The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-02-23
UNiNvlTIMG BUSINESS.
Detroit Woman Who Dresses the Hais
CT Dead Customers.


81 was only twelve years old. !" said
a prominent lady hair-dresser, of this
city, "when | was called on by the
friends of an old lady who had died to
90 and dress her hair
"And did yon go?''
"No. ] ran and hid myself under d
bed and staid there a whole afternoon.
Although | loved her and had often
dressed her hair when she was alive, /
could not bear the idea of doing it after
death. But | have done many heads
since for dead persons, and while | do
not like it. l have professional pride
i'll making them look we'll for the last
time"
at must be very distasteful to youP'
mot always. 1t comes in the way
of my business. and naturally my en-
ployes shrink from going. Sometimes
we have call through the telephone, TO
come to such number, and dress a
lady's hair. One of the young ladies
will be sent with curling irons, po-
mades, hair-pins and other things, only
to find that tho lady is corpse. The
girl will not, or can not, undertake it,
and l go myself. There is only the
front hair to crimp and arrange becom-
ingly. One day last week | dressed
Mrs. IS hair fer the last time. She
was young and very pretty, and looked
as if asleep. The hair does not die, so
that il is easily arranged. When it is
wig or crimpee have it sent to the
store, and when it is dressed. take it
to the house and put it on. Let me
tell you something that happened late
ly. A lady died in this city who wore
gray wig. / Idressed it and put it on.
You can just think how surprised was.
when couple of weeks later, a men,
ber of the family came in here and tried
to sell it to me. She said they had it
taken off just before the casket was
closed for the last time.
"And did you buy itP''
'Buy it? Certainly not 1t is not
very long since a man came in and
offered me number of switches of diff
ferent shades and color. l would not
buy them, and sent for policeman. as
l thought he had probably stolen them.
But. as it turned out, they came from
an undertaker's, and were the un-
claimed property of strangers who had
been given pauper burial.
us it customary to dress the hair OF
the dead?''
ut is. I have some customers who
have exacted solemn promise from
me that will dress their hair when
they die and make it look natural and
becoming. l have even been sent fol
: by those who had only few hours tc
live and taken my instructions from
their dying lips"
us the process the same as with the
living?"
'.Just the same, except that | do no
arrange the back hair in all cases. Blu
sametimes the hair is dressed entirely
: Just as it would be for an evening party
7 And l frequently furnish new switches
! crimps or bangs, at the request OF rela
tives who want no pains spared y
"And you are not afraid?"
Madame shrugged her handsom
Q shoulders.
= ut is lonesome task" she said
, sand it certainly does make me nerv
. Gus. Once the corpse opened her eye
l and looked at me; or l imagined it.
e nearly tainted. And once lady VIII
I was holding q lamp went out of tn
a room moment, leaving me with loc
: of hair in the crimping pins. A gus
r of wind blew the door after her, and
Il was in the dark alone with the dea
n woman. I think if she had not opene
u the door just at the moment she did,
u should have fallen insensible. "-Detro
= Free Press.