The Wilmington daily Republican., 1894-12-05
FRENCH TRAFFIC IN HAIR.
tsven Thsasaad Wsrisers In Raris y
gagged In payina ana Selling.

tsven Ths1saad Wsrisersl In Raris Es-
gagged In payina ans Selling. !
Paris Ia the center Of tho One mAnufso-
ture Of prepared human hair. OF COARSE
the reference here is to woman's hair, for
mans haty is worthless for any industrial
purpose. xAide from the houses that man
Eufaeture exclusively for the export trade,
the city numbers about 2, 900 hairdressers
and 3, 600 workmen, about half of whom
are engaged In the manufacture properly
90 called.
The source of supply of the hair may bc
divided into three categories. The hair Of
the first category Is furnished by foreign
countries, India and China being the lar
gest suppliers The hair Ia exclusively
black and gray and comes in boxes, care
fully packed. In addition to these coun-
tries, Italy, Spain, Germany and Russia
supply small quantities. The hair from
India and China undergoes quite an elab-
crate preparation 1t is first matched, sort
ed AID comhetl and then immersed in
securing solution. Upon coming from this
bath it is united root end to root end and
formed into lorks that are tied near the
roots. 1t yet remains to render the hair
thin and flexible and then to immerso il
In solution of soft soap and chlorate Of
potash to render 1t loss brittle. Lastly
definite color and shade are given 1t. A
blond shade is obtained with oxygennted
water or u saturated solution of carbonate
Of potash. TO dye II black 1t Is boiled for
a few hours in bath prepared with de-
coction Of nutgal1s or campeachy wood,
in which sulphate of iron is dissolved, and
into which little sumac is put, in order
to give 1t n luster and remove the blush
tint peculiar to the hair Of the dead.
I.,I l,.,I att,<r In,
several baths of oxygenated water to
which few drops of ammonia have been
added Thus prepared, the Chinese or Hin
doc hair Is sold to the hairdressers, who
work 1t to their fancy and afterward sell
1t at more or less moderate prices.
The finest ham, forming the second cate
CORY, Is that Of France and comprises a
variety OF shades exceeding 10o The most
beautiful Is furnished by Limousin, Brit
tany, Normandy and Beauce Some lots
are derived from young ladies' boarding
schools and from converts All this is
collected by travelling men called cutters,
who make their circuit toward spring and
visit the villages to gather their crop. In
some localities of Brittany and Auyergne,
on certain market days, the damsels who
desire to sell their head of hair get up on n
cask, undo their hair and allow 1t to fall
over their shoulders. An auction soon be-
gins, and every lot, as soon as cut, is de-.
livered to the highest bidder for spot cash.
This product does not pass into the bath,
but is simply combed and then secured
with buckwheat -four
Finally the third category comprises
hair (Which, it must be confessed, is
classcd among the most esteemedD derived
from the sorting of combings collected by
ragpickers, who stuff 1T into bags just us
they find it, soiled by dust, felted by wa
ter and adhering to tho sweepings of
houses, and sell it to small manufacturers,
who undertake to utilize it.-Annales In
dustrielles.