The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-01
STRAIGHT WIGS FOR NEGROES.
a within OF the Colored People Blooms mn In.
duatry In -. LouIa.
From the 81. Loufs Republic.

From the 81. Loufs Republic.
A new fad has struck the colored population
OF the town. 1t is now the swagger thing among
the elete Of colorcd swclldom to have hair with.
out any kinks In it; in fact, hair like white peo-
pie wear. This can only no accomplished in one
way, and that is by application to the wigmaker.
and many q young colored swell is now wearing
a wig. The fad started here among tho lighter.
skinned negroes Of both sexes, but soon spread
10 the darker colored. until now many negroes
rs black as the proverbial ace OF spades have
hair as straight as that worn by any white man.
The negro gets his kinky hair shorn as short
rs possible and then gets q wig made OF hair the
color no desires. There are a number OF young
negro women who can readily pass. and do, for
white girls. Their skins are rather dark, but of
olive tint and when they don their wigs Of
straight hair no one who passes them on the
streets thinks for a second that the, are not
same with some of the lieht-colored men. One
In particular can be seen frequently on Olive
that he had no trouble in passing for a
white mau as long as his hair could not be seen.
wig fad las struck the town he is all right. He
mad q wig made OF brown hair, and as he is a
good dresser, 10 is now a regular Willie-boy.
and can stand on the streets and ogle white
women the same as other Willies. His wig
hair Is long; and he parts i in the middle and
e I'm u down over his forehead. after the
a well-known wigmaker In speaking OF the
fad said yesterday: Yes. that fad has hit the
colored people Of st. Louis hard, and I am glad
oft II 10 getting 10 be a source OF great rcve.
nue. to US. and Is reviving a trade which was
almost dead. When a negro wants anything,
he wants 1t bad: and will have 1t no matter
what u costs. Why. had q negro customer in
here the other day who was almost barefootcd,
but he ordered an expensive wig and paid for il,
too, In advance. Some very funny things hap:
pen sometimes in connection with this fad and
the negroes who want straight hair. sold a
young, negro q wig a short time ago. and the
next day u young colorcd woman entered and
said she wanted n wig exactly like the one shc
was wearing. | examined that one. and it was
the one that l had sold the day before. The
young man was her sweetheart and wore that
wig when he called on her. She concluded that
she wanted one like II, and out OF tho kindness
OF his heart ho pulled OF his wig and gave II TO
her. In order TO be nice TO him and reciprucate,
she had come to get one for him.
Another funny thing In connection with wigs
Is that g great many colored people want wigs
made of red hair. and. II you will notice, there
are quite number Of red'haired negroes in 81.
LOUIS. Wigs do IL. Why, l had n customer the
other day who was about as black as 1t Is posi-
BILE for any one TO be, and she picked out a bright
Golden.red wig, and Is wearing 1t now. / snp.
pose AS long as there are black people and white
people the former will initiate the latter, and
try to look rs much like them as possible"