Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-08-31

Special Correspondence.
~ ARTS, Aug. l4-In the slums OF
~ this capital for close on five
years, Il literary gold mine"
was worked and worked success
fully for all concerned. This has heen
revealed since the recent death OF that
eccentric Belgian nobleman, Nlcoiple
de Spoelberch.
The literary gold mine" was situat-
ed I'm the mean alleys aud courts sur
rounding the house in which Honorc
Bal2ac lived and died. Nicomte ne
Spoelberch's one aim in life was 10
collect everything belonging or refer
ing to the great French writer ~
appears that he practically succeeded.
INT in effecting this success he spent
a fortune He paid out gold pieces
for tiny, torn scraps of BalZaclan IoNe-
letters. Tho residents IN Ba'ZHC
neighhorhood soon learned the value
of letters and manuscripts. Instead
of selling them outright they WORKED
their gold mine" and sold half, quar-
tor and eighth of n page at time.
Grand Seigneur of letters indeed was
the Vicomte de SpoelberCh de LouNen-
ioul whose death took place AT nus
historic chateau Of Roget, In Belgium.
He possessed one OF Inc most rel''ei ~
able collections of manuscripts ana
other literary relics in cNistence-nnt
Of Balzac alone, but oc some hair dozen
other French romantic authors oil me
middle of the last century Ihe 5ai
zacian collection is almost absolutely
perfect There is only one lnalusctH'
az all Balzac's writings that is MISS
ING and the one ambition OF the later
wears of De Spoelherchs life was lo
ACQUIRE this manuscript. IL was mn
of "Eugenie Grandet.' me NlCoH,te
knew whore IT was. lie never W.
SPARED Of getting It. UP TO me very
last he declared, THE day h!'oW
whatever rs owners WiSh t"' MI a. mis-
the world. il Is mine Ferhaps W tllls
saving OF his Is revealed the sectSt
of how he formed his most renarkap'e
DE spoeIberch bought every scrap ne
could lay his hands on belonging 10
Balzac. Georges Sand, Musset' Nsullei
Victor Hugo, Vigny, Merimee, Slehu-
haI and Sainte-BeuVc. But 1t was TO
Ralzac that the vicomte pracucaily ue-
voted the later half of his lite
uis huge collection was splendldiy
arranged and catalogued in large gal
leries at his immense house at Brus-
sells. It was so perfectly done tl"'
the stranger could at an instants no
lice Law his hand on any parhculaV
manuscript or other treasure lht
iitrrarv man or woman was always
welcome to search through the vari-
Gus collections
THE PUBLIC MAY READ.
And now the public viii have a
cbnnce of viewing these extraordinary
treasures for the Vicomte in his VIII
has beoueathed his entire collections
90 the Institute of France. strange
to say the institute is not oVerJoyed'
Il Is the size of the collection whlch
apparently has appalled, the members
as well as a special clause In the van
which demands that the collections
shall he arranged in the ChantilJ
museum and shall DO open to the pub
The institute objects to such use OF
the C'hantilly building. 1t would
mean. the members say. that the
stately palace of the institute would
he overrun by the great unwashed'
and all the literary rate and hacks in
France. perhaps elsewhere, The in.
stitute holds itself very much aloof
from the common herd and Will,
think only accept the superb bequest
II the executors or the courts allow
the breaking of the stipulation regard
ing Chantllly and the public.
brussels would like to keep the coll
lection and the literary chieftains of
Belgium are already at work In lnfiu-
entail circles trying to have that por-
ton of de Spoelberch's will set aside
and thus retain the collection where
It ls at present and turn the vi
comtcs house into national gallery.
There are also many of the Brussels
museums which would be only too
glad TO house the collection. The in
stitute of France, however, has two
| years in which to decide. BY that
| time the members may be only too
| glad TO receive the princey bequest.
LAST OF HIS BRANCH.
Vicomtc dc Spoelberch was the last
Vie hrop"h of - noble and ancient
family which owed allegiance both to
..-e ..uu B.tsi.nL a. Was a lam