The San Francisco call., 1908-11-08
SorE EwON1EREJM ooIFfURES
or MkDArE Pof4PADOUR'S
PERIOD

"A ton of Chinese hair, some of it
from the heads of deeapitated bandits,
arrived In New York a few days ago
aboard the big freighter, Wray Castle.
and is now being made over into rats,
puffs. curls and switches to adorn the
coiffures of American women.
Twenty two more cases of Chinese
pigtails reached port a few hours later
on the British steamship Seneca. Ac-
cording to the captain OF the Seneca
part of this consignment came from
Chinese cemeteries, where it is the
profitable custom to rob the dead Of
their locks. And still a third consign-
ment has reached New York from Sing
apore. Shanghai and Japanese ports.
Two bales OF human hair were brought
from Dalny and Newchwang. where the
wholesale execution OF Chunchuses, or
Manchurian bandits, seems to have led
quite naturally to the Institution Of
thriving markets for the sale of human
hair"
Not only are the dead bandits called
upon to furnish hair for the decorat-
ing of the American woman's scalp
but the cemeteries of China have been
rified to supply the demand. The live
hair markets being exhausted, what is
known as dead hair'-that is hair
cut from the heads of dead women. or
as in the case of the New York supply.
from the heads of dead Mongolfans
who wore queues when alive-is used
The demand for the cheap hair trade
is Unsuitable and it is to meet this de-
mand that the expedient of using Chi
nese hair has been devised
That there is little Chinese hair used
IN san francisco is a fact vouched for
by the most reputable of the local hair
dressers. Our women would be hor-
rified at such thought" declared one
prominent purveyor of ladies' locks
fhey want the very best human hair
and they are willing to pay for it. If
they can not find just what is desired
In human hair they may consent to
wear yak - but never Chinese. even
We're we willing to supply it. The ad-
'vaneed price of human hair is not
prontable to US. for 1t is difficult to OBJ
tain at wholesale rates. And with the
present enormous use of false hair /
see nothing for it but to resort to some
other ma terial for making rats, at least.
and thus save all the human hair for
outer use. Do, you know that since
the supply has become so short the
scavengeys in Europe make quite a
pretty penny by going carefully
through the garbage barrels and pick
Ing out all the combings thrown away.
and selling them to the first hairdresse,.
they meet? That is really true. and
many woman at the present moment
is wearing set of puffs which came
originally from the garbage barrel
after being thrown there from the
head of heaven knows who"
SO the woman who wears Combines
is in more danger of diseases from
germs than she who sports a large -. :
ofythe Chinese variety. For the proceas
through, which the dead hair" is mt
before being pronounced salabIe is si,ch
that no germrthe size of ansafom co,,Id
possibly survive. A very successfuI
: hair cuiturist thus describes the process
of making rat from dead hair:
To make rat. which. for the benefit
of the uninitiated IS the wad or ron of
hair on which the huge po1npadour is
built the hair is woven on two strings
and pushed up tight, boiled. and then
baked in the oven till thoroughly dried.
1t comes ont kinlxy looking. not unIike
the mass of hair used for stunning a
mattress.
When it is to be used for a pompa-
dour Ii is put on a curling stick, fas-
tened tight, then boiled and baked as
described above. coming out wavy in
stead of lSinky Even the lay reader
will realize that. germs can not sur
vive this process, especially If the hair
has been bleached with chemicals TO
the shade desired"
That all this amount of false hair
wearing has inflicted irreparable in
jury upon the natural tresses of
womankind is foregonei conclusion
1t is where rats containing wire or
heavy wool have been used that the
greatest amount of damage has been
done The wire used in the Frame
work of "a certain style of rat which
is much condemned by hair .dressers
presses on the head. and in a short
time milady. under this constant pres
sure, finds her front locks woefully
short, the wire having, neatly cut them