The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-07-05
Parsons Man Has Dined With
Empress of Russia.
Invaded Darkest Africa and
Helped French in Panama.
NOW PAUPER HAT REPAIRER
Lost Fortune on ISthmuS
Caused Death of Helpmate.
Hopes to Regain Station by
Patent Now Being Perfected.

IHe IOllOWlng is narrative OF the
life and adventures of Joseph de
Hirschenfeld, a F'renchman, formerly
honored bv his country but now prac-
tically pauper but not too proud to
work. as told by the Parsons Sun:
More strange and romantic even the
most fantastic fiction is the history of
the life of Joseph de Hirschenfeld, one
time millionaire, explorer, soldier of
fortune and inventor, who, now at the
downward turn of the wheel of fortune
recently came to Parsons to exc out
meager existence as a humble hat re-
palrer. Living in the memory of palm
Ter days, and in the hopes of a life of
ease when he receives returns upon
certain inventions he now has in mind.
He has know nthe pangs of hunger
and privations of poverty. Feted and
Toasted by Empress Alexandrine of
Russia, King Leopold of Belgium and
other royal heads of Europe, he is now
content with the table d'hote of the
common hotel or boarding house.
dreaming of the day when the work
which he did for the honor and glory
of France. the ungrateful country of
his adoption will be recognized.
But few men have lived as eventful
lives As an explorer he has pene-
trated the darkest regions of Central
Africa; as a successful civil engineer
he assisted in the futile attempt of the
French to construct the Panama canal;
and to construct railways in Roumania
and other European states; as an in
ventor he has evolved more than sixty
different appliances, from each of
which he has realized several fortunes
IN itself. Today he is a broken man,
cheated, he says. by the country for
whose honor he struggled and remem-
bered only in the musty documents of
the geographical societies of France
and London, picking. up the meager
living which the smaller cities of the
United States. to which he now claims
citizenship, may afford.
Hirschenfeld was born in 1851 at
Warsaw, Poland. His father was a
manufacturing chemist, and his moth
er a French woman, who at the death
of her husband, responded to the call
of the motherland by returning with
her family to Paris.
Officer in French Army.
He was an officer in the French
army during the Franco Prussian war,
at the close of which, impelled by the
wanderlust and love of adventure he
persuaded five friends to subscribe a
sum of $4,000 each and engage with
him in an expedition into Africa.
Hirschenfeld was made leader of the
party, and they started for Liberia. By
the last of 1872 they were in the heart
of Africa, having penetrated more
than 500 miles inland from the west
coast. On the trip they encountered
the unfortunate Livingstone in search
of whom HirSchenfeld later joined the
relief party under Stanley. During his
explorations in Africa, Hirschenfeld
penetrated further into the Soudan
than any white man had previously
done. exploring various parts of
Ashanti, Assini, Senegal and the Congo
and Cameron. It was during his wan
dering here that he first conceived the
idea of establishing a protectorate in
that region for France, but it was not
until his return to Paris that he began
to agitate his plan.
In 1885 he returned to France, and the
report of his discoveries led to his en-
French Geographical society of which he
still has certificates of membership. Sim
liar recognition was soon after accorded
him by geographical societies of England
and Belgium.
Upon his return to France, Hirschenfeld
married, and opened substantial resi-
dence which was noted throughout the
French capital for its magnificent art
galleries.
Was Practical Inventor.
While there he turned his attention to
the perfection of his ideas, and the result
of his experimenting was the invention of
numerous machines and appliances which
brought him a fortune of nearly $1,000.O0O
Among these appliances was the first halr
cIipper ever invented. A street car fare
register Melted him large profit. the clip
per and the register being sold for $50, 900
each.
While living in France the plans of es-
tabishing protectorate in Africa, which
he had first conceived during his travels,
were matured, and he sought to interest
the French government in the matter He
prepared collection of data and maps
OF the country which he had explored and
turned them over to the government, urg-
ing that a protectorate be established,
pointing out especially the value of the
gold resources which he had discovered