Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-01-25
FRENCH TRAFFIC IN HAIR.
seven Thousand Workers In Paris En-
gagged In Buying and Selling.

seven Thousand Workers In Paris En-
gagged In Buying and Selling.
Paris is the center of the fine manufao-
ture Of prepared human hair. OF course
the reference here is to woman's hair, for
mans hair is worthless for any industrial
purpose. Aside from the houses that man
ufacture exclusively for the export trade,
the city numbers about 1000 hairdressers
and 5000 workmen about half Of whom
are engaged in the manufacture properly
so called.
The source of supply of the lair may be
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 is 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 and eombed and then immersed in
securing solution. Upon coming from this
bath it is united root end to root end and
formed into locks that are tied near the
roots. 1t yet remains to render the hair
thin and flexible and then to immerse it
in a solution of soft soap and chlorate Of
potash to render it less brittle. Lastly a
definite color and shade are given it. A
blond shade is obtained with oxygenated
water or a saturated solution of carbonate
of potash. To dye it black it is boiled for
a few hours in bath prepared with de-
coction of nutgalls or campeaChy wood
in which sulphate of iron is dissolved, and
into which little sumac is put, in order
to give it luster and remove the blush
tint peculiar to the hair of the dead
Finally it is bleached by immersing it in
several baths of Oxygenated water to
which a few drops of ammonia have been
added. Thus prepared, the Chinese or Hin
doc hair is sold to the hairdressers, who
work it to their fancy and afterward sell
it at more or less moderate prices.
The finest hair forming the second cate
CORY, is that of France and comprises a
variety Of shades exceeding 100 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 Auvergne.
on certain market days, the damsels who
desire to sell their head of hair get up on II
cask, undo their hair and allow it 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 flour.
Finally the third category comprises
hair (Which, it must be confessed, is
classed among the most esteemed) derived
from the sorting of combings collected by
ragpickers, who stuff it into bags just as
they find it, soiled by dust, felted by Wa
ter and adhering to the swecpings of
houses, and sell it to small manufacturers,
who undertake to utilize it.-Annales In
dustrielles.