Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1888-12-29
Traffic IN HAIR.
Tie Famous Market of Morlans, in South
western France.

Tie Famous Market or MorISns, IN SOUTH
western France.
There is a human hair market at
Morlans, in the department of the
Lower Pyrenees. 1t is little known
except perhaps in Paris, where it has
a high reputation. The market is held
every other Friday. Hundreds OF
trafficking 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 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. If a bargain is struck the
dealer lays the money in the open
palm of the seller, applies his shears,
and in a minute the long tresses fall
on the floor. The purchaser rolls up
the tresses, places them in paper,
and thrusts them into his pocket. Of
course 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 if
1t 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
francs to 500 francs (f15 to 920) 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 as golden hair is
either a washed-out pale red or a 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 IA couture of it is
| considered fortunate. There are four
/ type cOlOrs of hair-white, blonde,
| black, and brown-and each of these
has been subdivided into sixteen diff
| ferent shades. The commonest types
are black and brown, and those 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. fine suit OF hair of the pur-
est blonde type will sell for !, 200 francs
| to 800 francs (f40 to tl00). 1t is
said that the Empress Eugene paid
/ 1000 francs GAO 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 prize like a perfect suit of
golden hair obtained, and | am told
that there are orders ahead in the
shops of Paris and London for all the
golden hair that can be obtained in
the next five years. When a stock of
hair is collected by travelling agents it
lis assorted, washed and cleaned.
Then each hair is drawn through the
eye of needle and polished. When
the stock is ready for the market here
the nobility is permitted to make the
| first choice. - GdlignGnt'S Messenger.