The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1895-07-27
lIAREESTS OF HAIR.
GIRLS PART WITH THEIR CROWN
ING GLORY FCR A FEW CENTS.

Jewelry and Wigs Are Made of the Queer.
est of Crops-Eufnrmation. Some of 1t OF
an Odd Character, From a Man Who
Makes Things of lair.
1t was quite bv chance that the writer
OF this article happened on a man who
has spent his lifetime in the rlanipula-
ton Of human hair, transforming il IN
to wigs, crowns, fTiEcttes and all the
other kinds of false lair and weaving
1t INTO watch chains, cyeglass guards,
bracelets, as we'll as mounting it in lock
cts, rings, pins, earrings and brooches
and working it up into all kinds Of
floral designs and emGoems.
"A charming head of hair on a wom-
an, he said, lis a thing of beauty and
indeed a browning glory. but to a hair
worker it is of little value. Even the
longest hair, before it has passed through
the hands of the manufacturers, is well
nigh worthless. The hair of a woman's
head which is 80 inches in length, for
example. would not be worth more than
60 cents.
Il remember a woman coming into
my shop n night and Offering to sell
her hair. She said she was a seaman's
Wife, n not having heard from him
for many months was in desperate
straits for money. Size wanted to know
how much would give her for her hair,
which was of considerable length. 1 re-
fused to cut it off. I wouldn't cut n
woman's hair off. 1t is such a democrat
ling, degrading thing to do, and the
fact is emphasized when dire need is the
, cause of the sale. However, l was i'll .
position to obtain Ler assistance until
her husband came back.
I'VE 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
n 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 a pair Of shears, each girl
bends her neck, a few ships, and the
hair is off, tied into a whisp and thrown
into a 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 OF 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
sorting into various lengths and shades.
1t is then ready for the wigmakers,
who buy it as they require it, paying at |
the rate OF 20 cents or SO per ounce for
lengths Of 10 inches to IL 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 confiscated
the hair of q whole province and had it !
woven into a ships hawser over a quar-
ter OF a 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
a magnificent trophy of hair, i'll size
some 3 feet long by 2 feet high, in the
form of a basket of flowers, every leaf.
every petal and every stem of which is
composed of cunningly wrought hairs
from the human head. How long it
j. 2k to create it, it is impossible to say,
but years unquestionably. He has other
similar displays, mostly the work Of
himself or his son, though they pale in
to insignificance beside the monument
of patience i'll question.
The working of hair into ornaments
has gone out Of vogue considerably Of
late wears. but seafarin- Zen even now