The silver lance., 1897-10-15


says the Bible The Sunday World
proposes to explain the task which the
recording angel who is assigned to num-
ber Mr.. paderewski's hairs finds before
him.
has devoted much profound thought
and study to phrenology, physiognomy
and allied subjects. visited Mr.. Pader-
ewski for the purpose of studying his
head and his hair. The great pianist Is
not less amiable than he Is gifted. He
told his visitor that American audiences
are the warmest and most sympathetic
he has ever known. and that their en-
thusiasm encouraged him to better
work. Most artists say the same thing.
but he was evidently sincere. While he
spoke. the listener observed Mr.. Pader-
ewskis crowning glory. calculated Its
weight, length, quantity and quality.
| Mr.. Paderewski will no doubt pardon
this attention to personal detail.
Many learned critics will write about
his playing, but they will not give seri-
GUS attention to his hair. It has fire.
quently been the subject Of witticisms,
but the Sunday World for the first time
treats it in the sober and earnest spirit
Of a seeker after scientific truth. The
women Of America who have given such
enthusiastic appreciation and support
to him will eagerly welcome this in
formation. That glorious aureole of
hair Is already enshrined in their
hearts. Now they will keep its memory
fresh by cutting out this article and
pasting 1t in their scrapbooks.
To begin with, this hair Is unique in
color. Nothing at all like 1t was ever
seen by the writer. The prevailing tint
is q light orange yellow. but there are
many shades gently passing into one
another. You catch giimpses of old
gold and a shade like the color of tre-
M<ndously hot fire.
!; grows down low over the forehead.
anG the line where the hair ends Is
curiously curved here. The bare skin
takes two deep and sudden turns in
ward over the temple. These bare
spaces mark the beginning Of badness
in most men. 1t V therefore possible
that Paderewski will some day lose
his hair. The thought is desolating.
but 1t will be a long time yet.
The quantity and arrangement of the
hair come next In Importance to Its
color. It sticks straight up from the
forehead and bends backward at the
top. Every hair has half dozen
curves In It. The effect can only be
compared to that OF fire. with short
fierce, light-colored flames chasing one
another swiftly upward.
The grealer part Of 1t appears to grow
to length of eight inches. and 1t
reaches down the back of his neck to
his collar. where 1t is as long as any
where else. As considerable portion
Of the hair il always in a state Of
growth, a reasonable calculation of its
average length would be five inches.
Paderewski has q very large square
head. The average human head has a
hair-bearing surface Of 120 square
inches. His scalp has an area Of 100
inches.
There are 600 hair follicles in a
square inch of dark persons scalp.
and TOO in blond persons scalp. The
blond, of course, has finer hair than the
other. This would give total of so, 900
follicles to a blond with 120 inches of
scalp; but as many follicles emit two
or more hairs. the total must be greatly
increased. and 100000 is a conservative
estimate.
Accepting these calculations, Pader-
ewski. who Is a blond with very fiEe
hair and an unusually large head,
would have about 100000 hairs. That
is at the rate of $50 to the square inch.
The average length Of them is ave
inches. and their total length. II placed
end to end. would be 1,000. 900 inches,
or. approximately. fifteen and three
quarters of a mile. 1t would there
| mn Ix0 a 70
from here to Yonkers. That sounds
usually produce line that would
reach to the moon. but only cold facts
are dealt with in here.
The weight of Paderewskis hair may
also he disappointing. A woman's head
Of hair seldom weighs more than i've
or six ounces. and three ounces II .
liberal allowance for his.
The strength Of the hair is q most as
tonishing fact. An eminent doctor in
forms us that . single hair will bear
4 strain equivalent to four ounces. Pad
erewski's 200. 900 hairs should there
fore be able to Withstand a strain Of
$4,000 pounds.
Paderewski's hair grows at the rate
OF seven inches year. 1t would require
ten years accumulation to stun o
cushion Of respectable size, and such
, souvenir II hardly to be hoped for.
The Quotable market value IL not
great Eight-inch hair only sells for
rs cents an ounce. while 36-incn hair
sells for 81 or more. The market
value Of Paderewski's hair Is probably
Increased by its rare color. but apart
from that 1t would undoubtedly be Of
inestimable value as a souvenir. II
the pianist should ever be hard up. OF
which fortunately there Is no present
prospect. he has only to offer his hair
for sale. Many an American woman