Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-01-07
LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS
Weird vigiIs Of the Men In the
French Service.
Toll. THAT BREEDS MADNESS

The Only Wonder 10 That Any Of
These Lonely Workers Escape In
sanity-Pitiful Plight Of the isolated
Keeper at Four en- Finistsrre.
A French writer, telling Of the life
Of the lighthouse keepers along the
coast of Brittany, thinks 1t strange
that any of them escape insanity.
The system of relief that prevails In
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 a single companion, and that
station may be on rock out in the
channel or the bay Of Biscay, which
boats can approach only In fine
| weather.
AS q matter Of fact, the men often
do become insane or at least develop
monomania. Sometimes It takes the
form Of hatred of each other.
In one case, at Terennec, one OF two
men was found by party who came
off from the shore In response to Sig
halls lying dead in his bed with long
keen bladed knife through his heart.
His companions story was that he
had committed suicide after 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
Fan attack of acute mania. When the
time came to light up he planted him
self in front Of the stairway to the lam
fern and refused to allow his father to
ascend.
The old man attacked his son and,
| finding he could subdue him in no
other way, so that the lights on which
20 many lives depended might be kim
lied, strangled him to death. The next
lay he signaled to the shore for help
and gave himself up to the police, tell
ng what lie had done.
Sickness and death are no strangers
the lighthouses. There is ninety
line times out of hundred no chance
If medical aid, and the well man pre-
;cribes from the medicine chest for
he sick one as best he can. He also
| 4 ,J,,f1 ne o.
covers or relief comes.
There are not infrequent cases when
| he survivor has to sew up his dead
.omrade in hammock and launch bis
weighted body from the rocks into the
sea. Then come long nights Of lonely
watching.
In winter time the lamps must be
tended and the clockwork kept going
,or fourteen to fifteen hours. The Ian
:ern is unheated except for the glow
Of the lamps up In its ceiling, and the
government allows the watcher no
chair lest lie fall asleep.
1t is no wonder that weird fancles
come to the men. They hear voices
calling from the sea and see drowned
men and women looking up at them
rom the breakers. One Of their hor-
rors Is of the birds that beat against
The windows of the lantern at night,
attracted by the glare.
Just as is the case with American light
houses, the feathered armies that NIL
crate at night beat against the walls
land balconies of the beacons with their
wings and dash against the panes or
the lantern, sometimes breaking the
glass with their beaks. AS their eyes
shine in the glare they seem to express
anger or bloodthirstiness to the men
within.
One of the most pitiful stories OF
lighthouse life Is told Of the keeper at
-Four ell Finisterre, who kept all alone
la station on an isolated rock couple
lof miles out from the shore, but so
lsurf beaten that only once a month
Or so was boat sent out to 1t with
supplies.
The cabin in which the keeper made
Ibis home was on the shore opposite his
lighthouse, and the recreation he most
lenioyed was watching it through his
telescope. lie could see the people go
IN and out and the children playing In
front of 1t.
One day he saw something futtering
from the door jamb. lie was puzzled.
Then It flashed on him that 1t was
grape and that some one had died In
The house.
Was it his mother, he wondered, or
bis wife or one Of his brothers? BE
counted the children later in the day,
and they were all right.
The wind blew, and the water ragged.
No boat could come near him, and he
watched the crowd Of sympathizing
friends come and 60. Then he saw the
funeral.
He recognized the cure at the head
bf the procession by bis white surplice
and the altar boys walking beside him.
Then came the coffin, carried by six
men.
AS the mourners walked after 1t he
strained and strained his eyes trying
b identify each and thus determine
the missing one. But in vain. All
walked with bowed head. The WON
ems faces We're buried in their hand
kerchlefs; the men held their hats be-
fore theirs. He could make out moth
| NO cha m cteristic
The men who eight days later risked
heir lives to row out to him and break
he news OF his wifes death found
lin physical and mental wreck from
,eepless anxiety. But he had kept the
light burning faithfully all the time.
The French lighthouse keepers re-
reive from 700 to $50 francs year
S1l0 to $3.50. When they are worn
out they retire on a pension Of $3.50 &
month.-Chicago Record Herald.
Cheap Cheer.
| oh, rit,hIo mon drOnnad a nfpkp