The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-04-24
FALSE BANGS.
HOW CHINESE P1GTA1Ls TWINE AMID
BEAUTY's LOCKS.


France, Bohemia, China and Japan.
from the two latter named countries
the supply is mostly obtained by cut
ting of the pigtsils or cues of prison
ers. This mode of punishment is
considered to be most severe and the
ordinary Chinamsn in his own coun-
try would almost as soon be executed
at once as lose his pigtail. There are.
however, several Chinese and Jsp~
anese merchan who keep travellers
going round the country collecting
them.from the poorest of the poor in
the agricultural districts who are res
duced to part with their much cher.
ished appendages for mere trife.
Az a rule, however, they are either
secured from the prisons or are OBJ
tanned by force and robbery It Is
said that some merchants in this line
keep a staff of men in different cities
in China whose business is simply TO
waylay and diveet the unsuspecting
Ohinaman of his coveted tail. These
tails Weig, about fifteen ounces each
and are worth in their raw state when
landed here from Il cents to 81
pound. The average importation OF
this class of hair has been. during
the past few yenrs, about 1000 cases,
each being from 40 to $50 pounds
in weight.
Pigtails are considered in the hair
trade as of very low class and are
generally used for mixing with other
and better qualities. They are pre-
pared for use by processes peculiar to
each manufacturer, each one claim
ing to possess secret in the mode OF
dl essing which he jealousy gusrds,s as
is the case in dealing with all other
kinds OF hair that has to be refined
and dyed. The tails are first subjected
to a thorough washing and cleansing
and are then heated with peroxyde
and iron and other acids, which
although destroying the nerve in the
hairsllows it wnen thoroughly dressed
to take on q finer and more silky ap-
pearance, it being in It's raw state
quite coarse and rough. The desired
color is secured by the use OF acids
When finished it is cut into the re-
CURED lengths and put up in hanks
or switches.
Crimps, switches and fronts for the
use of the bellies OF the colored
community are made from
Chinese hair exclusively and can
when dressed scarcely be told from
the original and natural negro wool.
The demand for this class of hair is,
however, rapidly diminishing, and the
importations are likely, it is said, to
be given up altogether.
The hair imported from European
countries is divided into three classes.
The first quality is that cut from the
head of a living person, the second
that which has fallen out, while the
third is that which is commonly
known as ''combings." and is OBJ
tained from Italy where tits gathered
from the streets by msn and women
who 60 about looking for it in every
hole and corner like the rag pickers
do for rags in New York, These
oombings are sold to large dealers
who by means of ingenius machinery
comb it out straight and subsequently
by another simple process get the
roots all to one end. This latter is
done by soaking the hair in q decoo-
ton OF soap and soda in water and
rubbing it between the hands when
the roots always turn downward when
they are drawn out and punched in
proper order. On arrival here sll
raw hair is found to be- in o very
dirty and greasy state. It is, first OF
all well rnbbd with oatmeal -four,
which to certain extent absorbs the
grease, after which it washed and
combed repeatedly until it is consid-
cred thoroughly clean. II is then
drawn rapidly through what are
called hackles, which resemble a lot
of needles driven close together in q
board. This cleans of all the meal
and other foreign matters which is
found adhering TO the hair, and gives
it back its natural gloss. A peculiar
feature of natural hair is thst it never
looses its vitality or nerve unless it is
deitroyed by being immersed in acids.
The price varies according to length
and quality, aHo ranges from s. to
$12 a pound for the oommoness
quality, and from $l2 up for the bet
ter qualities, according to it's length
color and fineDess.
White hair which is of good length
is worth as much az $500 an ounce,
but it must be q pure white to obtain
this figure. Next in val Ie are the
different shades OF white and gray
then come the light blonde and drah
shades and brown, etc. Black is
cheapest of all as it can be readily
supplied by the use of dyes. Messrs.
G. Oaspard & Co., No. IL Mercer
street. who are the largest importers
and manufacturers of human hail
in New York, exhibita small parcel
that could easily be put in an ordin.
airy coat pocket without trouble
which they value at 81 800, contain.
ing some magnificent samples of
different shades of hair, from pure
white and silver-gray, and of un,
usual length and quality. One of
the statesmen connected with the
firm tells of an old beggar woman
Ii Baltimore who possessing a mag.
ailiceat crop of long gray hair sold