Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-04-03
HARVEST OF HAIR.
HOW THE coUPeURs GATHERED IT
FROM THE HEADS OF THE POOR

wiies Employed 10 Get Woman 20 Par
with Her ''Chief Olory"-rhsrs wss Al.
ways Sure Market, For False MAR W..
Worn by All vashiossbis Ladies.
History records the fact that in l6S2.
in England, long, fiaxcn hair Wa m,r.
chased from the head ut 10 shillines an
ounce, while other fine hair fetched
from . TO shillinss for the same GUAM.
tity, and within the present century the
heads OF whole families in Deyonsbire
were let out by the year at 10 much per
poll, a 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 "a an
aid to feminine beauty was not unknown
10 the ancicnts is well proved. The
Sreeks, Romans and Egyptians, long
before the dawn Of the Christian era.
rcsorted TO the wearing of tresscs OBJ.
tanned from other persons heads. They
even went so far rs to paint bald heads
SO az to represent them as covered with
short hair, also marble caps 80 painted
were worn. A valuable merchandise in
tho blond hair Of German women is
mentioned in ancient Roman history.
A question that has doubtless often
presented itself il, Where did all this
hair come from? This question 1 will
endeavor to answer. With the coming
OF spring in the midlands and west of
France appeared what may ftly be
termed singular class of nomadic indi-
viduals. armed with long, iron tipped
slaves and bearing heavy packs of mer-
chardise uron their backs At first
glance enc would have taken them to
be ordinary hawkers, yet merchandise
was but an accessory to their strange
industry. They were the coupcurs, the
rcapcrs Of 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 q laborious business it was. From
'dewy morn" until the shadows of
night gathered thickly they did their 10
or 10 miles day-often fruitlessly and
with empty stomachs, their only bed the
wayside. In Auvcrgne these seekers
after hair were known as chimneurs.
Tho Bretons 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 workroom, 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!" ut the sound of which
the cottagers, with an itching desire to
possess some Of his gowgaws, 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
cd her trcsses with his hand, proceed
ing mt which he was ndept through long
practice. The bargain ended, the woman
yielded her abundant locks in return for
few yards Of cotton stuff or gay pet
ticoat, to which, thanks to the progress
of civilization, the coupeur had to add q
small sum Of money. Sometimes the
transaction was not completed without
much discussion on both sides. Very
often the coupcur had to return to the
charge owing to female indecision. and