Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-07

DISTINGUISHED CUSTOMERS.
From the Philadelphia Times.
''Talkin' about wigs" said an abdOminOus old
actor whose nose. fired by the generous fumes
OF the jorum of ''hot Scotch" that steamed be-
fore him on the Continental bar scntillated
like half-pound ruby, II see on Wednesday
they sold about forty that covered the heads of
the wax figures in the Centennial buildings.
The whole lot went for ten dollars. and they
were bought for Bunnels Museum i'm New
York. Blazing cheap wigs. I can tell you: but
they couldn't have been made of real hair could
they Buch 2" said the old gentlemen, appealing
to the wel-known wig-maker, who stood by.
Mr. Buch said he thought not, and then the con-
versatiOn turned on hair. wigs, wig-makinp
famous theatrical wigs and their owners. Nearly
all the theatrical wigs worn in this country are
made by Myers and Hemer 4 Gluth of New
York and A VI. Burch. of Philadelphia although
there are many actors. like James Deane George
Bostick. and J. W. Edwards who make WIGS
more skilfuy than professional perruauiers
This Is notably the case with Mr. Deane who re-
celved $500 from John Mccullough for King
Lear wig and beard of white hair. which is
thirty-two inches long and cost SIS an ounce
Two ounces and quarter of hair were used
and the wig and beard when finished weighed a
trifie over three ounces.
WHERE THE HAIR COMES FROM
The hair used in manufacturing wigs comes
from all parts of the world. The natural blonde
Is imported from Sweden and Norway Dealers
in the south of France supply great quantities
OF dark hair and thousands of pounds OF black
har is brought from Italy to New York every
year The cheapest hair comes from China. but
1t is rather coarse and is used in manufacturing
lower grade theatrical wigs and back pieces and
braids for ladies' street wear By bleaching and
dyeng, Chinese hair can be given any color that
Is desired. but it assumes auburn shades best
ana. as these shades are now fashionable, an
enormous quantity of this cOOlie hair will be
used IN ladies' wigs before the reigning color
craze Is over The Swedish hair is rarely longer
thar twenty-five inches, and on reaching this
country Is always dirty and teemng with in
sect life. The French hair is generally clean.
but the Italian hair which comes to New York
en- a,. one hundred pound bundles, is exceedingly
hithy, and the wOrkmen who clean it before it
Is purchased by the wig-makers frequently con-
tract diseases from handling it. Dyed hair is
called dead" and it becomes harsh after being
worn short time. Chemicals are used to give
glossy appearance. In addition to the hui
man hair referred to- large quantities of Yak
and AngOra goat hair and jute fibre are used.
PRICES REGULATED By COLOR.
Natural hair varies in price according to the
prevailing fashionable color and rare shades of
light and auburn hair, a yard long, costs from
$50 to S175 an ounce. Clara Louise Kellogg
has a blonde marguerite" wig, the hair of
which is yard and four inches long and cost
ESQ an ounce in Paris Four and a half ounces
OF hair were used and the wig when completed
cost $7OO. She wore it half dozen times and
then sent 1t to wig-maker in Chicago to have
IT dressed and he burned the. hair SO badly that
when it was repaired by Mr. Buch, a few months
ago, 500 worth of hair was taken out of it,
Hair smuggling is very profitable, as several
thousand dollars worth of hair NAV be carried
In the pockets of a vest; but the experience Of
smuggier named Jansen, who had IS 600 worth
OF blonde hair seized by the custom officials in
New York in 1880. had the effect of greatly
Checking practice, but it is still carried on to
some extent in New Orleans. The price of
wig depends entirely upon its style and the
quality and quantity of hair used: but as actors
thoroughly appreciate the value of first-class
wigs. they are, as rule, willing to pay good
prices for what they want. j. l.. Stoddard has
over 800 character wigs; C. w. COuldOck owns
40; William Warren of Boston. has several
hundred: f. l.. Davenport had trunk full;
george Griffith has over fifty wigs for old men;
John Mccullough travels with q trunk full Of
hne ones. Edwin Booths wigs number about
fifty, Hamlet being the only part he plays with
out wig; John 5. Clarke has several Dozen
aud the wigs he wears at night are ALWAYS
dressed by professional wig-maker in the after
noon Joseph Jefferson has but few wigs, but
they are very fine The light brown curly wig
ne wears in the first act of rip Van WiBklen
weighs less than an ounce and was made by
Leon Perit. of Paris. The gray wig used after
tne sleep cost $50. and was manufactured by
Myers. OF New York; Rose Wood paid Buch $50
for blonde wig last year and Fanny Davenport
has one that cost $3.50. Ada Gilman boasts of a
beautiful red dress wig. which cost $685. and
Marion Booth invested 800 last year in a blonde
boys wig, made of baby hair, that cost $50 an
ounce.
COMEDIANS DILEMMA.
When SOthern played the Crushed TRACE
dian here for the first time his wig was stolen
irom his dressing room after the second perform
ance- The loss was not discovered until3 o'clock
the next day. Buch was sent for. II must have
uyxler do hnfss 80 49,
the comedian
:" 1t is impossible" replied the perruquier
1t Is not xyOur own price for your work
but have the wig at the theater this evening""
" But. Mr. Sothern-"
1T must be there, interrupted the actor 81
shall depend upon it. You are wasting your
time now
Buch got description of '.Fitz Altamont's"
flowing locks and went away. Five minutes be-
fore the appointed time he appeared at the thea
ter with the wig complete.
''What is your bill:' inquired the actor
"Thirty-five dollars" replied the wig-maker
There is $50. said SOthern, handing Buch
that amount of money. Now, never tell an
ACTOR you can't make wig in three or four
hours"
The favorite wig of John Wilkes Booth. Presi-
dent Lincoin's assassin. was made of the hair of
his sweetheart. Miss Beckett of Richmond Va
She died OF typhoid fever, but her head was
shorn before death and her love had the beauti-
fui light brown hair woven into wig. Clara
eipiliS Has Didch WIZ tilat cost SISO, and Rose
Coghlan Is happy in the possession of light
blonde and an aburn wig each of which cost over
SlOO. When Ben De Bar died he left over 100
wigs. Of all kinds Edwin Forrest had splendid
stock of wigs and scores of pages of the old
books OF Buchs business are covered with orders
OF the great tragedian. His last order was for a
S35 dark Roman wig in 1865. a few months before
he made his first visit TO San Francisco W. E.
sheridan has Sl.OOO invested i'm wigs and John
Gilbert has more than double that amount in
vested IN the same way. Charles Fechter was a
great admirer OF beautiful wigs. and the gray
wig he wore as the Count Of Monte Christie will
BE- remembered by all who ever saw it, This
wig cost Sl40, and was pronounced the most per-
feet piece of work OF the kind ever done in this
country.
ARTISTIC HEAD-COyERINGS.
Fine wigs are now made on human hair net
ting, which is made in Paris and is so fine that
at a little distance it is imperceptibIe. The net
ting used in one wig costs from IS to So Mod
ern bald spots are made of a patent substance
not unlike cork, and it is light, flexible and has
n in