The Red Cloud chief., 1880-12-02
How wemes Supplement Natures Head
Csyering.

Few persons have any idea al the
amour of human hair and other hair
imported yearly 10 this country. IL one
half OF the women knew wha, they were
wearing in the shape Of heai-gear they
would be almost rcafy 10 fall into hys-
terics. A little light on this subject
may be interesting To thousands OF both
sexes. False hair Is no, - fashionable
n /; used . o be . few years ago. when
tons were imported 90 this country;
nevertheless. ai the present time an FL
tensiye business - being carried on
throughout the United States. In Lon
don il is computed that fully six tons of
human hsir are imported every year.
and tha, the trade increases annually.
In order 10 meet the demands at this
and other countries. there must be n
regular harvest. which can be looked
forward 10 nj n particular season; and
as there are different markets for black
and green tea. for brown or pale bran
DIV, so is there a market for light hair
distinct from the market for dark hair.
Light hair is almost exclusively a
German product, and Is collected by
agents OF firms and companies who vsit
certain parts OF Germany and Switzer-
land. A few years 2 light hair was
the more valuable. and one particular
golden tint was 50 much priced that
the dealers only produced il for favor
ite aud sold /; At double It's
weight in silver. The rich and silky
texture of this much treasured article
had its attraction for poets and artists.
as well as traders. The immortal
Shakespeare delighted in golden hair.
Bassauio. describing PortiI, speaks Ut
her sunny Jocks and in the Two
Gentlemen Of Verona Julia says of Syi-
via and herself, Her hair Is auburn;
mine is perfect yellow" Black hair Is
only mentioned two or three time, in
all his PLAYS. showing that Shakespeare
considered light hair TO be the attribute
Of soft and delicate women. With
painters ligh. brown hair is generally
chosen for their subjects, as is clearly
demonstrated by a walk through any
of our art galleries. Ii is admitted that
the color OF the hair of the English peo-
pie has deepened in tint within the pres
ent century. and that this change is
owing to the more frequent inter-mar-
risge since the Napoleonic wars with
nations nearer to the mi South.
Whether light or dark, the hair pur-
chased by the dealer is so closely scru-
tinted hat he can discriminate between
the German and French article by the
smell alone.
Black hair is mostly imported from
Brittany and the southof France, where
it is collected once every year by the
agents of Partisan houses. In various
parts of the motley croud of a Breton
fair NAV be met several of these hair
purchasers. who travel the country for
the purpose of attending fairs and buy
ing the tresses of the peasant girls. In
fact, in many instances, the girls take
their hair to market rs regularly as II
they were selling some kind of pro-
vision. These girls are sheared OF their
hair just like so many sheep. one after
the other. They stand round in a ring
ready for the scissors with their caps in
their hands and their long hair combed
out and hanging down to their waists.
BY the side of the operator is a basket.
into which every cutting is placed sep
arately, tied up in a wisp. The girls or
women of Brittany do not lose much of
their personal adornment by having
their hair cut of. as they wear close
caps, which entirely prevent any
part of the chevelure from being seen.
The portion Of the crop most suitable
for perukes is purchased bva particular
class of people. by whom it is cleaned.
curled and prepared to a certain stage.
and then disposed of to wig-makers for
ten and twenty times more than its
original cost. 1t is then retailed ut a
big profit; for choice heads of hair. like
choice old pictures or choice old china.
have NJ limit to the price they occa-
siOnally command. 1t is only some
fifteen years since it wa used to any
extent in this country, but since that
time it has developed itself to a large
and almost incredible degree.
A great deal of the hair that is now
imported is not, however. human. much
of it being yak" hair, taken from
Chinese cows and other animals. In
Europe it has been in use for many
years, and great attention is paid O its
preparation for the different markets.
IN Y. Mail.