THE POTTSTOWN TRAGEDY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4543, 15 November 1882, Page 4

THE POTTSTOWN TRAGEDY.

Just after the beginning of Lend two young men came to Fottstown and announced that they were the solo owners of a new pro--0018 of restoring brilliancy and softness to baok , na ir, no mat tor what might be its age or condition. They began their operations by distributing to every houao in tho town printed circulars, setting forth their business, and naming a ridiculously low price for (heir ■orviots. In this circular it was promised that the longeat switches should be ronovated for 10 cents each, while tho oharge for renovnting curls and "fronts" was even lower. The ladies of Fottstown wore nstmred that the prooeis of ronovation should be conducted with the utmost seorecy, and it would require in no case more tban thvee dajs. Copieo of alleged letters signed by Mrs Anthony, Mrs Clara Morris, Mrs President Hayes, and Miss Clara Louise Kollogg, certifying tbat their back hair had been renovated to their com' plete satisfaction, were annexed to the cir* cular, and there was not a woman in all Potts* town who did not fully believe that she was exceptionally fortunoto in having the circular brought to her attention. The next day the two young men, each carrying a large covered biisket, called at overy house to receive orders and baok hair. They bad printed receipts with them, which they gave in exohange for hair, and which bad an extremely genuine and business-like appearanoe. Before they had visitod onequarter of the houses their baskets were full, and they were obliged to return to their hotel and to empty them before taking a fresh •tart. Judging from the size of their baskets, a local scientific person has estimated that they collpctod a ton and a hnlf of back hair in the course of two days. There was not— so we are assured— a woman in Pottstown who did not trust her hair to these audacious wretches, with the oxception of a few ladies of African descent ; and eaoh one believed that, within three days at the furthest, she would receive baok her cherished looks in a greatly improved condition. For several days after the baok hair of Pottstown had thus been placed in the keoping of the pretended hair renovators no ladies were visible on the Pottstown streets. At the same time, every lady at whose homo any young man ventured to make a call was oitker

" engaged" or "Ul," and declined to reoeive visitors. On tho firth day, the hotel at whioh the two scoundrels had stopped was visited by scores of excited husbands and brothers, who were horrified to learn thtt the two hair reno» vators had left the town five days before, carrying with them leven large and heavy trunks. Over the icencs whioh took place when this terrible news reached the ladies of Pottstown a veil must be drann. Muoh may be forgiven in a woman who has been cheated out of her back hair, but it is impossible to approve of tho want of judgment which several indignant wives evinced in trying to replace their missing hair by drawing upon the short and scanty hair of their innocent husbands. There will be no partieH in Pottstown for some time to come, and^eo far as the local young men are conoerned they will have no female society whatever. The sudden revival of the back-hair business in New York and in Philadelphia, whioh Western statesmen ore asoribipg to tho passage of the Silver Bill, is due wholly to the demands of the Pottstown ladies. The two pretended hair renovators have sailed for Europe with their booty, and the volume of baok hair in this country will be, for some time, too smalt for the demand.