Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1907-08-02
LoNa HArR oE aENrua.
Stories Of Famonu lEen, Whose Lock,
Were fn Demand.

Were "a Demand.
The late Sir August Manns had 4
luxuriant growth OF hair, which, when
he first came to England. many years
since, was jet black. on its account
he was subjected to no little char.
Week after week." he said, In the
course Of an interview, "did the post
man bring me big letters with curl pa
pers Of every description, accompanied
by neatly written advice how to use
them, and tiny pink letters with in
closures OF 3-penny-blts, with the re-
quest to go to the barber and have my
hair cut"
The celebrated viollnist, Paganini,
was economical In all his ways, even to
the disposal Of his hair, of which ad-
mirers would at times request a lock
as memento. The demand was never
declined, but the lock sent was of the
most scant description, and never with
out q strongly worded request for a
handsome subscription toward some
rather indefinite charity in which the
musician was interested. With Paga-
mini charity often began at home, and
ended there, too.
A pretty story is told Of Mendels-
sohn. Once, when in Paris, he was
approached by a poor woman with a
prayer for aims. He was about to &C
cedc to the request when he remem-
bered that he had no money upon his
person. He had sharp knife, how
ever, and, producing this, he cut off a
lock of his hair, which he handed to
the suppllant Much surprised was the
latter, and still more so when a pass
er-by, who had recognized the musician,
rushed up and offered her for the hir-
Suite gift piece of gold, which, it is
needless to say, was gladly accepted.
On one occasion, says Tit-Bits, when
Wagner paid a visit to the hairdresser,
he was accompanied by his wife, who
carefully collected and made into a
parcel the shorn hair, preparatory to
removing 1t from the shop. The bar
Der was aghast, for he had already sold
and received payment for the masters
clipped locks. He implored Frau Wag-
ner to reconsider her intention, but the
lady was obdurate, only relenting so
far as to remark that her butchers
hair was very similar In color to that
Of her husband. The hint was taken.
In the cause of a deserving charity
Verdi agreed to part with a number.
If his locks, for which demand was to
be made by letter only. Many appli-
cations, accompanied by remittances,
arrived, and were duly honored, much
| to the benefit of an excellent cause,
and by no means to the detriment of
the composers hair, which, despite the
many calls upon its growth, seemed as
thick and long as ever. A most unac-
countable phenomenon, his friends
thought, but they gradually changed
their minds and exchanged smiles when
they noticed how very bare a certain
servant, whose hair much resembled
his masters was becoming about the
pate.
Mario, the great tenor, on being
asked by pretty but rather bold mem
Der Of the fair sex for lock Of his
hair, laughingly proposed race, stip-
ulating that, in the event of his being
the victor, he should receive a kiss
from the losers lips, but that, should
fortune decide against him, he would
agree to submit his head to the con-
queror's scissors. OF the pair started,
and the victory seemed to be in Ma
rios grasp, when he tripped and fell,
allowing his fair rival to reach the goal
first. He at once CALAMITY paid for
felt, and the lady with equal courtesy,
awarded him the prize that, had he
won, would have been his due.
The barber of Indianapolis who,
CHANGING to possess one of Abraham
Lincoln's razors, drove a brisk trade
by charging those of his customers on
whose chins it operated an extra half
dollar must yield the palm for origin
ality to a west end Figaro into whose
shop Gounod once CHANGED to stray for
the purpose of having his hair
trimmed. By Figaro, who was Of a
musical turn, this good fortune was
duly appreciated. He preserved the
haircuttlng cloth, as 1t came, plenti-
fully besprlnkled with hairs, from the
composers neck, to be used thence
forward only by such customers as
were willing to pay handsomely for
the honor.