The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-10-20

constant difference both with respect to
length and weight The average weight of
French head Of hair (by which is meant the
piece of long hair that forms the knot at the
back of the head) is five ounces; of Italian,
six ounces; of German, ten. This difference
has much to do with its color.
The chiFonnierS who go about in Paris,
morning and evening, picking out prizes from.
the gutter, have not overlooked human hair.
By their agency he combings of the fair Paris
ienne are returned once more to the human
head no doubt there is a dust-heap odor the
hair merchant knows well. gi rH
But there is another kind of hair about
which there is great mystery. A grim smile
passes over the features of the hair merchant
as he tells you that the long "leech" OF hair
(for that is the trade name for the small par
GELS in which they are done up for sale, alter
being prepared and cleansed) is known as
churchyard harl As he draws attention,
with certain subdued manner, to the squared
end OF the s1leech,n you perceive thatthey have
not been.cut, but pulled out of the head with
the bulb adherent; sometimes this class Of
hair comes to market with pieces of the scalp
skin at the end. How this hair is obtained is
mystery which the trade does not care to
fathom. When we so often hear of the desc
Grafton of churchyards, and the shoveliing
away of the old bones and decayed eOfiins, we
lldy perhaps ulithc SITGWu guess az tuC
source from which this hair comes. 1t must
be remembered that hair is almost indestruct-
ible. The beautiful wig of auburn hair now
in the British Museum had lain in the tomb
of Theban mummy for upwards OF two
| thousand years before ii found its way to
| the national collection, yet that hair is as
| fresh as though it had just come from the
hands of the hair-dresser, and the curl is so
strong in it that it cannot be taken out even
by the application of heat Churchyard hair
is brought into the market by home as well as
foreign collectors, and we cannot help suspect
ing that the grave-digger is no mean member
OF that craft. flnil ls
The Englishwoman very rarely sells her hair,
she must be reduced to the last condition OF
poverty before she would consent to this sacri-
tice. But there is class who are compelled
to do SO. There can be little doubt that the
majority OF the long English tresses come
from the heads of criminals. -
Raw hair comes from abroad in bales tied
up in ''leeches," and containing hairs of vari-
Gus lengths. The first step in its preparation
is to cleanse it of its oily matter. This is done
by rubbing it in fine sand, which completely
absorbs all the fatty matter it contains. 1t is
then carded by hand-the workman throwing
the lock Of hair with great rapidity over the
iron teeth OF the card, and speedily reducing
it to a regular smoothness. The next step in
the process is to select from the different "leech-
es" the different lengths of hair they contain;
these lengths are then matched with others !;
and In this manner the @leech," as it is offered
for sale, is perhaps the product of dozen
heads. The manufacturer has two markets to
supply--the demand for simple uncarled locks
for the purpose of plating, &c, with the nat
ural hair and curied hair, for the needs of
the wig and front-makers, and for the thou
sand and one fashionings in which hair-dres-
sers now tempt our blooming bellies. The curl
is permanently fixed by twisting the hair
tightly round for considerable time in wa
ter.
The golden hair is now selling in ENGLAND
for twelve to fifteen shillings the ounce, or at
about three times the price of silver. But
there is rarer hair still. Youth and beauty
in the race of vanity are outstripped by the
age. Gray hair is in such demand that deal
ers are obliged to exc out their stores by re-
sorting to mohair. Fine gray hair is now
sold in England for a guinea an ounce, mainly
for the purposes of the perukier. As soon as
the precious material falls into the hands of
this aniable functionary, art claims it for its
own, and the price ascends to fabulous heights