with pieces Of the
scalp-Skin ut the end. How this hair
is obtained Is Il mystery which the trade
does not care To luth0in. When we so
often hwnr of the dissertation Of the
churchynrIS, and the sliOvGlimgnwny Of
the old homes and drcnyed collins, We
may perhaps make IL shrcwd guess ut
the source from which this hair comes.
II must hc remembered that hair Is al-
most indiSiructiblG. The beautiful wig
of auburn hair now IN the British mn-
sun had lain in the tomb of ThCbHn
mummy for upwards of two thousand
years before ii found lis way to The ma
liOnHl collection, yet that hair is ils
fresh nS though il had just come from
the hands Of the hnir-dresScr, and the
curl is 50 strong IN il TINT il cannot lw
taken out even 10y the application of
heat. Churchyurd hair is brought into
the market BY homo us well rs foreign
collectors, and We cannot help suspect
ing TINT the grave digger is no mean
member of That craft.
The English women very rarely sells
1, l,,tt l,n I'm FnHItnnn n tim
last condition of poverty before she
would consent to this sacrifice. But
there are II rlIss who are compelled to
do so. There can b. little doubt that
the majority of the long English trcs-
srS come from the heads of criminals.
Raw hair comes from ubrOnd in bales
tied up in "lurcheS," and containing
hairs Of various lengths. The first step
in its preparation is TO clense it Of lis
oily matter. This is done by rubbing
II in fine snnd, which completely alb
snrbS all the fatty matter II cOnInims.-
II Is then cnrtlcd by hnnd-thC work
man throwing the lock Of hnir with
great rnpidity over the iron teeth Of the
card, and speedily reducing II to n regu-
lnr smoOthncSS; The next step in the
process Is 10 select from the different
'lCcchcs' the different lengths Of hair
they contain; these lengths are then
matched with others; and In this man.
nrr the 'lccch,' MS IL is offered for snlG,
is perhaps the product of dozen hcMds.
The manufacturer has two markets 10
supply-thc demand for simple uncurl-
cd locks for the purpose of plating, &c.,
with the natural hair; and curlcd hnir,
for the needs Of the wig and lrOnt-mak-
crs, and for the thousand and one insh-
iOMings in which hair-dressers now
tempt our blooming bellies. The curl is
permanently fixed by twisting the hnir
tightly round small cylinders Of wood,
and then boiling them for considers
bic time in wafer.
Tho golden hair is now selling in
England for twelve 10 fifteen shilIingS
tho ounce, or at three times tho price Of
silver. But there IL n rarer hair STILL
Youth and beauty In the race Of vanity
nrr OutStrippud by the Rge. Cray hair
is In such demand that dealers ARE
obliged to exc out their Stores by resort
ing to mOhnir. Fine gray hnir Is now
sold in England for II guinea mn ounce,
mainly for the purpose of the pernkier.
As soon us the precious material fhlls
into the hands Of this nmiNblG func-
,iNuur,. net ,IuiIuu II rnr ito nWO uu1