Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1907-12-18
LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS
Weird vigiIs of the Men In the
French Service.
TOLL THAT BREEDS MADNESS.

Keeper AZ FOQr en- <irtStcrre-
A French writer. telling of the life
IF the lighthouse keepers along the
coast OF Brittany. thinks il strange
that any OF them escape insanity.
The system Of relief that prevails n.
this country has no equivalent in the
French service. and. with short inter-
walls. months apart. a French light
house keeper may spend forty years of
his life tending the lamps In one sta
ton, with n single companion. and that
station may be on a rock out in the
channel or the bay Of Biscay. which
boats can approach only In fine
weather
AS a matter of fact, the men often
do become insane or at least develop
mOnomania. Sometimes il takes the
form Of hatred OF each other.
In one case. at Terennec. one Of two
men was found by n party who came
of from the shore i'm response TO sig
nails lying dead I'm his bed with n long
keen bladed knife through his heart.
His companions story was that -he
had committed suicide after a long
period Of melancholia. There was no
proof to the contrary. but after exam
lining the wound the authorities doubt
ed the truth OF the story
On another occasion. where father
and son tended an isolated beacon to-
gether. the young man was seized with
an attack OF acute mania When the
time came to light up he planted him
self in front OF the stairway TO the Ian
tern and refused to allow his father TO
ascend
The old rrsTn attacked his son and.
| finding he could subdue him in no
other way. SO that the lights on which
so many lives depended might be kin
died, strangled him to death. The next
/ day he signaled TO the shore for help
and gave himself up TO the police. tell
ing what lie had done.
Sickness and death are no strangers
in the lighthouses. There is ninety
nine times out OF hundred no chance
Of medical aid. and the we'll man pre-
scribes from the medicine chest FOL
the sick one as best he can. He ais,
does double duty until his partner re
covers or relief comes.
There are not infrequent cases wheI
the survivor has 10 sew up his dea,
comrade IN a hammock and launch hi
weighted body from the rocks into tn
sea. Then come long nights Of lionel,
watching
In winter time the lamps must b.
tended and the clockwork kept Coin
for fourteen TO fifteen hours. The Ian
| tern is unheated except for the GLOW
, OF the lamps up in its ceiling. and tn
| government allows the watcher n
| chair lest he fall asleep.
T 1t is no wonder that weird fanclc
come 10 the men. They hear voice
; calling from the sea and see browne
2 men and women looking up at ther
! from the breakers. One of their hol
= rors Is OF the birds that beat agains
the windows OF the lantern At nigh
| attracted by the glare
. Just as IS the case with American liCh
$ houses. the feathered armies that m
: CRATE ut night beat against the wall
1 and balconies of the beacons with the
: wings and dash against the panes c
e the lantern. sometimes breaking III
} glass with their beakS. As their eve
] shine in the glare they seem 10 expires
Q anger or bloodthirstineSs 10 the me
: within.
4 one OF the most pitiful stories
J. lighthouse life is told OF the keeper .
Four en- Finisterre. who kept all alor
n station on an isolated rock coup
OF miles out from the shore. but
surf beaten that only once a mont
or so was 4 boat sent out TO il wit
supplies.
The cabin in which the keeper mac
his home was on the shore opposite h
lighthouse. and the recreation he mo
enjoyed was watching IL through b
telescope. He could see the people :
In and out and the children playing
: front OF II.
One day he saw something tuttcrl
: from the door jamb He was puzzle
Then IL dashed on him that il W.
Grape and that some one had died
the house.
!, Was IL his mother, be wondered.
- his wife or one of his brothers: I
counted the children later I'm the da
Y and they were all right.
The wind blew. and the water rage
= No boat could come near him. and !
y watched the crowd of sympathetic
: friends come and go. Then he saw Il
funeral
He recognized the cure at the he;
OF the procession by his white Surpli
:. and the altar boys walking beside hil
Then came the coffin. carried 10y ;
y men.
= As the mouruerS walked after IL /
!, strained and strained his eyes tryir
= 10 Identify each and thus determil
: the missing one. But in vain. \
: walked with bowed head. The woI
ems faces were buried in their han
-, kerchie1s; the men held their hats b
= fore theirs. He could make out not
ing characteristic.
; The men who eight days later risk,
y their lives 10 row out 10 him and bre.
the news of his wife'S death -four
II him physical and mental wreck fro
slecpleSS anxiety. But he had kept q
:. light burning faithfully all the time
= The French lighthouse keepers r
. ceive from 200 10 $50 francs Il year
Sl40 10 $3.50. When they are wol
!, out they retire on pension OF ST. 81
: mouth.-Chicago Record-Herald
The surest proof OF ones endowmer
OF noble qualities IS being free froI
Y ! enVy-Ia ROchefOucauld