The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-12-01
HUMAN HAIR.
A DEALER TALKS ABOUT THE
TRaNSPLANTED ARTICLE.
Peculiar Business-Cost of Human
Hair-Where 1t is Procured
Preparing the Hair
for the Market.

Preparing the Hair
for the Market.
"Times are dull nowadays" responded
the coiffure artist, in reply to repor-
torial inquiry the other day. "You see,
ours is peculiar business anyhow. We
are the most abject slaves to fashion that
ever lived. Just now it's ebb tide with
US. Coifures nre worn high, and wo-
man who hasn't got enough hair to cover
the top of hei head is in pretty bad Tx
indeed. Consequently not much false
hair is required. Of course, there is
steady demand for standard articles,
which are to take the place of the be-
rcavements of nature, but what l mean
to say is that the good old da,s when q
woman walked into my store and chose
her winter or her summer articles of hair
apparel Just as she would choose her
winters cloak are past and gone!' and
the artist heaved sigh which expressed
rcgretful remoustrances.
"What does human hair cost2"
"Depends altogether upon the length
and the shade. Length, of course, is
the principal item. For instance, an
ounce OF certain kind eight inches long
might only be worth fifty cents, while an
ounce tress thirty.six inches long of the
same quality wou' be worth SIS. The
average article is generally not more
than thirty-six inches long. If it is, 1t
commands fancy prices. But the usual
length is but eighteen or twenty inches.
The color is the other important item.
This is, OF course dependent upon
scarcity. The ordinary common colors
that one sees every day of course are the
cheapest; but you take some OF the un-
usual shades, such as gray, pale and dell
cate shades of auburn, and you have got
to pay roundly for them. Why9 Because
they are hard to get and the market is
never fully supplied. White and gray
are the most expensive"
SIS this because old age is vain2"
"Partly for this reason, but principally
because old age, which possesses hand
some head of hair, is loathe to part with
it except at very high figure. See that
tress of brown hair in the Window Well,
will sell it for SIS, because it is com.
mon shade; but that white one in the
corner, I could not part with it for less
than s225-same size though, you see" "
"Where is the hair procured"
"From everywhere. But it is gathered
principally in Germany, France, Russia
Holland and Italy. The light blonde
shades as general rule come from North
Germany and Holland, while the darker
colors all come from the south of France
and Italy. The Southern climate also
produces finer and glossier variety. 1t
is collected mostly by itinerant peddlers,
who visit the country fairs and induce
some peasant maiden to part with her
beautiful tresses for piece of bright cal
leo or some gaudy bauble. In other
places, where the value of human hair is
appreciated, the girls and women of the
peasant class are regularly sheared like
Sheen. In Brittany, which is recognl ed
as the country which produces the hair
of the finest texture in the world, the
shearing of the women is carried on as
regular industry. Last year l saw that
the exc cortation of hair from France was
about 90, 900 pounds, at an estimated
value of 81, 100000. Of course in the
foreign markets it is worth much more.
England imports about 10000 pounds OF
hair q year alone, and America three
years ago imported nearly s. ,O0l,O
worth; and I can assure you San Fran
cisco is not behind the proportion in her
purchase"
SIS not some preparation needed be-
fore the hair is placed on the market for
sale2'
"Oh, YES, of course. In Paris, where
there are several large hair-dealers to
whom the pcddlers sell their collections,
the sorting, cleaning and preparation OF
hair forms an important industry. You
see, hair from all parts of the world and
of all shades, compilations, lengths and
previous conditions OF servitude are
brought to these hair marts and laid out.
The women, whose powers OF dlstln
gushing color are exceptionally acute,
20 over them, matching all the different
colors of the same texture, no matter
where they may have come firm. These
strands are also matched as to length,
until finally the hair is divided up into
lots of precisely the same, kind. Now,
see here" he said, taking down tress
from the window. 'you might perhap;
suppose that all this was grown on one
head. That is nonsense. I would not
be surprised, if every hair could tell the
story Of its origin, that we would find
representatives from every race ON the
globe. see some Chinese representa-
tives here. You sec Chinese hair has
been used to some extent. 1t of course,
very coarse and straight, but in Paris ii
is split to fine quality and sub. .ected tc
preparation to make it glossy. Then
again hair is dyed 10 certain specified
shades. A great portion of all the white
hair, to tell YOU a professional secret, is
| manufactured by bleaching. BIT all ol
these preparations are virtual failures,
and nothing is so good as the genuine
article free from preparation: although ii
is more costly. y."-San Francisco Call.