Intermountain Jewish news., 1926-08-19
Collecting Experiences
Hobby of Has Director
Now Visiting Denver
Dr. Emil l~rIny. Miskosee Resident,
soon to Add Others to His
BOOk
By SlGRID ARNE

fire side, storytelling age. Dr. Emil
Iermy, now visiting Denver. Is one of
them. Born In France, educated nt
Goettingen. Heidelberg. and the Sor.
bonne, one.time member of four medI.
cnl research commissions, he refuses to
stop.
Now he's starting out on four
months tour through the United States
In the official capacity of manager.
general for the two largest Jewish ben
eft societies In the country. the He
brew Sheltcrlng and Immigrant Aid
Society Of America. and the 1ndepend-
cnt Order of B'Nai BBrith. The tour
will include cities In Colorado. Utah,
Montana. California and Texas, where
he will organize new lodges. or help
those who need more funds. And this
/ isn't a venture for which he's been
gathering energy all year.t This winter
he organized five lodges In Florida. two
In Maryland. and two in Virginia.
But the other adventures. And the
other professions. 1t seems as though
two men have been rolled into one.
Or. Iermy was born In France. the
| son Of an international banker. But
after the war of 1871 the family was
offered the alternative of living In Ger
many or losing all their interests there.
so they moved.
Collecting Experiences
| Then the collection OF experiences
began. He gathered an A. b. degree
mt the SorbOnne, and two NJ. ID. de
grees. In 1886 he and his Oldest
brother, accompanied by n tutor. came
over to explore America, and in par
ticular New York. Did he know Louis
Sherry?
In 1890 and 1900 he went with n
British commission to Egypt and the
Soudan. and later into the Congo ter
ritory to study what Is now known as
sleeping sickness Then 1t was n
disease that was little understood.
One time. when in the Congo. he
cured chieftain of boil on the arm.
As payment there arrived at the door
OF his hut 81 Of the chiefs women. As
delicate as possible DIR. Lermy explained
to the chief that: 'IIe was very kind.
but" The chieftain's feelings were
hurt. So DIR. Lermy dug up an old
alarm clock and safety razor blade and
sent them to the chief. The next time
he called, His Royal Highness had man
aged to suspend the alarm clock from
one ear. and by piercing the cartilage
had the razor blade hanging down In
front Of his nose.
In 1901 DIR. Lermy returned to New
York City. this time to write feature
stories, wherever and whenever he
found them. He published in the Cour-
Ter des Etats Unis in Paris. the New
York journal. the Ledger and the Rec
ord in Philadelphia, and the Stnats.
Leitung in Germany.
Then, as though picking mp thread
In pattern that was almost too com
plicated to follow, he'll remember that
he was in Jacksonville In 1883, one OF
the doctors who went there to stamp
out the epidemic of yellow fever He
took 81 nurses along, and only six sur
vivel the epidemic
Witty. n fluent speaker-in five Ian.
guages IL necessary-he holds general
managrrshlp for two national organiza-
tions-a position that is quite probably
unique in the whole country. Not a
sign of n fireside or carpet slipper. or
rambling stories to the grandchildren.
DR.. Lermy is still busy collecting ex-
periences. Life is too rich to stop.
Astcrisks are those little stars the
author sprinkles through the novel