Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1897-03-20
HARVEST OF HAIR.
HOW THE COUPEURS GATHERED 1T
FROM THE HEADS OF THE POOR.

With Her 'Chief Glory"-There Was Al
ways IA Sure Market. For False Hair Was
Worn by All Fashionable Ladies.
History records the fact that in 1859,
in England, long, flaxen hair was pur-
chased from the head at 10 shillings an
ounce, while other fine hair fetched
from 3 to Z shillings for the same guam
tity, and within the present century the
heads of whole families in Devonshire
We're let out by the year at so much per
poll, IL periwig maker of Exeter going
round at certain periods to cut the locks,
afterward oiling the skull of each bcreft
person. That the use of false hair as an
aid to feminine beauty was not unknown
10 the anciCnts is well proved. The
Greeks, Romans and Egyptians, long
before the dawn of the Christian era,
resorted to the wearing of tresses 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 i'll ancient Rorse history.
A 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 fifty be
termed singular class of nomadic indi-
viduals, armed with long iron tipped
staves and bearing heavy packs of mer-
chandise upon their backs. At first
glance one would have taken them to
be ordinary hawkers, yet merchandise
was but an accessory to their strange
industry. They We're the coupeurs, the
reapers of hirsute harvest.
Armed with long, keen shears, they
went their way seeking the tresscs of
willing victims dwelling i'll outlying
hamlets and villages of peasant France,
and laborious business it was. From
'dewy morn' until the shadows of
night gathered thickly they did their 10
or 10 miles Il day-often fruitlessly and
with empty stomachs, their only bed the
wayside. In Auvcrgne these seekers
after hair We're known as chimneurs.
The Brctons called them margoulins.
These terms have not fit 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 q workroOm, the latter
choosing to visit the dwellings of their
/ possible clients. III summer the Brittany
margoulin 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, piaur' at the sound of which
the cottagcrs, with an itching desire to
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 Il proceed
ing at which he was adept through long
practice. The bargain ended, the woman
yielded her abundant locks in return for
few yards of cotton stuff OF a gay pet
iltpttt, w "iiiNilJ w tllC ploSlSoo
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 coupeur had to return to the
charge owing to female indecision, and
he was more than happy when sure that
d tardy remorse would not rob him of
half his coveted trophy.
Until the authorities intervened, cut
ting was conducted in public as an
amusement for onlookers, it being con-
sidcred highly entertaining to hear 10
or II rival coupeurs eulogizing their
wares, each protesting his to be far su-
pcrior to his fellows The prohibition
of this custom drove the hair harvesters
to erect tents, rent for the day unoccu-
pied shops, cellars, stables on any corner
they could find wherein to establish
/ themselves. Sticks We're then stuck up,
from them being suspended petticoats
| as II lure, as an indication of what could
be had i'll exchange for tresses; to the
petticoats We're attached twists of hair
as trademarks. The ruse succeeded,
peasants halted, casting enviOus glances
at the multicOlored garments. They
We're handled and even tried on, thus
atfording an opportunity to the coupeurs
to tlattcr their fair customers-who did
not long rest-and victory rewarded the
cute buyers. In Auvergne-where the
coupeurs were most numerous - the
greatest harvest was reaped on st. Johns
day. The ingathering extended from
April to September, during which month
the butchers bakers, locksmiths, etc,
forsooll their ordinary avocations for
that OF the coupeur, returning to their
/ legitimate trades with the coming of
the dead season. The hair of different
countries Was distinguished by certain
qualities. For instance, that of Au-
yergne was the coarSest; the finest and
most tlaXen from Belgium; the BLACKLIST
and longest from Italy, while that pro-
cured in Brittany was the most beauti-
/ ful, though least we'll cared for
Hearth and Home.
The toppy.
The poppy throughout the east is all
emblem Of death. In many parts of In
dia this flow is planted upon graves