THE HAIR THAT IS BOUGHT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1242, 26 September 1911, Page 9

THE HAIR THAT IS BOUGHT.

V, r nOSE WAS IT? Whos-e hair aro we weaving? Those wonderful superstrucfures — switchf?, curls, and so forth, t says Katherine Terlmnc in "Good Housekeeping." Is it; clean and hygienic a-nd safe? Disquieting stories concerning "false" hair have gone the rounds of the newspapers. Wherefore the present writer has spent days—and then further days—in' a thorough personal investigation of the hair trade in the city which is the heaviest importer of hair in this country—New York. In 1907 the exports of human hair from Hong-Kong to the United States were valued at about 42,000 dollars; in 100S the value had more than doubled, amounting to 92,000 dollars. In 1909 the amount trebled, becoming 327,000 dollars, and in 1910 tho shipments more than doubled again, amounting in weight to 57C,1191b., valued at G95,i:57 dollars. The total shipments of hair to all countries from China in 1910 is estimated at 3,300,0001b., ■ valued at 1,500,000 dollars. Consul-General Anderson describes the methods employed in the shipment of hair which may serve to reafsuro those who have been frightened by sensational reports. "The hair is first combed into lengths," he says. "It is then washed in ammonia, soft soap, and soda, dried, and then boiled for ono day in plain water. It is again dried and then treated to four or five chemicals, according to its condition, to sterilise, preserve, and render it fit for use. It is then ble.iched, washed ngain and dyed in different colours and packed." The peasant women ; of Normandy and Brittany furnish most ] of the fine blonde hair.that conies to ' market. The national head-dress of ' these countrits—the coifl'e, linen cap | which completely covers the head—makes ; it possible for a woman to sacrifice her ! hair without disfigurennv.it. The busy : peasant woman tends her little daughter's : hair from the time of her birth with tho j greatest diligence, caring for the ' scalp and brushing and airing the hair daily to bring it to its greatest luxuriance. The hair is gathered by pedlars, who go from house to house at regular periods bargaining for the hair of the women and I girls. He pays what seems an extravagant price .to these woman who are un--1 accustomed to much money. If a girl , has only combings to sell,-she may exchange them for a piece of jewellery or some trinket. After tho head has been examined and appraised by the pedlar, his wifo or assistant deftly shaves the crown leaving only a fringe of hair about tho outer circle. This may be intended as a sop to vanity, and there is no reason why the women of Normandy and' Brittany should be entire strangers to this universal ' characteristic; surely a coiffo sets more gracefully wlumi framed with a lino oflustrous blonde hair. At Limoges, in France, where the beautiful enamels are manufactured, , a. fair is held once a year at which-the peasant women gather from the country round about to sell their hair to pedlars. With hair unbound, the women teat themselves on benches in tho open air, and noisily haggle ami quarrel with the huyerp. Blows are often exchanged before a satisfactory bargain is achieved. Austria, Germany, France, and Italy supply the finest quality of hair. All hair, cut for export in Austria is taken from tho heads of the peasant sof Bohemia. Moravia, nnd Silesia. ...The finest'quality comes from Moravia and. Bohouiia; the Jess vniunblo from Silesin. and a still lower grade from Hungary. The hair most highly ■ prized is tho ashen shnde of .blonde, which is always soft and fine in texture. Gray hair also commands a high price when it* is light in colour and even in tone. The various shades of dark brown ha.ir are the least expensive. Much of the fine ashen blonde hair formerly came from Norway and Sweden. The pedlars, however, often resorted to cruelty in taking hair by force i when the owner declined to part with it —sometimes even committed murder—aud on this account the two countries stopped the traffic altogether. With the Slav races the sun so bleaches and roughens tho hair that it does not bnnj a high price. Ono virtue of the hair of the Slay races, however, is that it is usually wiry and wavy, and lends itself readily to variety in adjustment, giving an appearance ot' natural abundance when transplanted. Tho weaving of human hair into marketable shapes has become one of the industries of the tenement 'districts' of Now York. , The entire, .household is. pressed into service; tho■ childrenvdp ths heckling, or strajghtening of the rough hair; and-the elders'-weave it into the lTqjiired .shape?.' The workroom is usually.' tho common living and sleeping room of the family, and the surroundings are not always cleanly, but these, people are watched carefully for disease, and there is no danger of infection. The pay for tho work is wretchedly low. In preparing both European and Chinese hair for the trade, the shorter lengths are reserved for the "transformations." Curls and puffs are also made from short lengths. ■ . ■ ■-. The waving process is.the same for ijj.l varieties-of hair: "The hair is tightly wound and tied around smooth wooden stocks, such as too used' in the'last generation. for making corkscrew curls. Then the sticks are packed lightly in a copper vessel and boiled for hours. After boiling and drying the hair comes off tho sticks ill tight little spirals. Ones more it goes into the water. This time it is dipped up and down in'hot water and is dried in the open air.