The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1897-06-17
HARVEST OF HAIR.
HOW THE COuPEURS GATHERED rT
FROM THE HEADS OF THE POOR.

wil.~ i'nployed to get "a Woman to Par
with Her "Chief lory"-Ther Was Al
ways a sure Market. For False Hair Wa,
Worn by All Fashionable Ladies'.
History records the fact that i'll 1852,
in England. long. iaX"n hair was pur,
chased from the head at 10 Shillings al
ounce. while other fine hair fetched
from > TO : shillinGs for the same guam
titv, and within the present century the
heads If whole families in DrvOnShire
wer" let out hv the year at 50 much per
poll. Z pcriwig maker Of Exeter going
round at certain periods to III "" locks,
aftcrward 0iliAg the skull of each bcreft
person. That ~ use Of false hair as an
aid TO feminine beauty was not unknown
to the anCicutS is we'll proved. The
Greeks, Romans and Egyptians, long
before IN" dawn of tn" Christian era.
rcsUrt,d to the wearing Of trcsSeS OBJ
tanned from other persons heads. They
even went so far aS to paint bald heads
so as TO represent them as covered with
short hair. also marble caps so painted
were worn. a valuable merchandise in
the blond hair of German women is
mentioned in ancient Roman history.
4 question that has doubtless often
presented itself is, Where did all this
hair come from? This question l will
endeavor to answer. With the coming
Of spring in the midlands and west of
France appeared what may itly be
termed a singular class of nomadic indi-
viduals. armed with long, iron tipped
slaves and bearing heavy packs>of mer-
chandise upon their backs. At first
glance II would have taken them to
be ordinary hawkers, vet merchandise
was but an accessory to their strange
industry. They We're the coupcurs, the
reapers Of a hirsute harvest.
Armed with long, keen shears, they
went their way seeking the tresses of
willing victims dwelling in outlying
hamlets and villages of peasant France,
and a laboriOus business it was. From
''dewy morn until the shadows of
night gathered thickly they did their 10
or 10 miles Il dav-Often fruitlesslv and
with empty stomachs. their only bed the
wayside. In Auvergne these seekers
after hair Were known as chimneurs.
The BretOns called them m~argoulins.
These terms have not tit English paral-
lels.
These curious journeymen exerted
every effort to gain their ends-a good
head Of hair-the former preferring the
local fairs as Il workroOm. the latter
choosing to visit the dwellings of their
possible clients. In summer the Brittany
margOulln was often seen going through
the streets, carrying his long staff, from
which hung twists of hair, while he
cried i'll doleful tones the we'll known
"Piau, piau"' at the sound of which
the cottagerS, with an itching desire to
possess some of his gewgaws, attracted
the wanderers attention. He was only
too pleased to dazzle their eyes with his
many Colored wares, and the bargaining
was not slow TO begin. While the women
fingered his goods the margoulin weigh
ed her tresses with his hand, a proceed
ing at which he was adept through long
practice. The bargain ended, the woman
yielded her abundant locks in return for
a few yards Of cotton stuff or a. gay pet
tlcOat, to which, thanks to the progress
OF civilization, the cOupeur had to add a
small sum Of money. Sometimes the
transaction was not completed without
much discussion on both sides. Very
often the cCupeur had to return to the
charge owing to female indecision, and
he was more than happy when sure that
a tardy remOrse would not rob him Of
half his coveted trophy.
Until the authorities interviewed, cut
ting was conducted in public as an
amusement for oulookers, it being con-
sldered highly entertaining to hear 10
or IL rival coupeurs eulogiZing their
wares, each protesting his to be far su-
ptrlor to his fellows. The prohibition
Of this custom drove the hair harvesters |
to erect tents, rent for the day unoccu-
pied shops, cellars. stables or any corner
they could find wherein to establish
themselves, Sticks We're then stuck up.
from them being suspended petticoats
as Il lure, as an indication Of what could
be had III exchange for tresSes; to the
pettlcoats We're attached twists Of hair |
as trad marks. The ruse succeeded.
peasants halted, casting cnviOus chances |
at III" multicolored garments. They
Wer" handled and even tried on. thus |
"uurulng an opportunity to the c0upeurs
TO Halter rhcir fair custOmcrS-who did
not long rcSt-aud victory rewarded the
cute buyers. In Auvergne-where the
coupours Were most numerous - the
greatest harvest was rcaped on st. Johns
day. The ingathcring extended from
April TO September, during which month
the butchers, bakers, locksmiths. etc.
forsook their ordinary ayOcations for
that of the coupeur, returning to their
legitimate trades with the coming of
the dead season. The hair of different
countries was distinguished hv certain
qualities. For instance, that Of Au-
vergne was the coarsest; the finest and
most flaXen from Belgium; the blacklist
and longest from Italy, while that pro-
cured i'll Brittany was the most beauti-
full, though least we'll cared for
Hearth and Home.
GIsI