Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1864-11-18
4 PARISIAN sAYANE.


One of the curiosities Of Paris is the residence
Of an odd character who has taken up his abode
in the Rue des Poules tis The residence Of a
Dane, the possessor Of considerable fortune, who
has long been enamored Of science. Optics is his
hobby. Heis worth some SIS 000,0o0 for al
though heis a student, he is a Spectator also Of
great acuteness and the 5000 600 which his father
left has grown in his hands to the sum just mem
etioned His house is furnished plainly for man
Of his wealth. 1t is heated throughout With hot
air, and in every room there is hole let in the
wall whore may be found, day and night, a pot5of
water kept hot By the air. His bed Is on the sec
ond floor, nevertheless he has had such aperturss
made IN the roof and adapted to such ingenious
machinery that without stirring from bed he may
examine the heavens with his telescope at any
hour. He enters into contract With his servant
for heating the house. IF the servant can make
any profit by the contract, so much the better
butthe house must be heated at an Uniform tenn
| perature from the frstof October to the first Of
May, whether the weatherbe hot On cold. Ifsthe
thermometer in the rooms indicate temperature
| below tho given degree the servant is fined. He
keeps bis accounts with great accuracy bat he is
very caprieious One day he has twelve servants.
the next day he has only one He sometimes
takes ali his meals at low eating house inthe Rue
Moufetard, frequented entirely byworking people
Of the humblest rank He would dress as wretch
edly as the worst of them. Upon one occasion,
while habited in this sordid attire, he entered an
elegant cafe the waiter showed him the way out
and served him out Of doors He is very fond Of
smoking, and sends to Havana for the very best
cigars. He has spit boxes arranged in lines all a.
round every room in his house, shat hemay never
feel the want of one He throws the cigar-ends
on the floor and forbids his servants from touch
ing them. He says that they keep insects from
his house He is anything buta miser. He gives
every month costly banquet at the CAFE Anglais,
the most expensive restaurant in Parisl to his
ted out at his own expense scientific expedition
to explore the shores Of the Caspian sea. He
spends great deal of money annually in the pur-
chase of flint glass He orders it from the most
celebrated glass manufacturers in Europe.
It is said he has $3.50, 600 worth of glass buried
in his garden It is in immense blocks which cost
s1 900, So 900, $5,000 and So 900 each, for flint
glass in blocks IS exceedingly costly. BE has bu-
ried It to see the effect the action Of the earth
may have on it. He has a great fountain in his
garden which cost him $4,000 He says the wa
ter costs him as much as if twas second rate Bor-
deaux wine. In the basin just where she torrent
of water falls are some $50, 600 wort of flint glass
block, which he placed there to see the effect of
the water upon them. He is very fond of getting
under the torrent of water, especially in the win
ter; then he goes in Adam 5 costume, to a grotto
and artificial cave he has built at a cost of some
100000, where he walks rapidly to and fro until he
gets himself into glow Then he dresses and
takes wneeIbarrow laden with sand which he
ros up and down hill he has built in the back Of
his garden at cost of $4,000 until he is in a
great preparation and so tired that he cannot
stand This eccentric man is the Mons. Mathi-
esen whose memoirs are occasionally noticed in the
Complies Rendus of the Academy Of sciences
His collection of optical instruments is said to be
the finest in the world. lie has telescopes and
microscopes by. dozens Of the best makers.