Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-06-06
ASA PACKERS WILL.
The Generous Way in Which the Old
Man DispOsd of His Twenty MilliOns--
Large Public Bequests.


to MIR. Packers family, his intimate
friends, and to quite a number of insti-
tutions. 1t begins;
First, hereby constitute and appoint
my sons, Robert \. Packer and Harry
f. Packer, and my friends Elisha 7,
Wilbur and Robert H. Sayre, of Bethle-
hem, executors and trustees of this my
will, and the president of the Lehigh
Valley railroad company for the time
being shall also be one of the Executors
and trustees of this will.
The testator then bequeaths all his
property to these trustees, providing
very specifically how they are to man.
age his vast estate, especially his Lee
high Valley railroad stock and his coal
lands, his idea being that the president
ofthe railroad company shall always be
one of the trustees. The substance of
his plans Is in the following;
AS am the owner OF large amounts
Of stock Of the Lehigh Valley Railroad
company and other companies, and
have been carrying more or less of the
stock upon loans, and do not wish it to
be sold until it may be deemed advis-
able, as hereafter indicated by me, and
rs l am the owner of coal lands the pro-
ducts of which are or may be tributary
10 the railroad, and | wish these inter-
ests protected and worked together, |
give and confer upon the trustees discre-
tionary power and authority to manage
these interests, rs we'll as all my prop
erty of every kind, in such manner rs
they may deem best; to continue any
business in which l may be engaged,
and to work, open and develop any coal
lands | may own, making such expen-
ditures and OUTLAWS as they may think
best, and for these purposes to borrow
money, to give notes or other instru-
mepts of writing therefore, to execute
mortgages and pledges of the property,
real and personal, and to bind my es-
tate for such loans as fully and amply
as l could do if living.
Judge Packers devoted and roman
tic attachment to the wife who had
been his partner for over fifty years, is
illustrated by the following liberal pro-
vision:
/ hereby give, desire md bequeath
to my wife, Sarah M. Packer, such part
and portion ofmy estate, real and per-
sonal, principal and income. as she
may at any time during her life desire,
wish or select. This is to be hers abso-
lutely. and the trustees are hereby au-
thorized, empowered and directed, at
any time or times when she shall re
quest them to do so, to pay, hand over,
and transfer to her any property or
money, whether principal or income,
according to her wishes and directions.
Should she chose to indicate ut any
time what she wishes set apart for her
self out of the principal or as an annual
income, the trustees may do so III &C
cordance with her wishes, and may then
administer the remainder OF the estate
and trust property as herein directed.
My purpose is that she shall have what
ever she wishes out of my estate and all
other provisions hereof are subordinate
to this one.
Some of the principal requests to in
dividuals are the following, among
many others:
To Elisha p. Wllber........... .. SIS, O0O
To Warren W. WILDER. 5000. ............ 10. COO
To Mrs. Helena Rathbun 49,. s.=..,.... 10000
To Robert Rathbun. ....,..., ............. la.000
To John Rathbun. .......... ............. 10. 600
To Hattie Fitch 10, 00G
all ofthem being nephews and nieces. Also. 10
his cousin. EIish6A. Packer, S35,l00 and TO his
friend Robert II Sayre, S250U'.
To the children of Hannah Ashley.
his wife's sister, $1,000; to the grand
children of another sister, So 900; and
to anothe sister the same sum; to the
son of his wife's brother, Whitmer
Blakesee, $4,000; to his daughters.
Harriet, Hannah, Mary and Adeline,
$1,000 each; to James ]. Blakesee and
w. i. Blakcsee, brothers Of his wife,
$4,000 each; to Benjamin f. Bakesee,
Gibson Blakesee and Lemuel Bakesee,
other brothers, $1,000 each; Eunice,
Lucinda, Eliza and Betsey, sisters OF
his wife, 80 500 each; to Mrs. Marion
Skeer, Judge Packers adopted
daughter, $4,000; to Fanny 7, Skeer,
the daughter of his adopted daughter,
Marion Skeer, and to his grandchildren,
Salhe +. Lindeman, Robert p. Linde-
man, and Garrett Lindeman, the chill
dren of his deceased daughter. Lucy
Lindeman, Tie sum ofS50,O00 each.
TO the trustees OF the Divinity school
Of the Protestant Episcopal church in
Philadelphia So, 5UO, the income of
which snail be paid and applied annu-
ally for the maintenance and support
of the Divinity school.
To the trustees of the Jefferson Medi.
cal college, of Philadelphia, 50 1000.
To the trustees of the Muhlenberg
college, in Allentown, Lehigh county,
Pa. $4,000.
To the rector, church wardens and
vestry of st. Marks church, Mauch
Chunk, $4,000.
And to the trustees of Washington
college, Lexington, Va, $4,000 the
bond of the college, for 81, 1000 to be
surrendered and Cancelled by the trus-
tees, thus making the legacy 10 the
college $1,000
The requests Of legacies mentioned
shall be handed over and transferred in
annuity bonds ofthe Lehigh Valley rail-
road company, issued under and secdr-
ed by the mortgage Of that company
for $40, 00o, 900, dated the 18th Of No
vember, 1878, in favor Of the Fidelity
Insurance and Safe Deposit company,