Connecticut western news., 1888-10-31
HUMAN HAIR.
Where French Maidens Sell
 Their Luxurious Presses.
Relative Value of the Various
 Types of Hirsute Growth.

There is human hair market at Mor- lans, in the department of tho Lower French Pyrences. It is little known except perhaps in Paris, whero it has a high reputation. The market is held every other Friday. Hundreds of traficking hair drcssers throng to the little place from far and noar 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 huge pair of bright shears hang ing from a black leather strap around his waist, while the young girls who wish to part with their hair stand about ln the doorways, usually in couples. The transaction is carried oa in tho best room of tho house. The hair is let down, the tresses combcd out, and the dealer names the price. This varies from three to 20 francs. If bargain is struck the dealer lays the m oney iu the open palm of the seller, applies his shears, and in a min- uto the long trosses fall on the floor. Tho purchaser rolls up the tresses, places them in paper, and thrusts them into his pocket. Of course maiden can rarely see her fallen tresses disap- pear into tho dealers pocket without crying, but she consoles herself with tho thought that it will grow again and by looking at the m oney in her hand.
 There is at present scarcity of fancy human hair in the market. The scarccst hair is pure white, and it's value IS con- stant:y increasing; and if it is unusually long-that is, from four feet to five feet --the dealer can get almost his own price, while if it is of ordinary length it is worth from 375 to 500 francs ($75 to $10O an ounce. Tho fact that pure white hair is the court coiffure through out Europe keeps the demand for it very high. It is much prized by American women whose own hair is whito and who desire to enrich it's folds, for white hair is held to give certain distinction to the wearer. There is no fancy mar ket for gray hair; 1t is too common. It is used to work into wigs of pers ons who are growing old.
 What is described as golden hair is either washed out pale rcd or Q dull blond. Tho goli color so much val ued has no relation to red hair, except in the vividness of it's coloring. The demand for the virgin gold color is great in the capitals of Europe. A woman who gets a coiffure of it is con- siderod fortunate. There are four type colors of hair white, blond, black and brown-and each of these has been subdivided into sixteen different shades. The commoIest typos ara black and brown, and these are cheap. Golden brown is much ia favor, as is pure black, or what is called blue black. Next to pure whi'e hair the demand is for hair of the color of virgin gold. There are many braids made of hair colored to meet the de- mand with certain preparations, but they prove unsatisfactory. Many foolish women havo sought to change the color of their own tressos, but they havo uni formly rcpented the attempt. A fine suit of hair of the purest blond type will sell for from 1000 francs to 25oo francs ($200 to $50O). It is sid that the Empress Eu3cnie paid 1000 francs ($20O an ounce for braid of golden hair that exactly matched her own.
 The largest supply of hair comes from Switzerland and Germany, aud espe- cially from the French provinces. The country fairs arc attended by arcnts of merchants ia London, Paris and Vicnn'. Only at intervals, however, is prize like perfect suit of golden hair ob- tained, and I am told that there are orders ahead iu the shops of Paris and London for all tho golden hair that can be obtained in tho next five years. | When stock of hair is collected by travelling agents it is assorted, washed and cleaned. Then each hair is drawn through tho eye of a needle and pol ished. When the stock is ready for the market here the nobility is permitted to make the first choice.
 A woman's hair may grow to the length of six feet. Mime. Hess of Paris refused 5000 for her "cranial cov,r- ing" which was about that measurement. Four hundred hairs of average thick ness would cover an inch of space. The blond belle has about 40, 900 filamcnts to comb and brush, while the red-h aired beauty has to bo satisfied with 89,OOO; the brown-haired damsel may have 109. : 900; tho black haired but 1O2, 900. Few ladies consider that they carry some 40 or 50 miles of hair on their head; tho fair haired may even have to dress 70 | miles of threads of gold every morning. A German experimentalist has provtd that single hair will suspend four ounces without breaking, stretching under the pro and contracting again. But the hair thus heavily weighted must be dark brown, for ] blond hair breaks down under two and half ounces.
 As regards the wig trade, the most expensive wigs are, of course, pure white and the virgin gold color. A