The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-10-28
The Market for False Hair.
Where the ''Waterfalls'' Come
From. ~

| Where the 'WaterfallS'' Come
| From. ET
A pleasant writer in the London Rerie,o
gives an account of the sources of supply of
the false hair for which the artificial curls
and waterfalls of the prevailing fashion
create market. The stock comes chiefly
from Germany, Holland, Brittany, Spain,
Italy aud the Catholic convents. The pea
SAINT girls of Brittany cover the head with a
picturesque white cap, which wholly hides
the hair; hence from this quarter the sale OF
the article has been for a long time openly
carried on. Spain and the north of Italy also
furnish considerable contributions to the col
lectors of jetblack locks. The main crops of
the golden hair now SO much priced come
from Germany, and the yellow hair from
Holland. In all Catholic countries one
great source of supply is the convent. This
hair is known IN the trade as church hair.
''In visiting a Wholesale hair warehouse
and manufactory lately" says the Rsvie,c,
''we were shown some Of these vestal tresses
fresh from English convent. Vanity of
vanities-its next appearance in all proba-
billy will be on the head Of some maiden OF
Beigravia.'
Hair merchants, by long experience have
acquired great proficiency in judging Of the
nationality of this article. One OF the llrs-
est dealers in the trade in England declares
that he could tell in the dark the nationality
of any piece of hair. This is done either
by the sense of touch or smell. So ne ma
tIons have much coarser hair than others
indeed there is 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 whci,
forms the knot at the back OF the headl Is
five ounces; of Italian, six ounces Of CIR
man. ten This diff renee has much 10 do
with It's color.
The chifJaaieTs, who go about Paris,
morning and evening, picking ont prizes
from the gutter, have not overlooked human
hair. By their agency the cOmbings of the
fair Parissienne are returned once more to
the human heal. No doubt there is a DUST
heap odor the hair merchant knows we'll
But there is still another kind of hair
about which there is a deep mystery \
grim smile passes over the features of the
hair merchant as be tells you that long
''leech" of hair (tor that is the trade name
for the small parcels in which they are done
up.iOr saie,atter being prepared aat ceanseu}
Is known as churchyard hair! is he draws
attention, with a certain sublued manner. 20
the squared end of The .'leech, you perceive
of the head with the bulb adherenl; some
times ;hls hair comes to market with piece;
OF the scalp skin at the end. How this hair
Is Obtained is a mystery which the trade
does nat care TO fathOm. When We So often
hear of the desccraton of churchman's. and
the shOveIing away of the Old bones and de-
cayed co.fins, We may peri aps, make
shrewd guess at the source from which this
hair comes. 1t must be remembered that
hair is almost indestructible The beautiful
VIZ OF auburn hair now In the British Mu-
scum had lain in the tomb of Thebao
mummy for upwards Of two thousand years
before it found its way to the national col.
lec;io., yet that hair IS as fresh as though It
had Just come from the hands OF the hair
dresser, and the curl is 50 strong in it that il
cannot Be taken ont even by ths aD2'icati3-
of heat. Chlrchyari hai- IS brog,h: iat5
the market by home as wei. as fo-ui.l col
lectors aud we cannot help suspeeiins that
the graYe digger IS no meat member of that
craft.
The Eoglishw,m.1 very rarely sel,q her
hair-she must be reduced to the last conIi>
ton ot p,.er;y before she woEll consent TO
this sacrifice. But there IS d CT 5. who are
compelled to DO so. There can he little
donbt that the MAJ ,r.ty of the long English
tresscs come from the heads Of criminals.
Raw hair comes FROM abroad in bales tied
up in "ieeches,' and containing hairs OF
various lengths The first step in lis prepara.
ton Is to cleans, it Of its oily matter. This
is done h. ribbing it in finc sand, which
completely absorbs all fats matter It con
.ains. 1t i thea carded by haal-ihe work
man throwing the lnck Of hair with great
rapility over the iron teeth OF the catd, and
speedily reducing it to regular smo6;hness.
TEs next step in the process is 20 select from
the different "iecches" the different lengths
OF hair il .; contain; these lengths are then
matched with others aud in this manner the
..leech," as it il offered for sale, Is perhaps
the product of dozen heads. The manu-
tlctnrer has two markets to supply-ihe de-
niand for simple uncIred locks for the pur
pose OF plating, etc, with the natural hair;
and curled hair, for the needs of the wig and
front r-U,akers, and for the thousand a nd one
fashionings IN which hair rdressers now tempt
our blooming bellies. The curl is PER- hanent
IL fixed by twisting the hair tightly round
small cylinders OF wood, and then boiling
them for a considerable time in water .-
The golden hair is now selling in Hngland
for twelve to fifteen shilings the onnde, or at
about three times the price of silver. But
there is Il rarer hair still. Youth aud beauty
in the race of vanity are outSgrippcd by the
aged. Gray hair is in such dema hd that
dealers are obliged to ekc out their ST t,res by
resoring TO mohair. Fine gray hair is now
sold III England for guinea ounce,
mainly for the purposes OF the perGkier. As
soon as the precious material falls into the
hands OF this amiabl= functionarv, art claims
it for its own, and the price ascends to labu
lous heights.