The New York herald., 1879-09-14
G III A M.
Quips and Cranks of a Laughter
Maker of Paris.
COUNT AND CARICATURIST.
Legends Of Dumas Hunger and Monse-
let's Phosphorescent Skate.

On Monday of the past week they buried at Paris
a man who for forty years did more than all his
fellows to maintain for that lively city its reputa-
tion the home of wit. On the famous houlevards,
where many originals daily jostle the crowd the
figure of Cham, the caricalurst was charac teristc
figure; type rather national than individual. OF
an art which counted among its founders Gavarni,
painter of Gavroche the irrepressble small boy Of
Paris and Henry Monner. inventor of Joseph Prud-
homme. Cham having survived them both, died the
acknowledged chief and master.
Four times a month for nearly half a century the
readers OF two hemispheres have looked for those
weekly rations of light rdcule that the sent
them through the medium of his journal And un-
that keen, that biting pencil which slashed the
vices, mbugs and extravagances of Paris little by
little formed remarkable gallery Of the
ners morals of the period. Never since the days
of the Due de Roquelaure had nobleman of France.
for Cham was q viscount and of the oldest lineage.
deigned so genialy to cater to the humors of the
mob. Cham's father, the Comte de Noe, OF
the banshed peers OF France. was exceedingly pre-
else in the matter of aristocratc dignity The day
that his degenerate first showed his attachment
to the arts the venerable nobleman turned whito
with passion. The day he declared that his
instincts stronger than his education this heir
to seat in the High Chamber was turned penniless
daub." said the Count. "Be it so. Daub
to your hearts content" Three days afterward
the Chariuari. Philippon's satrical journal. then
much in vogue, furtively introduced into the
Counts drawing Upon inside page Of
the paper was drawing which attracted M. de-
Noes attention. Certain lines in it seemed vaguely
to recall his sons manner. The suspicion became
certainty when in the right hand corner of the
sketch the nobleman's angry glance fell on the
signature 'Cham." the French equivalent for the
Biblical Ham, and beneath it line of commen-
tary:-"Ham. the son OF Noah (de Noel. cursed by
his father"
Although this Scriptural erudition did not
appoase the old mans anger. the artist
had discovered the which to
make him famous. But he did not gain
fame or fortune bound Like most Of his fellows.
Cham had to pass many bitter hours in the Partisan
struggle for existence. Daily life presented to his
scantiy lined wallet certain financial problems
which only solved when the prescribed
planted ut his hearthstone the devotion and the
economy good wife. Then. if the days fare
with love and as Cham talents and the natural law
of inheritance gradually enriched the little house,
hold more than one leaf added to that table,
round which were won't to gather the celebrities
of literature and art. OF the studio and the stage
THE CHARIvARI DINNER.
There was, more particularly, weekly feast held
on Fridays. and styled the Charicdri dinner. Tho
Sunday number was then prepared; under the presi-
at CHAINS house. in the quiet Rue Nollet In those
unpretentous chats OF the dinner table. was poured
iow OF wit that would have suficed for twenty
English, French, comic papers. Jokes and
repartees streaming the company like the
hght-scartering tail of u comet.
Having grown rich Cham never forgot the time
when he poor. He never tired of abusing
those culinary extravagancos which were the delight
of the ancient regime His jokes on the subject OF
Darsimonious could be better sketched than de-
scriped. Words can hardly give the effect of those
broadly farcical anecdotes which, in the midst of
profound silence. would fall slowly and with weighty
emphasis from the lips OF this tall PALE thin noble-
man, Hearing him ones fancy strayed to the picture
of Colonel Athos reading page OF Cervantes before
King Louis XIV.
"iIaye YOU heard the news ?" he would say. Poor
Dumas! A career fino his ruined irrctriova-
bly!" Here tho guests would look up in amazc-
ment. The sorrowful air ana accent of Cham lent
force to his words What could have happened to
Dumas? . 400
Paris will know it Who could have
dreamt that man charming genius SO lofty
would have biighted his prospects so miseraoiyf
Dumas a thiefl" echoes the bewiidered com.
pany.
come from the police station. The unhappy crim-
inal had sent for me, for it was here he spent hh
last evening. in this very room
'But what has he been doingY
'He has been stealing"
''Stealing! Stealing what?"
"a loaf of bread He dined with me and left the
house ravenous with hunger. He passed q bakers
shop and the temptation was too strong for him.
HOW MoNsEIEr BECAME AN ELECTRIC LIGHT.
One OF the most extravagant Of these stories had
Charles Monselet, the journalist and gourmand for
it's hero. Somebody had invited Cham to meet tho
charming chroncler of boulevard gossip. and the
carcatur had declined. lie asked if they had
quarrelled. .'No." he replied, 1--WE bow In tho
street In society, but at heart Monselet
detests me. And really; considering how we
treated him, / scarcely blame the poor fellow.
1t in 1860 that saw most of him. l was
planning some sketches for the Gourmet his newspa.
per. One summer night Nine. de Noe met him and
asked him to dinner. We were exceedingly poor.
but Anna my wife. always has an eye to my inter
ests and said to herself, 'Monseet is literary
man. He may be useful to Amedee. Besides. liter
ary men seldom have enough to eat So of sh0
goes the fish market and invests in q magnitccnt
skate Coming home. letter awaits her from
Monselet. postponing the dinner for week. 1t was
too bad Poor Anna is thrifty soul. she deter
mined to get her moneys worth out of that skate.
A week later Monselet arrived and on fine ser-
vice of plated silver the fatal FISH offered him.
His nose was delicate but his appetite was strong.
After q violent combat between stomach and smell
Monselet closed his eyes and swallowed the un-
tempting morsel. Nine. de Noe In ecstasies OF
delight. The dinner ended merrily. and at nine
o'clock Monselet took his departure. The night was
dark as pitch; nevertheless the street lamps were
shining with unwonted brilliancy. Light stresmed
through every window as though the houses wero
on fire. Monselet stopped in anazement:
He thought 1t must be the night OF
the Emporor's fsc and he hurried to avoid tho
crowd All around him. above or below. to right or
to lett, flashed the dazzling light. Roofs,
stoops, carriages, human beings, all seemed to hoat
past him in fastastic glare. Fool that am
cried Monsele, lit is an Aurora Borcalis. read
about school. 1t charges the air with magnet.
ISM Proud of his scientific discovery he pursued
At the door OF his house III the Rue Riche-
lieu illumination burst upon his gaze. 1T Is
ball after wedding said he. Happy bride
growing sentimontal Happy bridegroom tstumb-
ling the threshold). What is the matter with
me to-ngnt2 Something must have gone wrong
at CHAINS dinner: l see gas everywhere Ho
threw open the door of his A hood of
phosphorescent light cleaned over floor and ceil-
ing The titles of the books in the library sparkcd
in letters OF gold. Mousclct was filled with vague
alarm. Uneasily he prepared tor bod. At that mo-
ment the luminous intensity increased tenfold.
Horrori Tho rays came from his own bodyl lt
the skate, the fatal skate, transformed by the
combined powers of heat aud economy, of old age
and digestion, into of bluetinted electricity.
Monselet drew the bcdclothos over him ana shiv-
cred"
Poor Chant The time of those merry fsrccs has
flown. Rochefort aud he were then friends. Tam
bcrlik used to sing at thor dinner parties. rho
caricaturist is dead Rochefort in exile ramberk no
more than q memory. CHAINS work Is endless; bus
OF all his sketches, perhaps the fondest thoughts
twine themselves round a group drawn at the timo
of the civil strife in America. The army cap OF