Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-02-08
NUMBER "a.
Theatrical Wigs....A Queer Traffic.


According to the Post Office Directory
there are but three theatrical wig-nak.
ers in London, and this one has been
known for years to every portion of the
English-speaking world in which theat-
rical performances are held. There is
not much in the windows (says the
Daily News) to tell of the wonders
within. There is not much time for
general conversation, for the customers,
for the work people and the foremen
keep the wig: maker constantly employ
ed. "Now Clarkey, my dear boy, 1
hope you havn't forgotten the carbuncle
on the forehead2 z" il the salutation of
one gentleman. "1'm to be an elderly
Chinese coon, You know, and I come
on beating my head with tambourine,
80 don't want false forehead, or the
stufang II deaden the sound. -
"Clarkey" has not forgotten the
'tbuncle," a. he terms it, to save time.
but suggests "wobble " as a graceful
addition. This has to. be discussed,
and after grave deliberation, it is de-
cided that " the elderly Chinese coon, ~
is to have bald headwith =: large car
buncle on its front, and a tuft Of hair
which shall move up and down, or
t.wobble," when its wearer pulls q
string.
An old man asks whether his fake
ment's ready, as he wants to put q
bit of india rubber at the side to work
up and down with his jaw. He has
been rebearsing all DAY, and is dead
tired, he says, though the bright eye
and sonorous voice seem to contradict
him. "He's seventy-six years of age" !"
remarks the w,,ig.maker, 'ssnd is play.
ing Pantalocn this year, He used to be
Clown when he was younger. and it's =
curious fact that he's the only Clown
I've ever known Who 10 bald. Clowns
never become bald. tdon't know
why, but it is so.'' A middle aged
woman, rather like q shabby house
keeper, enters, and addressing the
youhg woman at work with q mass of.
tangled hail, ("wig for one of the
Huebeard's wives, y 20 "Dear," peti.
Gons that she may not be disappointed
in her "front.", Something in the.
voice il familiar, and you learn on in.
quiry that the housekeeper II one of
the most popular and clever actresses
of the day-and of another day when
there were tar more fun and far better
acting than now. Then comes several
callers who are about to appear in
private theatricals, or at q fancy dress
ball. . =
Here telegraph boy comes in with
message, reply paid" and the wig:
maker sooths the mind OF d distant
provincial manager with the intelli.
gence that the eighty wigs he ordered
were sent Of by the morning train.
Have you sent those eighty boy wigs
over the way for the ballet, Jane T.
"Over the way" it may be remarked,
is a theatrical phrase, and applies to
theatres at the four points of the COM
Is trick wig" " and another for q g aaxen
flowing" human hair); and the mes
sengers with these are followed by a
groupe of gentlemen, each of whom re-
quires set of wigs for starring expe-
dition in the provinces.
1t seems impossible that the orders
can ever be executed in time. Here ia
one copied literally for the wigs in the
comic scenes at one theatre that is the
special wigs, irrespective of those fol
the : ballet, the supernumeraries, and
the actors not engaged in the comic
scenes: 5"Two Indian wigs; a Jacques
Strop wig; Robert Macaire wig; an
old lady wig; Nigger's wig; I; . Negress
wig; q wig and whiskers for stout
shopman; a wig, vhiskers and nous.
tache for Life Guardsman :; q Mrs.
Brown wig; wigs for Two-headed
Nightingale; three pair of whiskera
and moustache for small policemen
u wig for dummy head "a black scratch
for tailor a long ragged wig and long
grey beard for Jew Dundreary wig
and whiskers for fop {; a light curly wig
for a page boy ia Quaker's wig; I,
brown wig for prim old lady four tops
wigs and whiskers various . John
Bull wig, and q Norwood wig" Let
the reader multiply this list, by the
principal theatres in town and country;
and throw in the wigs required for the
j.. regular drama, and for amateur perfor-
mances of al kinds, and he Win have
an approximate estimate of the great
theatrical wig makers business, and oi
the organized labor involved in the
production Of stage heads of hair of q
sufficiently varied character, and by a
given time. ="