Morris tribune., 1895-09-11
HARVESTS OF HAIR.
GIRLS PART WITH THEIR CROWN
ING GLORY FOR A FEW CENTS.

4 INC GLOhY FOX a FEW GEMS.
Jewelry and Wigs Are Made of the Queer
est of Crops -Information, Some of 1t Of
an Odd Character. From Man Who
Makes Things OF Hair.
TWAS quite by chance that the writer
of this article happened on o man who
has spent his lifetime in the manipula-
ton of human hair, transforming it in
to wigs, crowns, frizettes and all the
other kinds Of false hair and weaving
it into watch chains, eyeglass guards,
bracelets, as well as mounting it in lock-
cts, rings, pins, earrings and brooches
and working it up into all kinds Of
floral designs and emblems.
. charming heNd of hair on wom-
an, he said, rs thing of beauty and
indeed a browning glory, but to hair
worker it is of little value. Even the
longest bsir, before it has passed through
the hands of the manufacturers, is we'll
nigh worthless. The hair of woman's
head WHICH is 80 inches in length, for
example, would not be worth more than
60 cents.
II remember a woman coming into
my shop one night and offering to sell
her hair. She said she was seaman s
wife, and not having heard from him
for many months was in desperate
straits for money. She wanted to know
how much would give her for her hair,
which was of considerable length. Ire
fused to cut it off. Iwouldn't cut any
woman's hair off. 1t is such democrat
izing, degrading thing to do, and the
fact is emphasized when dire need is the
cause of the sale. However, I was in a
position to obtain her assistance until
her husband came back.
"We get our finest descriptions of
hair, " continued the subject of this in
terview, from France and Italy, whence
come all shades of black and brown.
France, again, Germany and Spain sup
ply the market with brown, light faxen
and red hair Gray hair, being found in
every parcel, is described as universal
ION the continent there are regular
hair harvests. During the summer time
you can see at every fair peddlers sur
rounded by girls with their beautiful
hair nicely combed out standing in file
waiting their turn. The peddler has in
his hands pair of shears, each girl
bends her neck, few ships, and the
hair is off, tied into whisp and thrown
into basket standing at the shearer's
side. And how much do you think that
the girls get for this? A few cents, a
guady trinket or a bright silk handker-
chief.
"Some peddlers travel from cottage
to cottage plying their trade, and the |
same performance is gone through An
average head of hair weighs four ounces.
When sufficient hair is accumulated, it |
is sold to the hair manufacturers, who |
submit it to a process of cleansing and I
sorting into various lengths and shades.
It is then ready for the wigmakers,J
who buy it as they require it, paying at /
the rate of 20 cents or SO per ounce for
lengths of 10 inches to 10 inches to as
many shillings as there are inches for
lengths of SO inches and upward. The
greatest demand is for hair from IA to
"a inches in length. The longest female
hair on record is 72 inches. +"
The tycoon of Japan once confscated
the hair of whole province and had it
woven into ships hawser over a quar-
ter of mile long Then he discovered
that steel ropes were in existence, and
now the cable, composed of the pigtails
Of the unfortunate Japs, reposes before
the eyes of the curious in Bethnal Green
museum.
The gentleman interviewed possesses
! magnificent trophy of hair, in size
some feet long by 2 feet high, in the
form of basket of flowers, every leaf,
every petal and every stem of which is
composed Of cunningly wrought hairs
rom the human head How long it
5ook to create it, it is impossible to say,
put years unquestionably. Hehas other
similar displays, mostly the work of
himself or his son, though they pale in
% insignifcance beside the monument
# patience in question
The working of hair into ornaments
las gone out of vogue considerably of
ate years, but seafaring men even now
ire great lovers of this form of memen-
o. Naturally their favorite designs as
ume the forms of anchors, compasses
md other things nautical
One day a gentleman came to the
ubject of this article and desired him
n a most mysterious manner to weave
ONE hair, which he gave him, into the
orm of serpent. The head and tail
we're to be of gold, and the tail was to
e fixed into the mouth The serpent
vas to be in two coils and to encircle a
.olden heart pierced by a dagger. In
rider to thoroughly comprehend the de-
ign he had to be let into the secret, and
his was the explanation which was Of
ered
The serpent was to represent the ma
ure of certain young lady to whom
he hair belonged and who had Tilted
he gentleman i'll question. The golden
cart was symbolic of his pure and
worthy affection, and the dagger showed
ow deeply he had been wounded. The
all of the serpent being in it's mouth in
icated that in iniurinp har u11ondam