The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-09-30
SANSHAIR, SANSTEETH
poLnruL rEssIMIsps pnEDlorIoN
Ie Furnishes Statistics Going to Show That
at the Present Rate Future GsRera'
tIon VIII Possess No Natural Grind
ers Nor Capillary AdoTnmentS.

i, Uuutt tuh ChptluH VI n ohlu AN
Toothless Future" Virgil G. Eaton con
tributes the following to the current mum
Der OF Popular Science AQnihly:
To q person who has q moderately we'll
supplied pocketbOok and a thoughtful
turn Of mind there can bs no more fruit
full theme for meditation than to go into
our large halls, theatres, churches and
other places OF public resort, and, securing
a seat in the gallery or in the rear part Of
the room, look at the heads Of the aud
fence, for no other purpose than to asCer-
tain by actual count how many show
signs Of badness, Unless the experiment
ter has been in the habit Of counting for
this object he will be surprised to learn
that, in most OF the Eastern Cities, fllly
80 percent Of the men over 30 years OF age
show unmistskRbla slgns OF badness,
while nearly 20 percent have spots on
their heads that are not only bald, but
actually polished with the gloas that is
supposed TO belong TO tho extreme old
age alone,
have been in the majority Of the
churches and theatres in all the large
Eastern clties, as well as In Chicago, st,
Louis and otuer places in the West, and
have verified my assertion by actual
count. From my observation lind that
bald'heRded men are most plentiful IN
New York and Boston, After these come
Philadelphia, Washington and the Vest
ern towns. 1say linen" for two reasons;
~ Because women usually wear heir hats
or bOnnetG on such occasions, thus cover
lug the crowns, (9) ln case their hats are
removed their hair IL Combed up 10 az
to cover any possible bald spot, or else
there Is an artificial "switCh" 10 hide the
defects Of nature. So, without INDUCING
in any speCulationa regarding what may
be, l will con6ue myself to what ia to be
seen,
Here are lew observations taken In
Boston. Trinity Church: .243 meu; II
actually bald, 40 indications OF badness.
King'a Cbapel; 81 men IS actually bald,
II indications Of badness. Hollis Street
Theatre, orchestra at performance Of the
'Alikado:" O3 men;27 actually bald, l0l
Indications. Boston TheStrs-JudiC: l26
men; 81 actually bald, 43 indications.
These observations were taken from the
more cultivated classes Of society, aud do
not give adsir representation OF the Dos
ton head, as repeated Gala at the dime
museums and cheaper variety perform
anCes demonstrated. For instance, OF the
thirty men seen in the seats OF the Worlds
Museum in Washington street, but eight
were bald, whilO only five others had thin
hair, showing that badness was simply q
question Of very lew years. Again, Of
forty men at Austin Il stones Museum,
twenty-five had their heads well covered
and at the Windsor Theatre Variety |
found less than 20 percent who had thin
hair.
On the other hand, at shows and enter.
tainmenLs OF more refinement, the bald.
headed element waa Considerablylar |
OF two nights when Patti sang ut the Boa.
ton Theatre there were 10 percent. Of
bald heads on one ocCaaion and 49 on tho |
other. When Zslie De Luegan appeared |
in badness, and at one OF Matthew Ar
nold's lectures there were 40 percent. In |
fact, out Of hundreds Of observations, ex-
tending over several years, have found
that the higher tho priCe Of admission,
and presumably the more refining nature
Of the performance, the larger the per-
cont OF bald heads. One night Counted |
the oCcupants Of few settees in my i'm.
mediate vicinity at an exhibition which
John l.. Sullivan gave the Mechanic's
Fair Building and was surprised to find
that less than IL percent Of the men were
bald. As this was show where the
spectators had the privilege Of retaining
or diacarding their hats at pleasure,
think 1t was not fair teat.
In large cities, where over ous.half OF
the population is under 80 years OF age,
and where half thoRe who attend places OF
Amusement can safely BIO placed at lees
than 40 years, these facts are certainly in.
teTesting 10 every person who wishes to
know what kind ola looking person the
coming man Is going to be. 1t is not un.
common to see men under 80 years OF age
whose crowns are totally denuded OF hair.
In ono store In Now York City are twelve
shipping clerks, all under 40 years Of ago,
and seven OF them arc bald, while two
more Of them arc vainly trying TO prevent
badness by using hatr.restorer. There
are more bald-headed men In Boston than
there are who have black or red hair,
Next TO brown heads the bald.heads have
the largest number Of representatives. In
order to provo this 1t ia only necessary to
10 to any party or place OF amusement, or
apsemblsge Of any kind in New England.
In my capacity as newspaper reporter at.
tended funeral in Beacon street, Boston,
few years ago, where the clergyman, the |
undertaken, and every one OF the mourn. |
ers were bald-headedl The only perfect
head oil hair l saw at the house was that
Of the fair young girl who lay in the cssket.
Instances showing the proneness, notonly
Of Boston and New England, but OF the
whole country, 10 become bald, could be
given indefinitely, but think the foreRo-
Ing will suffice.
Now, in view Of these facts, can any one
say that the coming man, OF New England,
at least, will not be bald2 II not, what Is
the present generation doing, or what can
II do, to hinder such a fateT
The old physiological law OF stock.
breeding, that "like begetB Ike" applies
10 men as we'll 60 10 animals. II men at
the eye when they marry and begin TO
raise children, they can expect the chill.
dren to enjoy tho traits Of their sires. A
father and mother who become bald when
young can safely predict q like result for
their offspring. There is no reason why
bald heads should not yield to the laws Of
hOredity as much as curly heads or red
heads. Anything elsewo uld seem unnat.
ural.
To hinder such a tendency II Is only
needtul to learn ita cause, which seem 10
BIO no other than wearing tightly.ftting
head.Coverlng, living indoors, and the
lately developed habit OF keeping the
hair closely cropped. Among the savage
races, who live outdoors most Of tho time
and go bAreheaded, badness Is unknown.
70 theee hair is protection. II gIows In
rank proiusion without care. Something
Is needed 10 protect the scalp from the
sun, aud wind, and rain, and hair grows
luxuriantlyi when hats and caps we're In.
vented they took the place OF the natural
shield, and the hair, having no longer any
function TO perform, fell away. The days
Of Its usefulness IN tho economy Of life
: are past, and, like tho tails Of the monk.
eys and the truEoles Of the ears, Il has be.