The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-12-18
COURT GOSSIP
FROM ACROSS THE. ATLANTIC

ing place. Following him were his ten
wives and some attendants, all OF whom
had gone with him from the serial at
Constantinople into captivity.
At Beyler-Bey he refused to occupy
the magnificent palace itself-the place
which. in days gone by. sheltered the
Empress of France He decided to be in
stalled IN a small pavilion adjoining it.
On learning that one OF the officers of
the guard, for whom he had a certain
liking, had been called away to his sick
wife he remarked dryly, on hearing the
mans distress, "Ah, well, the poor fei-
low has only one wife: what would he
do II he had ten, as i have?'
There has been more traffic in the
hair OF the great Napoleon than in that
of any other monarch, and the prices
have varied greatly. Some time ago a
lock that had been cut from Napoleon's
head, on his death-bed at st. Helena,
commanded $500 francs in Paris. Yet
only a few months later another lock,
which likewise had been cut from his
head after death, was disposed OF in
London for the sum Of 81 But
even this was not the lowest price at
which Napoleon's hair had been bought
at public auction. On one occasion
lock was sold at London for only
q. a little later a sample Of the
Bonaparte hair changed hands in that
city for a G5 note. and on another &C.
casion 60 5s was paid for a lock which
had been cut from Napoleon's head dur
ing his captivity on the barren, rocky
isle in the Atlantic.
Then, again. as much as $50 los
was obtained for the interesting relic,
and once even the price paid was
$50. A letter, however. went with it.
The hair had been cut from Napoleon's
head when he was on board the British
warship BeIlerOphon.
After Napoleon, Lord Nelson's hair
would seem to command the highest
figure. Three months ago a lock of
the immortal admirars hair realized no
less than E3l5. which appear to be the
record. Some years ago G1OO was paid
for a lock. In curious contrast to that
was the amount paid a short time be-
fore for one OF his locks cut long be-
fore he had achieved any Of his daring
deeds. when he was boy OF ten. Only
&c was realized for this.
But even that was double the amount
that could be obtained for some hair
that had once adorned the head of Ma
pOleon's vanquisher, the great Duke OF
Wellington. When offered for sale at
auction 20 shillings was all that any
body would offer for it. (slc transit
$500
The hair of writer's evidently is thought
more of than that of some of the great
est warriors. As an instance. guineas
were paid for one of Sir Walter Scott's
locks. inclosed in a morocco case, when
put up for sale in London. II is a curl
Gus fact, however that for some hair
of the beard of Sir Walters great
grandfather. offered at the same time
and place. only % shiIIings were paid
And this despite the fact that there was
plenty OF 1t, inasmuch as the old man
had sworn never to shave until King
James was restored. as a note in Sir
Walters own handwriting, included in
the bargain. testified.
Another writer whose hair commands
fair price is Oliver Goldsmith To
obtain one OF his locks his coffin was
opened and the hair was inclosed in a
black enamel brooch. Ten guineas was
paid for this at public sale. II is not
so very long since a lock OF Byron's hair
was sold for El3 los. The lock was in
closed in a glass case. and with it went
a letter in the handwriting OF the poets
sister. II was presented by her to a
Mrs. Clarke and ultimately came under
the hammer.
FLANEUR
tCOryriEht. 1912. bv Court Gossip syn.iica,rJ