Evening star., 1927-05-22

tn HOUGH the annals of science
are thronged with tales of
fanatic zeal and the passion
l. ate pursuit of knowledge. 1t is
doubtful il they record any.
thing stranger than the story of the
Englishman. James John Joicey-ln
private life a wealthy colliery owner,
in public life scientist-who has
three times crashed into bankruptcy
in England on account of the pursuit
of butterflies--not the gilded butter
flies of night club life, but real but.
terfiies and moths. with Latin names
and far.fung family lines.
In 1909 this English scientist landed
in bankruptcy with liabilities. incurred
on behalf of his hobby, amounting TO
$975. 900.
In 1915 his mother came to his res.
cue to the tune Of $S00,000.
In 1922 he again went broke, with
liabilities Of $650,000.
And now he has done it again.
$3.50 to the bad!
With handsome income of Sl2o.-
900 year coming from the black
depths of Durham coal mine. this
middle.aged amateur entomoioglst.
with reckless spendthrift zeal and
butterfly net, pursues above ground
all over the world the fiuttelipg. light.
winged Lepidoptera. Scientists every
where know James John Joicey OF
Whitley, Surrey, as one of the greatest
private collectors of moths and but'
terfiies in the world. But they do NOT
know that the English courts regard
James John Joicey as one OF the most
nersistent and incorrigible bankrupts
in history.
It is a weird race which this Eng
lishman, with the bottomless purse
and the butterfly net, is running
against death and the money lenders
of London. 1t is a race to accumu'
late the worlds most complete collec-
ton of butterflies and moths.
His collection. which now numbers
more than 100. 900 specimens, is des-
tined to go at his death to the British
nation. At present it is housed III a
priyate museum, which he has erected
on his estate of 5000 acres. lie mas
mortgaged it to his mother for S6oo,-
600 in order that the money lenders
(his everlasting resource for extra III
GOMEZ may not touch it..
Nobody knows it's actual monetary
value Joicey's conventional reply 10
queries is $500. 900: but in the World OF
learned societies this is dismissed as
of the individual humor of the man.
Last year, with writs galore SHOW
ering upon him, Joicay kept SIX eH-
pert collectors on his pay roll, eXplor'
ing swamps and mountains from
China to Peru, after rare specimens
of moths and butterflies. The year saw
II 900 added to his collection. Inen
the strain proved too much: he falled
to meet various notes totaling 5000 '0oo
and--as stated--was hailed into the
bankruptcy court for the third time.
Wearily. Mr.. Justice Harrington sur
veyed the impecunious Croesus:
"I don't see how you manage TO get
through so much money every year,
said the court, plumb discouraged.
"You failed in 1909 and were in the
hands of the official receiver for three
years. You failed again in 1922. And
here you are once more! Why don't
you keep away from the money lend
ers?"
II only go to them when | am hard
pushed for cash." said the man with
$1a5,000 a year. Il am not eXtrava.
CANT. You know my ruling passion
Eyes, do said the judge, bored.
Apparently the irrational pursuit of
unknown Lepidoptera had no charms
for the bewigged justice in the bank.
rupcty court. II shall place you in
the hands Of the official receiver for
five years. You are an undischarged
bankrupt for that period and can con-
tract no obligations taking priority
oYer these herewith listed against
you. You know all about that, I pre-.
sume?"
Yes. your lordship," he said, 81
am painfully familiar with all that,
IF you could only manage to rein
| in Bit" began the court. persuasive
ly. tentatively. !.
II have only one thing to live for,
said the Englishman stiff1y.
Very WELL" said the judge. Five
,, years"
| 1t sounded like sentence.
! Which 1t was, of sort.
| Joicey'S private museum, known as
| the Hill Museum, at Whitley, is the
last word in museum technique, in the
science Of preserving in an even tenn.
| perature and with just the right de.
gree OF moisture more than 100000
! specimens Of the most fragile and
| perishable types of life. Around it's
walls are chests of drawers with 5000
compartments and about 1000 glass
cases. The curator, George Talbot.
was exempted by the government
i from military service during the war
on the grounds that the expert preser
vation Of this collection was work
Of national Importance.
Among the huttering treasures on