Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-09-09
A CAPILLARY TEMPLE.
A Collection Of Locks Of Hair from the
Heads or Distinguished Persons,

Phit0detphtd Press.
4 Partisan correspondent who has
recently visited Tours has uncarthed
genuine curiosity, which he thus de-
scribes: And, apropOs of museums, let
me cite another which certainly is orig
inal in its cOnception-the Capillarium
Museum, as its inventor calls it, a title
as new as the thing itself is. NJ. Louis
Petit, barber, residing at No. Is Rue
de PIntendance, at Tours, is the invent
or OF both. Its aim is TO offer to the
contemplation of the present and future
geneneratiOns q collection composed of
specimens of the hair Of all the great
persons who have acquired, in one way
or another, claims Ito our gratitude and
respect" In short, it is reliquary,
species of capillary temple erected to
the worship of memery.
NJ. Petit makes Of his exhibition
picture gallery, he puts up photographs
of all the celebrities who have consent
ed to respond to his demand for lock
of hair, and their autograph to attest its
authenticity, and he seals it with his
seal, and he has it furthermore legal
lied by the signature of the Mayor OF
the TOurangin capital. The Caplllarium
already possesses some of Mile. DejaZets
hair and a lock of Emperor Napoleon,
and of the Due de Reichstadt, and of
the Prince Imperial, and of Allan
Kordec, the Spiritnalist; but his ambi-
ton will remain upsatistied until Victor
Hugo sends him q lock with Unnecessary
''stamp of guarantee" Louis Petit
writes forty letters day, at least, ana
works away at his hobby with all the
feryor of an apostle, hoping THAT the
time is not distant when the moral and
historical character of his collection will
win for it distinguished place in one
Of our national museums, where 1t IS
destined to react against that skeptl-
cism which now, alas, tends to invade
all classes of society," Another mani
&C, a predecessor of NJ. Petit, had the
same idea as this compatriot Of Rabe-
lais, and put an advertisement IN the
newspapers Just before the war:
IsPersons of confidence wanted
for delicate mission; excellent
salarv.n For month afterward the
advertisers apartment was invaded by
swarms of applicants. Some OF them
were very queer to look at and had bad
records, but NJ. y. sifted the mass, and
those whom he selected were directed
to make the acquaintance of all celebrl-
ties whose hair did not already figure In
his collection. Nothing more gretesque
can be imagined; the celebrity suddenly
became the object of the most
devoted attentions, all the more
astonishing that their object was
concealed, until at the psychology
cal moment came q timid request
for a lock of hair. Nearly always it
was granted; often, when the celebrity
was q woman, the petition seemed ex-
eqssively modest. One day he got
a telegram from an illustrious parsonage
whom his agent had vainly solicited for
a month and more: await TIL they
fall OFF, Another telegraphed him:
"Go tor Two or three who were
troubled with natural ill-nature, threat
ened him with the police. Still he per-
severed, and had gotten together quite
a good sized gallery when he died, ana,
by an irony of fate, died bald. ss.
A missionary in Jamaica was once
questioning some little black children
on the fifth chapter Of Mathews gospel,
And he asked: "Who are the meek?
a little fellow answered: "Those who
give soft answers to rough questions"
Mr.. Beeeher finds that ninety nine
out ofevery one hundred are guilty OF
the sin of lying every day in the week.
Well, Mr.. Beecher, you know how IL Is
when a man gets into = scrspe.
| NE;.o-,, lo,,oO aop,nany Saws the I'M