Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-08-02
IMPORTATION OF HAIR.
MANY TONS ANNUALLY GATHERED
AND SOLD.

The Markets of the World where Women
stand and Sell their Tresses-yvhat the
Prices Are and Also the Weight OF Each
Head of Hair-TeIling the Country OF
the Original Owner.
There are some curious and interesting
facts about the human hair as an article
OF traffic. 1t will undoubtedly astonisn
most people to learn to what extent the
trade is carried onto be told, for in
stance, that London imports annually
between seven and eight tons. The sup
ply does not depend on chance clippings,
or upon the BARRIERS scissors, but there
is a regular hair harvest, which can con-
iidently be looked forward to by DEALER
at particular time. AS there are differ
ent markets for black tea and green tea,
so there is light-haired market distinct
from the dark-haired. Like clothes, the
demand for certain color of hair is reg
uated according to style. which, without
exception, runs in conformity with com
plexion.
1t has been noticed by scientists and
doctors that dark hair is more common
in the Eastern and middle states than in
ne west, and it is the prevailing color in
our southern states, especially in Louis
lana and Mississippi, in which the Frenc0
clement Is conspicuous, 1t is the "a r
IN Cuba, which is peopled by the SPANS.
al some of the northern states, whe,r
i,wedes, Germans, NOrweSians and iris.
,,rc numerous, fair or light hair prevail,
..... corresponds with the more exquisi;
t,ceptible and emotional Disposition
..i ID in connection herewith.
.In civilized world uses actually OvrI
I, -, ,IOJ pounds yearly, and the quesCint
naturally arises, Where does it all COW
ON? To answer this question, an
au.o to learn the minute particulars ui
he enormous traffic in the beauti.ri
.oc!is, New York Star reporter va
/ I'd the parlors of a well-known metre
,,Ulitan hair dealer IN New York city.
You will be surprised, and it will
doubtless astonsh many people," he
1aid, Ito learn the dimensions of the hair
.iide as it is now carried on. Now York
merchants annually import from four to
we tons, while London eXcels ours in its
..rportation by some three tons. AS III
w, .lrr business, there is a hair harvest
and certain time to look forward to fu'
:. good crop. This may seem strangc.
but it is really fact We have our own
market for the different shades of hair.
us with any other commodity. The light
nair is essentially German product 1t
- 'bkltSLth DJ u9SLLp VI a OuLSl SOlh-
iuny, who visit New York and other
Anerican cities annually for orders. I'm
-, fifty years ago light hair was esteemed
' ,ovo all others. One peculiar golden
mi was 50 supremely priced that the
.l,'alers only produced it for favorite Gus
:omcrs, to whom it was sold for 5 shil-
linss an ounce
Pure black hair, which now is all the
20 among fashionable people. is inn
ported chiefly from Brittany and the
south of France, where it is yearly col
lNctcd by the agents OF few wholesale
Parisian houses, of whom we buy. The
average crop of black hair harvested by
these firms amounts yearly to upward OF
100 pounds in weight. The price paid for
each head of hair ranges from ! to =
francs, according to its weight and
beauty; the former seldom rises above a
puund and seldom falls below twelve
ounces. The itinerant dealers are always
provided with an extensive assortment
Of ribbons, silks, laoes and cheap jewelry
ri all kinds, with which they make their
purchases as frequently as with money
They atieria all the fairs and merrymaE-
ings within their circuit, and the singU-
iarity and novelty Of their operations
are art to strike travellers more than
anything else which meets their notice.
while in Europe recently, l attended
ono of these fairs simply for the novelt,
Of the thing. / was indeed struck by
what saw. There were four purcha-,.
ers of the commodity present and the
girls actually brought the article to this
impromptu market as they would peas
or cabbages. They have particularly fine
lair and frequently in great abundance
| should have thought at the time thai
Fnn, oIa vanity would bo va affantuaIlt
prevented such traffic among them be
ing carried on to any great extent, But
there seemed no difficulty in finding pos
SCISSORS Of beautiful heads of hair per-
iactly willing to sell, saw several gin
heared, one after another, like shoAT
and as many more standing ready for The
snears. with their caps in their hands
and their long hair combed out and
hanging down to their waists. Some o!
the operators we're men, some women.
BY the side of the dealers were placed n
long basket into which every successive
crop of hair, tied up into a wisp by Itself
was thrown. As far as personal beaut
is concerned the girls do not lose niue.
III their hair, for it has been a custom ia
Brittany for years to wear close cal
which entirely prevents any part of the
chevelnre from being seen, and of course
us 10 Tally COuCcdlo lle MduL VI IT,
Ozark brown hair was the fashion
once. 1t is all imported here FROM
France. 1t is the opinion of those who
have the best right to offer one on such
a subject that the color of the hair OF
the English people has deepened in tint
within the last half century, and thai
this change is owing to the more FIRE
quent intermarriages since the Napo-
leonic wars with nations nearer to the
sunny south. Whether dark or light
however, the hair purchased by the
dealer is so closely scrutinized that lac
can discriminate between the German and
the French article by the smell alone.
He even claims the power of distinguish
ing accurat ely between the English, the
Welsh, the Irish and the American COM
modities.
1.-THE French dealers are said to be able
to detect the difference between the hair
raised in two districts in Central
France, not many miles apart, by tokens
so slight as to battle the most learned OF
our naturalists and Psychologists. l
simply cite these little Incidents 50 you
can see for yourself what the hair bust
ness has got to be. The hair obtained
by the different agents is transmitted to