Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-11-08
TRAFFIC ~ HAIR.



e.sf
ne Ha.oas Market sf Neelasa, n sostA-
s1 Western France.
There IL . human hair market q
Aorlans. in the department Of the
Lower Pyrensses. It is little known
except perhaps in Paris. where it has
q high reputation. The market is held
every other Friday. Hundreds Of
trahicking hair-dressers throng TO the
little place from far and near to buy
up the hair OF the young peasant girls.
The dealers wander up and down the
long narrow street OF the town. each
with q huge pair Of bright shears
hanging from a black leather strap
around his waist. while the young girls
who wish to part with their hair stand
about in the doorways. usually in
couples. The transaction is carried
on in the best room Of the house. The
hair is let down, the tresses combed
out. and the dealer names the price.
This varies from three to twenty
francs. II a bargain is struck the
dealer lays the. money in the open
palm OF the seller. applies his shears.
and in minute the long tresses fall
on the floor. The purchaser rolls up
the tresses. places them in a paper.
and thrusts them into his pocket. or
course a maiden can rarely see her
fallen tresses disappear in the dealers
pocket without crying. but she con-
soles herself with the thought that it
will grow again and by looking at the
money in her hand.
There is at present a scarcity of
fancy human hair in the market. The
scarcest hair is pure white. and its
value is constantly increasing; and il
it is unusually long-that is. from four
feet to Eve feet-the dealer can get
almost his own price while il it is OF
ordinary length it is worth from 375
francs to 500 francs (E15 to E2O) an
ounce. The fact that pure white hair
is the court couture throughout
Europe keeps the demand for it very
high. 1t is much priced by American
women whose own hair is white and
who desire to enrich its folds, for
white hair is held to give certain dis
tinctiOn to the wearer. There is no
fancy market for gray hair; it is too
common. 1t is used to work into wigs
Of persons who are growing old.
What is described rs golden hair is
either a washed-out pale red or dull
blonde. The gold color so much val
ued has no relation to red hair, except
In the vividness of its coloring. The
demand for the virgin gold color is
great in the capitals of Europe. A
woman who gets couture Of it is
considered fortunate. There are four
type colOrs of hair-white. blonde.
black. and brown-and each Of these
ferent shades. The commonest types
are black and brown, and these are
cheap. Golden brown is much in
favor. as is pure black. or what is
called blue-black. Next to pure white
hair the demand is for hair of the
color OF virgin gold. There are many
braids made of hair cOlored to meet
the demand with certain preparations,
but they prove unsatisfactory. Many
foolish women have sought to change
the color of their own tresses. but
they have uniformly repented the at
tempt. A fine suit Of hair OF the pur-
est blonde type will sell for I. 900 francs
to $500 francs Gao to e1OO). It is
said that the Empress Eugene paid
1000 francs (E4O) an ounce for braid
OF golden hair that exactly matched
her own.
The largest supply of hair comes
from Switzerland and Germany, and
especially from the French provinces.
The country fairs are attended by
agents Of merchants in London, Paris
and Vienna Only at intervals, how
ever. is q prize like q perfect suit Of
golden hair obtained, and am told
that there are orders ahead in the
shops Of Paris and London for all tho
golden hair that can be obtained in
the next i've years. When a stock Of
hair is collected by travelling agents it
is assorted, washed and cleaned.
Then each hair is drawn through the
eye of a needle and polished. When
the stock is ready for the market here
the nobility is permitted to make the
first choice.-Gdtigndni Messenger