The Evening critic., 1882-01-03
FALSE HAIR.
How the Gorgeous Locks Are oh.
tnined-Prices Paid.


New York Tribune
ooh, yes people Of all grades and sizes,
compilations and colors, without reference
to previous condition of servitude, wear
false hair in some shape or color, said one
Of the leading dealers in hair in this city
recently to a Tribune reporter. "Some-
times, - he added, I" Ii is black, sometimes
white and sometimes brown. The most
fashionable color is blonde. 1t makes a
wonderful difference in the appearance ofa
person, especially of a woman, If you
should see your own true-love sometime
with a little handful of hair perched on
top of her head and her beautiful, cluster
ing ringlets gracing the top of a dressing
bureau, your aesthetic notions would be
considerably upset.
"where does the hair come from ?" he
repeated, in answer 70 a.question. From
Europe. We have to import 1t all. In
this country we haven't the poor, wretched
class of women that Europe affords. Say
wretched; they are wretchedly paid, al
though they don't look exactly miserable.
Why, the women who sell their hair earn
only about 81 wear in wages it's a factE
you needn't look incredulous. Some of
them may run as high as $40 for the year."
How do they manage to liver
Well, they get their food where they
work. They work out in the fields and do
mans task. They are strong and tough,
and don't seem to suffer much from it,"
"And do they sell their hair for pin
money!
''That's about it. You see the hair bust
ness passes through several hands. We i'm
port from Europe. The exporting .house
there buys of houses in the different Euro
pean countries"
"These in turn purchase of the hair cut
ters who go around like Yankee peddlers
and buy up hair in exchange for trinkets,
or just as VIM. Penn purchased land of the
Indians. The cutters pay no money.
They advertise in advance where they are
going to be- and announce that on such a
day they may be found at such place in
town. Then the women and girls who
wish to exchange their hair for jewelry
OF any other trinkets, handkerchiefs, etc,
go to this place and have their hair cut"
SIS the whole head of hair cut of?"
"No; at least very seldom, You see
the women wear white caps on the back of
their heads. These are small and will not
hold very much hair. All the women wish
to keep is enough to make proper show
in the cap. So the cutters clip their hair,
cutting out little here and a little there
until only enough is left to keep this cap
in shape. The cutting when done in that
way does not show"
"What parts of Europe furnish the
most hair?'
"The Scandinavian countries supply
great deal. The blonde hair comes from
there. Germany furnishes this, too, but
not so much as Norway and Sweden and
Denmark. These portions of Europe
where the peasantry is poorest furnish
the bulk of the hair. Bohemia and
Hungary contribute very large amount.
From Italy we get what is known
in the market as Italian hair. This of
course, is darh-mostly black. 1t is coarse
and very brittle. 1t is obtained, in the
first place. by pickers who make special
business of going around TO ash-barrels
and picking out the hair that is found in
the ashes. They can only get it in small
quantities, as it has come from the brush or
comb used in making the toilet. 1t takes
great many combings to supply enough
for a wig. So, you see, wig of Italian
hair is probably made up of contributions
from hundred heads or more"
+" Is any of it from the dead ~
No; 1 think not. It's all alive-in
two senses often. Sometimes it is bleached
or mixed in with other hair, so that a
woman wearing such wig may look very
bewitching. The Italian hair alone makes
our cheapest and coarsest wig. 1t breaks
easily. Another cheap kind is the Chinese
hair. This is mixed great deal with
human hair. OF course the Chinese are
human, but in the trade we distinguish
between human and Chinese hair. The
latter is coarse and very brittle"
"What is the most expensive hair?"
"The white. That is very difficult to
find at least Of good length. White OBJ
tanned by bleaching does not last we'll it
turns yellow, especially at the ends. A
head of natural white hair of good length
is a very scarce article. This increases the
value of it. We can get it of shorter length
more easily for curls particularly, but even
then it sells at from $50 to 800 an ounce.
A head of hair varies all the way in weight
from two ounces to twenty-four Hair
when long and thick makes, of course, the
heaviest weight, so that such head of
white hair would be very expensive. We
get very little hair of that kind and we
make nothing on it; of the two, we lose on
it. There is only once in while GUS
toner who wishes a fine head of white hair
of good length. The shorter hair, worn in
curls is much more common.
"Blonde hair is the next most expensive.
There is great demand for that Then
comes the auburn, gray, black, and down
TO the Italian"