New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-15
-, thin and restless man, with white hair anu

,r,, thin and restless man. with white hair ana
big white. bristling mustache. his WV
sparkle with good humor and fun, and he "lie'''
the most terrible scepticsm. in spite of when nc
ne a most kind-hearted popular. sympathetic
and. above ALL thoroughly honest man.
One OF the queeresi ideas introduced by VI.
rockrov since ne became Minister OF Marine has
been the appointment Of n sort OF official MN
strel 10 the navy NJ. LockrOy observed with
concern that the sailors Of the present day nave
no heart for their work. The sailors want eN-
citemen; 10 keep up their spirits. ana as theie
are objections TO the Of grog for this purpose
and cups Of strong coffee are too costly II mas
occurred 70 the new Minister that a bard might
hep to arouse the lacking enthusiasm Accord
,nrlv he has engaged the Breton saor-poet,
Yam Nlbor, who has been sent to Touon to re-
cite his inspiriiing lays on the warships Of the
Mediterranean feet. Yam is huge. gaunt
creature. who looks nearer seven than six feet
high and seems hewn out OF granite with a
Ratchet The son Of a Saint Malo carpenter he
ven, n sca in 1870 and soon became popular
among his comrades as s0ngster. the demand
made on his muse being so great that he became
ambitions to compose songs of his own. AS soon
ne he obtained his discharge he came TO Paris
where Admiral Serre found him berth as CLERK
in the Ministry OF Marine.
YANN AND HIS SEA SONGS.
Once sure Of his daily bread, he began to de-
vote his spare time 10 study. attended evening
classes and before long became known through
out the Quarter Latin as a remarkably clever
poet and singer one night he took his student
audience b. storm The Ella had gone down
with 200 men and Yam, touched TO the heart,
improvised a poem on the spot which moved his
audience to tears. It's fame reached the ears 81
the novelist Rchepn through whose influence
he was invited TO recite and sing a soirce given
By Nine Adam, where he scored an immense
success by relating in his strong simple verse
the story of the Yam Is instructed by NJ.
Lockroy 20 recite and sing thrice week in the
leisure hour which follows midday on board
ship. He spends his time between the various
ships Of the squadron and Ii may be assumed
that as soon as he has wound up the sailors OF
the Mediterranean Squadron to a sufficient pitch
Of patriotic enthusiasm. he will be transferred TO
the Atlantic possibly also to the Pac.fc feet.
Although the novelist Arnoud. to whose death
last week reference has been made. was not we'll
known abroad, yet he enjoyed a widespread
popularity IN France. and there are few Parisians
who have not read at least once In their lives his
novel Zoe Chien-Chien." Like Lockroy, he was
q journalistic associate and Intimate friend Of
Henri Rochefort and was repeatedly imprisoned
for press offences during the Empire. When the
instruction broke out here in 1871. he made the
mistake OF Joining the Commune and became one
Of its leaders. Having preserved a priest, the
Able Paris. from death at the hands Of the in
surgents during the Commune. the priest
sheltered him in return when the Versailles
troops took possession of the capital. and finally
with great difficulty conveyed him across the
Swiss frontier. disguised as monk. Sentenced
TO death by the Versailles court martial. he
spent the ten years that elapsed before the enact
ment of the amnesty in wandering through
South and North America. On his return 10
France he quickly achieved fame and fortune az
a novelist and for the last six or eight years had
been one Of the principal figures Of the theosoph-
ical coterie in France