The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-22
WIGS FOR NEGROES.
Pride Leads Them to Conceal or Cut
Off Their Kinky Hair.
From the St. Louis Republic.

From the st. Louis Republic.
That was funny and indeed a surpris-
ing scene witnessed by the Cleaner in a
fashionable hairdressing establishment a
few days ago While having her hair
dressed attention was attracted by a mas
culine voice in the next room asking for a
wig A glance through the curtains
showed a great, wooly-headed negro
standing at the counter, while the young
woman clerk executed vigorous search
in the drawers and boxes under the show
| cases for something to suit them. The
man was six feet tall, with face as black
as ebony, from which two beady black
| eyes looked out and two thick lips pro-
| truded. The girl selected two wigs from
the others, both made of curling black
hair, and handed them to him for appro-
val. But he eyed them with great dis
favor, at the same time running his i'm
mense hand over his own winter grapes
which chung closely to his skull.
81 say, missus, don't exactly like dat
style, at the same time holding up the
wigs on each hand and turning them
around in a critical way. Gimme less
kink, case l admire straight har de most 4"
After much trouble the young lady
found a wig made of coarse. straight,
black hair, which looked as if it had been
made of horses tail. 1t was black in
the shade, but inclined to reddish brown
In the light.
Oats de wig fur my money What's
de cost of it?n
Give dollars" was the reply, where
upon the customer asked that 1t should be
put aside while he went out to consult
with friend, promising to return in fif-
| teen minutes if he concluded to take it.
What does it mean 20 was asked by the
spectator.
Didn't you know that all colored peo-
| pie who can afford ii wear wigs nova
| days2 Yes, some of our best customers
are eolored They are ashamed of their
woody hair, and no longer eondescend to
wrap it as they used to. No matter if
! their lips are as thick as my foot, and
J their skin as black as ebony, they want
/ straight hair, Some of them have their
wool cut off close to the scalp and wear
wigs altogether Many Of the women
| do when they 20 out, and it is becoming
| fashionable among the men. Nothing is
/ so envied among colored people as straight
/ hair"
do yourwigs for colored people fetch
| the same prices that those made for white
| persons dO2"
Eyes They are from IS to $50"
II shouldn't think that many poor peo-
| pie could afford them. :"
VERY few poor white people buy wigs,
| but l have found that negroes get what
ever they set their hearts upon in the wav
OF dress, and the price does not matter so
much to them as it does to white people
| of larger means. For instance, a house
maid will come here and select what she
wants, making one payment and asking
that IL be put aside for her until she can
| pay the whole amount. Just as soon as
| her wages are due she comes again, and
| pretty soon the whole amount is paid. |
! have a lady customer on West Pine street
who wears wigs altogether, and always
make her two year, as she keeps one for
best and the other for second best. Her
| housemaid also wears a wig, and, upon
my word, don't have as much trouble
getting my money from the colored maid
| as / do from the mistress
Yes, indeed, colored people are among
my best customers. and you would be-
surprised II you saw some Of the wigs I
| have made for some OF the colored bellies
! There is n tall mulatto who comes here
| for her wigs, who has a clear olive skin.
| dark brown eyes, curling lashes, delicate
| ly curved lips and perfect teeth She
viii have blonde wigs when shn has
! beautiful curly black hair, which she
| seems 10 despise. IL shows more than
! anything that am not a white woman.
I When / have a blonde wig ] look like a
white girl in the Faslight, she says. She
paid me- go for the last one ] made her
sud when ! met her on the street wearing
~ TOOK her for pretty white glrl."