Smyrna times., 1875-08-04
mise eIIU21 e Gus.
The Difficulty of Making Wills.

1H6 DI1Cu1tJ VI Mdh4uS Willis
There are several large estates now in
process of accumulation which must soon
be by the natural law of mortality brought
before the surrogate. One of them is that
of VIM. B. 'Astor. The old man knows
how difficult it is to draw will that can
stand. His father employed Daniel Lord,
the best commercial lawyer i'll the city, in
the service, and yet Lord made some error
in the Langdon clause, which threatened a
law suit TO avoid any such liability IS as
they now say, a matter OF study with
William. His father died in 1913, twenty
seven years ago. leaving him the residuary
legatee. At the age of fifty-siX William B.
found himself in possession of one Of the
largest properties in the city. The eXecu-
tors fees in settling the old mans will were
$4,000. Washington Irving was one of the
executors and pocketed $l0,000 without
any service, except an occasional signature.
William has two daughters, Mrs. Cary and
Mrs. Delano, and three sons, John Jacob,
William and Henry. The latter is not
DflHt1It anu Yet Csiil 1i<tlNlS OS SetANA ~ OC
unidentified He has been kept for many
years at the farm, but lately married, i'll
sly manner, country girl, which was an
annoying surprise to the family. William
and John Jacob are men of middle life and
both married The latter has u son just
graduated from the law school. He bears
the name of their old home on the Rhine,
Waldorf and the largest part of the estate
will, no doubt, eventually 90 to him, since
his father is the eldest son. II is supposed
that Henry will be placed in the care of
trustees, that the daughters will get pOr-
ton equal to 100000 between them, that
William will have double that amount and
that the rest will go to John Jacob. In
this case perhaps the daughters will appeal
to law, and if so. we shall see first class
family fight, and heavier law fees than have
az yet been put on record. 70 avoid these
difficulties is now vexatious question with
the old man, who finds that uneasy lies tht
head that wears the name of capitalist
An illustration of what girls can do wa
given in the Mulford Martin case. Martir
was lnll0enSly ITCH dIll III lA4o VIII OhAA5 ASA
the daughters about 100000 apiece, where
upon the latter went to law and got larg
increase.
ANOTHER IMPORTANT ESTATE.
This is that of Commodore Vanderbilt
which consists largely of railway property
and is estimated at $40,000,OOO The Con
modore's income is supposed to be nearl
S2OOO.OOO a year. Like Astor, he has on
worthless son. This is Cornelius, Jr., but
very different man from the senior. lie
under the power of dissipation, and in fac
has for years been spendthritt. The oil
gentleman has refused to pay his debt
and has declined having anything to 4
with him for years, although he IS allowe
a pension. Whatever may be allowed
this unfortunate man will no doubt
placed under trustees. There were nil
daughters some Of whom are dead, bl
most of them were married and have ch
dren. William, the fayOritc son, and VIC
President of the Central Hudson, is nc
ffty-three He was never known as
business man until about ten years az
Previously he had lived as a farmer
Staten Island, which IS the family hom
but when the Commodore got control
those roads he called William to this c
in order to instruct him in business.
present his position is more trying
account Of the severe competitor inillci
bv the Baltimore & Ohio road. In diVidi
his real estate the Commodore has ma
persons to please. 1t is highly proba
that he means to make William his ct
heir: but if this be the case the 9th
may have recourse to the law, and 1t Wo
no doubt be as easy to break the Com
dore's will as that of other men OF g
talent.
STEWART.
Astor, Vanderbilt, Stewart As the Il
kings came to worship the Messiah,
have these men come to worship the
Of wealth. The first is Of the German,
second Of Dutch, the third OF the SEQ
though born in Ireland. The first is !
&c reaI estate. the second is the rail
a,;ng while the third wields the empiI
drv goods. The Stewart property prob
does not include any railway shares.
estimated at s25,O00,0O0 to $4,000
Stewart is childless, and the question
cerp;no the DISPOSITION Of his estate
important one. He has kindred in the