Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1897-05-27

ny the year at so much per poll, {
periWigmaker Of Exeter going round Al
certain periods to cut the locks, aftel
ward oiling the skull OF each bereft
person, says Health and Home Thai
the use OF false hair as an aid to fem.
mine beauty was not unknown to the
ancients Is we'll proved. The Greeks
Homans and Egyptians, long before the
dawn OF the Christian era, resorted ia
the wearing of tresses obtained from
other persons heads. They even went
so rar 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 mem
TONED In ancient Roman history. A
question that has doubtless often pre-
scented itself is, Where did all this hair
come from? This question | will en-
deavor to answer. With the coming Of
spring In the midlands and west of
france appeared what may fifty be
termed a singular class of nomadic in
hlviduals, armed with long, iron-tipped
slaves and bearing heavy packs Of
merchandise 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 were the coupeurs, the
reapers of hirsute harvest. Armed
with long, keep shears, they went their
way seeking the tresses of willing vic
tins dwelling in outlying hamlets and
villages Of peasant France, and labo-
rious business it was. From "dewy
morn" until the shadows of night gath
cred thickly they did their ten or if
teen miles day-often fruitlessly and
with empty stomachs, their only bed
the wayside. In Auvergne these seek
ers after hair were known as chin
neurs. The Bretons called them mar
goulins. These terms have not fit Eng
fish parallels, These curious Journey
men exerted every effort to gain their
ends-a good head of hair-the former
preferring the local fairs as a work.
room, the latter choosing to visit the
dwellings Of their possible clients. In
summer the Brittany margoulin was
often seen going through the streets,
carrying his long staff, from which
hung twists Of hair, while he cried in
doleful tones the well-known "Piau,
piau" at the sound Of which the cot
tagers, with an itching desire to pos
sess some of his gewgaws, attracted the
wanderers attention. He was only
too pleased to dazzle their eyes with
his many colored wares and the bar
gaining was not slow to begin. While
the woman fingered his goods the mar
goulin weighed her tresses with his
hands, a proceeding at which he was
adept through long practice. The bar
gain ended, the woman yielded her
abundant locks in return for a few
yards Of cotton stuff or a gay petit
coat, 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 coupeur had to return to
the charge owing to female INDIGESTION
and he was more than happy when
sure that tardy remorse would not
rob him Of half his coveted trophy.
Until the authorities interviewed cutting
was conducted in public as an amuse-
ment for onlookers, it being considered
highly entertaining to hear ten or
twelve rival coupeurs eulogizing their
wares, each protesting his to be far
superior to his fellows. The prohibit
ton of this custom drove the hair har
vesters to erect tents, rent for the day
unoccupied shops, cellars, stables or
any corner they could find wherein to
establish themselves. Sticks were then
stuck up, from them being suspended
petticoats as lure, as an indication
Of what could be had in exchange for
tresses to the petticoats were attached
twists of hair as trademarks. The ruse
succeeded, peasants halted, casting en-
vious glances at the multicolored gar
ments. They were handled and even
tried on, thus affording an opportunity
to the coupeurs to fatter their fair Gus
tomers-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 months the
butchers, bakers, locksmiths, etc, for
8ok their ordinary avocations for that
Of the coupeur, returning to their leSi-
innate trades with the coming Of the
dead season. The hair of different
countries was distinguished by certain
qualities. For instance, that of Au-
vergne was the coarsest; the finest and
most flaxen from Belgium; the black
est and longest from Italy, while that
procured from Brittany was the most
beautiful, though least well cared for.
Real Church Work,