Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-10-14

This has been a season of unparalleled disas
tiers by fire. The burning of the woods and
prairies in Minnesota destroying many home
steads and some villages, laying waste hundreds
of miles Of prairie farms and OF valuable timber
lands, had hardly been learned, when the news
of the calamity at Chicago stirred all hearts
with horror and pity Before we could fairly
realize the extent of that appalling disaster, we
learn of the ravages Of fire in Michigan, where
an area larger than the state of Connecticut has
been swept of almost every veStige of human
habtation or human industry. The region was
in general sparsely peopled it true, but it in
cluded not few villages some towns Of consid-
cradle size, and numerous scattering settle
ments, whose People are now as destitute as the
homeless thousands at Chicago, and in this
respect in a worse condition, that their accumu-
lation of misery is not great as to attract, in
competition with the Chicago Sufferers, the sym
patty and aid of those who might relieve some
of their distress. The manner in which the
charity of the whole civilized world flows toward
Chicago is magnificent. Ii illustrates grandly,
not only The material advances of modern ciyili-
cation, but also the effect of these and other in
fluences in drawing closer the ties of human
brotherhood.
The collection of portraits known as the
"Schwabe Gallery of Fallen Heroes" was
offered for sale yesterday in Boston, and dis
posed of to Robert Walker of Chicago, the
mortgage, at whose instance the sale was
made, for the sum of $500. This is probably
the last of it as a collection. Something of its
history is probably known TO most of our read
ers, who have also heard Of the singular and
mysterious person who originated it and gave
it its name. Count Schwabe," as he chose to
call himself, though whether he had right to
the title nobody seems to know, was familiarly
known to many persons during the war, and
his name was familiar to many more as that Of
Il liberal contributor in money and labor for the
relief of the wounded and suffering of the
union armies. He also, in several instances we
believe, made gifts Of pla+e or something of
that kind, TO officers whom he thought deserv-
ing Of special honor While the war was going
on and after its close he interested himself par
ticularly in collecting national gal
lery Of fallen heroes. Some of the
portraits were painted at his own expense;
for others he collected the whole or a
part of the cost from the relatives or comrades
Of the soldiers. The pictures are of all degrees
of merit and costumes, from colored photo
graph to portraits by the best artists. Many
persons willingly co-Operated with the count,
while others distrusted him, rather because
there was something unexplained and mysteri-
Gus in his position than for any ether ap-
parent reason. AT one time it was said that he
had conveyed his gallery in trust to prominent
citizens Of Boston, who had accepted the trust
aud would hold the collection for the uses orig
inally contemplated Efforts were also made to
sell ii either TO the city of Boston or TO the state
of Massachusetts. Lltterly, Mr.. Schwabe,
having got into pecuniary difficulties, mortgaged
the portraits, and the mortgages adyer-
tsed them for sale to satisfy their de
mands. On many Of the pictures sums
had been paid ranging from fifty to five
hundred dollars by friends oftheir subjects, on the
condition, as 1t was claimed, that in case the
gallery should be broken up, the portraits
should reyert to The friends who contributed or
10 the city or town where the soldiers lived. The
collection was offered at auction but no bids
were made, except by the agent Of the mort
gage, 10 whom it was knocked down Tor s25OO
as before stated. Two Of the portraits were re-
pleved Immediately after the sale, and others
probably will be. The auetioner gave notice
that the purchaser must take the pictures at his
own risk, as a clear title would not be given.
This seems 10 be the end Of the Schwabe gal
lery. What the irrepressible count will do nexi
we shall hear in good time.