, 1889-10-05

HUMAN HAIR.
It's ouaIIties-A Million Pounds of 1t
Change from Head to Head.

Change from Head to Head.
Perhaps there is no staple article
about which less is known by the pub
lie than human hair as an article Of
commerce. 1t will doubtless surprise
many when it is stated that the deal
ers in human hair goods do not de-
pend on chance clippings here and
there, but that there IS q regular hair
harvest which al always be relied
on. 1t is said that over 1000, 900
pounds of human hair are used annu-
ally in the civilized world for adorn-
ing the heads of women. In New
York city alone over five tons of this
class of goods are imported every year.
Much of the hair used in this country
m from the heads of American wo-
men and is fully as fine in shade and
texture as tine imported article. There
has been some talk recently of form
ing a trust in this business, and if this
untoward event should occur our
American women would have to dis
pense with a considerable portion of
their tresses or pay a much higher
price for them.
A well known hair dealer of this
city gave a reporter recently some in
teresting facts about the hair business
and the source from which the beauti-
full locks are obtained. Most of the
hair which l use in my business" he
said, 81 obtain from ladies in this city.
We had a big harvest during the re-
cent craze for having the hair cut
short.
Many of the ladies who had their
locks shorn at that time have since
bitterly regretted it. In many in
stances the hair grew so slowly that it
became necessary TO wear q wig or
switch as the fashion changed. After
women have reached a certain age the
hair seems to partially lose its Wig
or and, If cut, it will not grow
again. Blonde hair seems to be going
out and the demand for bleaching pre-.
partitions is not nearly so great as il
was a few years ago. Not enough hui
man hair can be procured in this coun-
try to supply the home demand, and,
in consequence, there is a large
mount imported annually. The larg.
est supply of hair comes from Switzer-
land, Germany and the French prov
lnces. There is a human hair market
at Morlons, in the department of the
lower Pyrenees, held every other Fri
day. Hundreds of t~rafficking hair
dressers throng to the little place from
far and neal to buy up the hair of
young peasant girls. When a bargain
is struck the dealer lays the money in
the open palm of the seller, applies
his shears, and in a minute the luxuri-
ant tresses fall on the floor. OF course,
a maiden can rarely see her, long
braids pass into the dealers possession
without crying, but she consoles her
self for their loss with the thought
that they will grow again. A woman's
hair may grow to the length of six
feet. Nine. Hess, of. Paris; refused
5000 francs for her crown of glory
which was about that length. 1t has
been proved that a single hair will
bear up a weight of four ounces with
out breaking, but the hair thus heav-
lily weighted must be dark brown, for
blonde hair breaks under a strain of
two and one-half ounces. What won
der is it then, that beauty can draw
love with a single hairF There are
over 5000 importers, manufacturers
and dealers of hair in the United
States. dorchester Post-Express.