The Washington times., 1901-12-01
THE TRAFFIC In
FALSE TRESSES.
HAIR GROWN FOR THE MARKET
The Light CoIored Locks Come From
Belgium and Germany, While
France and Italy Send
Those of Darker Shade.

Where does the human hair one sees
in the windows of the ladies' hair
dressers come from?" is a question which
has probably occurred to some persons
before now. As rule, the women Of
this country do not sell their hair. There
is, however, large demand here for this
article, to make those fictitious hirsute
adornments which are seen in the windows
OF the tradesmen before alluded to- It is
estimated that several hundred thousand
pounds of human hair are required yearly
to supply the demand@of the United States
market It is mainly brought from the
continent of Europe, where women Of the
humber rank have, for ages, been accus-
toned to cherish their hair with a view to
selling it for money. Light hair comes
mostly from Belgium and Germany. dark
from France and Italy. and, also from
South America There is a colony in Hol
land. the agents of which make annual
visits to the towns and villages of Ger
many, buying the tresses of poor women.
In France, the trade is mostly in the
hands of agents, sent out by large firms at
Paris These agents. going chiefly to the
Breton villages. take with them supply
of silks, Iaees, ribbons, haberdashery, and
cheap jewelry which they barter with the
peasant women and girls for their tresses-
Cropped Heads in brittany.
A gentleman, while travelling in Brit
tany, saw much of this singular hair
cropping going on. AS the women in that
province all wear close-htting caps. the
difference between the cropped and the
uncropped was not so perceptible as it
otherwise would have been. The general
price is said to vary from about one
franc to five francs for a head of hair.
half a pound to a pound in weight, but
choice specimens occasionally command
more than their weight in silver. owing
to the eager competition of buyers to OBJ
tain them.
1t is understood that the traffic is
being carried on to some slight extent
in this country. Occasionally evidence
women know that there is a market for
such a commodity. One instance Of
ludicrous kind occurred in police court
some years ago. The court was thronged
by number of poor women, who seemed
excited and uncomfortable. and who whis-
pered among themselves as to who should
be the spokeswoman to tell the tale which
all earnestly desired should be told.
At length one of them, with manner
half ashamed, told the magistrate that
one Thomas Rushton, a barber. called at
her poor abode one day, and asked polite
ly to look at her hair. Whether she
guessed his errand. is not clear; but she
took of her cap at his bidding. He pro-
fessed to be in raptures with the beauty
OF her hair, and offered her a good price
for it, Being in straitened circumstances,
she accepted the offer. The rogue at
once took out his scissors and cut off the
whole of her hair See. your honor"
said she, what he has done" The Judge
did see, and found that there were only
little stumps of hair left, like pigs bris-
ties The culprit. 1t appeared put her
hair in his hat, put the hat on his head,
and ran off without giving her a single
coin All the other women in court had
been defrauded of their tresses in
similar way, and probably all on the same
day-for the rogue could not afford TO
wait until his nefarious scheme got wind.
The unfortunate women declared that
they had been rendered quite miserable
when they came to show their husbands
their cropped heads-which may well be
imagined.
Before the composition now generally
used in the manufacture Of false teeth was
invented. there was an impression that
actual teeth taken from the mouths of
dead bodies were employed by dentists to
supply the wants of their living custom
ers Whether this was the case or not, il
is impossible TO say, as no dentist has yet
been found to confess to any such prac-