Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 December 1895 — Held by a Hair. [ARTICLE]

Held by a Hair.

In a gathering of officers, after the Franco-Prussian war, a French officer claimed that the French nation is the most artistic nation ou the earth, and that her artisans can make a thing of beauty out of anything, however ordinary or crude. The great Prussian general. Von Manteufel. who was present, plucked a hair from his shaggy beard, remarking: “Let them make something beautiful out of that.” The French officet; sent the hair to a friend' iu Paris, lolling him the circumstances, and urging that, ns the Prussians had defeated the French ill the late war, they should uot be permitted to defeat them In the claim to artistic supremacy. Giving the hair to a capable artisan, with proper Instructions. the result was a beautiful scarfpin. representing a Prussian- eagle, artistically wrought In gold, standing on a rook, and depending from his beak was a single half, at the ends of which were two beau,ti£\il gold medallions, on one of which was Inscribed “Alsace’ and on the other "Lorraine." Thus tile artistic scarf pin described the political situation; Prussia, as the eagle, with Its conquered provinces dependent, but held by a hah”, for the temper of the people of Alaaee aud Lorraine was bitter toward the Germans, and tlie tie which held them was very slight. >