Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1892-06-03
DO YOU WEAR FALSE HAIR?


Inc best false halr comes from
France, where it is sold by the
gramme at prices which vary accord
ing to quality and color, says the
New York Herald. The most ex-
pensive false hair is the silver-white
variety, which is in great demand and
very difficult To find. This is due to
the fact that men grow bald in IA ma
iority OF cases before their hair
reaches the silver white stage, and
women. whether bald or not. are not
disposed to sell their white hair at
any price. They need it themselves
Still women growing bald must
have white hair to match the scant
allowance advancing age has left
them. The chemists have taken the
matter in hand and are able to pro-
Educe by dccoloration of hair of any
Ecolor a tolerablc grade of white hair,
which, however. has a blush tint not
at all approaching in beauty the sill
very softness of hair which has been
bleachcd by nature.
| False hair of the ordinary shades is
obtained in two ways. The better
rand more expensive kind is cut di-
lrectly from the heads of peasant wo-
,men. who sell their silken tresSes
sometimes for "A mere song and some
times for fair price. according as
they have learned wisdom. Every
year the whole territory Of France is
travelled over by men whose business
it is to persuade village madcns,
their mothers and their aunts To part
with their hair for financial con-
sideration.
These men are known as ''cutters, ;"
and there are at least 800 of them in
the country always going from house
TO house. from farm to farm. and
through all the villages in all the de-
|, I,partmcntS, seeking subjects for their
scissors. A good cutter averages from
two u five heads Of hair a day. and
Ehe pays from francs to 10 francs
| for each. 1t is estimated that Il single
head of luXuriant growth weighs
I about pound.
The false hair thus ohtained-at
the cost OF tears and regrets OF many
foolish maidcns--iS the finest in the
| market. and sells for an exaggerated
price. which puts it beyond the reach
| Of the ordinary purchaser. Besides,
| it is evident that the supply of gen
nine cuttings" must fall far short of
the demand for false hair. So the
majority Of this wavv merchandise is
Eobtaincd--ycS. ladies. | am exceed
| ingly sorry. but it is the fact--from
the rag -pckers.
I These busy searchers Of ash heaps
Fand garbage barrels collect every day
in the city Of Paris alone at least
! tu pounds of hair. which some hun
Edr, is of thousands of women have
Ecombcd out of their heads during the
preceding twenty-four hours. This
phair, all mixed together and soilcd,
bone would think, beyond redemption,
is sold to hair cleaners at 81 to 81. so
La pound, which shows simply that the
fair sex in one city alone throws away
ANNUALLY about 3no 80 francs worth
of hair, for which they aftcrward pay
-and it. is tn same hair. mind
considerably over !, Zoo, 600 francs.
| The cleaning of this refuse hair is
Tan operation wlich requires careful
lattention. After the hair has been
freed from the dust and dirt and mud
ard other unpleasant things with
which it has come in contact in gut
terS and slop-Duckets, it is rubbed in
awdust until it shines once more
with its pristine gloss, and then the
| process of sorting is begun. In the
first place skilltul hands iiX the indi-
| vtt!ua hairs in frames with the root s
all pointing the same way, and then
| they are arranged according to color
Finally. when sufficient number
taincd--nor is this number so i'm
mense as is generally supposed they
are made into the beautiful bradS
which are shown SO seductively in the
| windows of fashionable coiiYeurs. If,
as the Good Book says, wisdom goes
with the hair, she who places on her
head one Of the conglomerate braids
might be said to receive a portion of
the wisdom Of hundreds or thousands
OF other women who had worn those
hairs before her.
1t is said that the cutters in France
have piled their trade SO Industrious
ly that at present it is hardly possible
in the whole Republic to find wo-
man who will sell her hair. The
business has been done to death, and
lnow the enterprising dealers in false
hair are sending their representatives
through Switzerland, Belgium and
Norway, canvassing for unsophisti-
Gated lasSes who will allow them
selves to be robbed Of their hair,
which is half their beauty, for a few