The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1889-10-19
HAIR SHEARERS.
the Peasant Girls Of
France to Sell Their Tresses.
|r,ayeling Cutters Who Buy
Human Hair for the Trade.

7 went the other morning to the
Care de l'Ouest, or western railway sta
AN. TO see some friends off for Brest,
nd while there, says a Paris letter to
as New Orleans Picayune a commercial
{ayeler called my attention to number
/ # men taking tickets Cor northern Brit
any.
"They are shearors," lie said, ''not
iaeep sLearers, but hair shearers, or
ather, to give them their business APP
slation, they are coupers. >"
Yes, they were travelling hair cutters,
],,d in about six weeks they will bring
lack a quantity of tangled hair, fair,
3bestnut, black or red, AID it will not
be very long before it is transformed
Into chignons, curls and p!aits, ready
jo adorn TIE noble brow or well-shaped
lead of some grand lady. Happy these
l,easants who have white hairs because
lIhite is ten times more valuable than
black nowadays, and l may say by the
rg, that the capillary business is look
No up again. A little while ago there
.as lull in the trade which caused
iYme uneasiness among those in the
BUSINESS. The native girls of Brittany
rfused 10 longer yield their locks for
I 70 frances per head, and the Auverg-
,ats, although more greedy at taking a
bait, had discovered a more lucrative
market. So desperate did the haircut
rrs become that the jails were applied
o. but the prisoners persisted in rcfus-
no TO have their hair cut. In this
gave state of afTIirs necessity became
he mother Of invention. France de-
uived OF sugar cane discovered tat
eets contained the necessary ingredi-
nts FOR sugar, and so when affairs were
It their worst the rag gatherers came
Orward. Thanks to the combings thrown
way ever day, no less than hundred
pounds weight of hair is found by them
m the streets daily; bu: if the chiffon
nier sareI this i:npcr:an. trade he did
.Ot become the arbiter of it, for the
rOuper' still continued to flourish, and
>That is better still. the arena of his in
Arsti"ationS continues to extend, the
It;ve, 0; Piedmont having long since
Liel themselves 10 those of Brittany
nd Auvcrgnat.
The habitual ''coupcr" travels through
he country, tarrying a. small towns,
Vhere ne puts his merchandise under a
tent, and lie hangs over the door as an
nrac:ivc sign a heavy lcck Of hair;
hen the village drums make known his
mivai, and Immediately young and old
&c fock;ng around MS cs.en:atious dis
Play. The women and girls are
Nmp,ed, some with lace caps, Others
Nth dress materials, and not having
ready money to pay for their purchases,
hey trade their hair fo- it. OF course
de longer The hair the more valuable 1t
s for while a chcvclure of 40 cent?
.etrcs is only paid about 80 cents, hair
feet long will fetch nearly as much as
Y to 60. 50; moreover, the female is
a'tainei by the hope that in few
lars her hair will be fit for cutting
gain. 50 that in fouv years, or five at
tie most, she will reap another harvest.
Abou. 500 peasants annually offer
heir heads to each wandering hair cut
e., that is to say, some C000 girls and
romen Of all ages, and even hundreds
d men sell tEeir flowing locks. The
Werage harvest Of each head represents
weight Of 200 70 go grammcs; and
objected in bundles OF equal length.
but without regard to color, it is sold
Partisan hairdrossers at prices varying
ION % to 100 francs the kilo, but rec
Ma good shade brings in five times al
nuch, aad snowy white. which is very
'luable, sometimes evcn 500 francs thu
NO. The coarser hair of Auvergnat i
moro sought after than thlt of Brittany,
he shade being more uniform. In an.
ease It is all submitted to certain vast
sgs before passing into the shop win
lows and these processes raise the pric