Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-05-14
PEOPLE WHO WEAR WIGS.

Not less than ninety per cent Of the women
and i've per cent Of the men In this country
wear more or less false hair. This enormous
consumption OF the artificial and natural pro.
DUCT suggests the fact, fearful but true, that
nine women out OF every ten ABOUT the street,
In the church, or on the cars, charming or ugly
TO line, have On wig or welt, q bandeau or
q prepared net, bangs or waves, arranged at the
hairdresser's Mother Partlngton would be apt
to exclatn Gracious goodnessi what are We
coming to?'-a query which must positively
give rise to some startling statements the mo
ment the light OF Investigation ia turned upon
any sort seldom asks the question whether the
material was gathered from living or deal diq.
easeo or healthy, Swede, Russian, American or
rIencnman; yet 10 each OF these suggestions
knows little. VIVIAN
These mysterious points were the subject OF
induiry at 1ne store OF certain hair dealer in
Shicago de states that fifteen per cent OF the
human race are bald, the greater proportion of
winch class are among the males. In this day
ara age IL Is very small matter to make q
pestows On the average Individual In France
England and Germany there Is q peculiar in.
austry, consisting In the manufacture of ''nair
lace" OF texture so delicate that the ordinary
Individual would not detect IL from the glisten-
Ing skin Of the bald head. 1t is imported TO this
country with other raw material. Go down
into the cellar OF the dresser and one Will find
bevy Of girls sewing hair on slips OF this lace,
Wnlcn by careful handling develops into wings
and bandeaux. These articles on this decsltf1l
iace look exactly like fresh released scalp with
the natural hair attached. The only way an
Individual With one On can be detected is to find
him with II off. Does the reader know what q
oandeau is? 1t is lady's wig. Imagine the
surprise OF seven eighths OF the readers who
never knew chat some women Wer, hald. They
are. Elisha mad female relative to whom he
transmitted his peculiar condition. Her de-
scehdants are not SO numerous as his, but there
are bald women for all that. A bapdeau differs
from wig; 1t parts squarely In the mid lie and
each side Is composed OF long shreds. : 1t can be
done up In chignon net or otherwise, like any
Womah's natural hair. 1t can be frizZled, curied
Wove or combed straight. and not q mortal
knows Its deceitfulness except Its posses5or AMI
It's makex The old wig never compared With
the new regime. That class got Its owners inuo
frequent embarrassing situations. The pvesent
kind alleViate5 all embarrassment except thai
OF Ihe hapless individual who marrles for a
beautiful head Of hair, to find 1t counterfeit
OF all shades the medium brown and dark
bair predorninates with the American people.
Light brown follows next In order blonde
n rsa Sa tnen RED and finally gray Speaking of
what are Chicago women doing In such a case?
They are hurry1ng to The Darber-many OF
them.Who clips off their locks. These are
them. and then by an extraordinary but secret
chemical process the hair Is run through some
half dozen courses until 1t becomes a flne,
silky red. 1t is an excruciating operation for
the woman, but King Fashion rules with an
iron hand, and her hair must be turned red
at AT all hi hazards fSs Ills safe process after ALL
another head Of hair will have developed.
Some people think that blondes never grow
rayheaded. The fact is, one third OF white
WIN notice 1T: The same proportion OF blonde.
headed people turn gray as those with any
other colored hair.
T. The The proportion Of people who dye their hair
TO do this. OF course. the greater pro-
portion OF this class are white-halred people.
A white head Is often, though not always. a
been turned white In a night fr1m grief or
fright. The dresser is more than often amused
ny requests Is, from the country for 'coid water
TIES a, These, OF course, comprise an article
and are easily supplied. Curry hair has bean
the fashion for year or more.
People who cut their hair get little cash
Tue bulk OF human and artificial hair, and Ia
TACT OF hair goods. Is imported about 81 per
cent ID 1act OK the two, human hair is The
dustry in Europe. The peasant girls, who are
much In the open air, get Jneir heads CROPPED
once year, ard thus furnish portion OF the
supply; Iney are satisfied with stipend 50
small that an American woman would scorn 20
touch six times its value. OF the material I'm.
ported, France supplies half the trade, and
England and Germany divide the rest. The
raw material finds its way here In great guam
titles and Is made up On this side or the water
The business is young yet in this country.
Peopie speak OF black hair, but there is no
such thing. The darkest hair, at best, Is but
dark brown, as Will be seen by a separate test
OF each shred. The darkest hair Is common 10
the Chinese race. This Is used to large eX-
tent In this country In cheap work. The oest
blonde hair comes from Sweden. Medium
shades are best secured In Russia. The beat
grades OF Ill quality come from France
The durability OF hair Is little understood. II
properly preserved hair Will last forever an
instance recently came TO light through the
press OF popularity OF hair A lady had been
buried ABOUT year. It was finally deter ninei
TO remove the body. When the remains Wers
unearthed the flesh had all decayed; but tn
hair had go grown that tae coffin was full Ii
has been found, however, that such hair is not
durable; 1t is brittle and without vitality Con
sidered from the standpoint OF her head woman.
Is, 10 say the least, peculiar.