New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1881-02-02
How Women Supplement Natures Head
Covering.

FEW persons nave any IDEA OF the
amount of human hair and other hair
imported yearly to this country. If one
half OF the women knew what they were
wearing in the shape of head-gear they
would be almost ready to fall into hys-
terics. A little light on this subject
may be interesting to thousands of both
sexes. False hair is not so fashionable
as it used to be a few years ago, when
tons were imported to this country;
nevertheless, at the present time an ex-
tensive business is being carried on
throughout the United States. In Lon
don it is computed that fully six tons of
human hair are imported every year,
and that the trade increases annually.
In order to meet the demands of this
and other countries, there must be a
regular harvest, which can be looked
forward to at particular season; and
as there are different markets for black
and green tea, for brown or pale bran
dy, SO is there 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 visit
certain parts of Germany and Switzer-
land. A few years ago light hair was
the more valuable, and one particular
golden tint was so much priced that
the dealers only produced it for favor
tie customers, and sold it at double it's
weight in silver. The rich and silky
texture of this much treasured article
had it's attraction for poets and artists,
as well as traders. The immortal
Shakespeare delighted in golden hair.
Bassanio, describing Portia, speaks of
her ''sunny ,ocks,' and in the Two
Gentlemen of Verona Julia says of 'Syl-
via and herself, "Her hair is auburn;
mine is perfect yellow" Black hair is
only mentioned two or three times in
all his plays, showing that Shakespeare
considered light hair to be the attribute
of soft and delicate women. With
painters light brown hair is generally
chosen for their subjects, as is clea1ly
demonstrated by walk through any
of our art galleries. It 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-
riage since the Napoleonic wars with
nations nearer to the sunny South.
Whether light or dark, the hair pur-
chased by the dealer is so closely scru-
tinized that he can discriminate between
smell alone.
Black hair is mostly imported from
Brittany and the south of France, where
it is collected once every year by the
agents of Partisan houses. In various
parts of the motley croud of q Breton
fair may 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 as regularly as if
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 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 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 off, 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 it's
original cost. 1t is then retailed at a
big profit; for choice heads of hair, like
choice old pictures or choice old china,
have no limit to the price they occa-
sionally command. 1t is only some
fifteen years since it was used to any
extent in this country, but since that
time it has developed itself to 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 to its
preparation for the different markets.
IN Y. Alail.