Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1879-04-10
PECULIAR aPAKps.Y
Dissolution Of RenaGrEGble COpGTtner-
ship SM W1scOnsiss-SssaOsslnr BUSINESS
and Domestic Relations of TsCO BROTHERS.

Dissertations OF Remarkable COpGFtner-
ship Sn W5scOnsiss-St Singular BUSINESS
and Domestic Relations Of IsCO BROTHERS
madison Special.
In the town of Westport, six miles north
of this city, have lived for many years two
brothers named Dominick and Martin
O'Malley. These brothers, when young men,
in 1852, in the mountains of California,
while mining there, verbally agreed to join
their efforts ind their fortunes and to be part
ners in all their business enterprises. That
partnership existed until yesterday. Shortly
after it was formed Martin went to Australia,
lured there by the gold excitement, and
Duminick remained in California. Each
kept an account, and the firm, with all the
vicissitudes and varying luck of the miners
life, kept solvent. Martin returned from
Australia to Wisconsin, and began farming
operations, and year or two after Dom1nlck
returned. Every dollar OF earnings or
profits received by either of them went to
the partnership fund, and every loss en-
countered by either, no matter in what hem
ispher0 or under what circumstances, came
out of the firm capital. 81
Af@er their return to Wisconsin Martin
married. The firm kept right on; the lands
were all owned together; the house, as home
stead for family use, was built: every shingle
used and every nail driven at firm expense,
and household supplies procured also on
firm account. Dominick soon after lost an
arm. He went to France at firm expense to
procure an artificial arm. He visited Ireland,
and came back bringing wife, imported at
the expense of the firm. Then another
house was built on the firms land and sup
piled out of the common fund with all house
keeping requisites. Since then their lands
have been titled; they have dealt
in lands, and at present own extern
sive lands in Kansas, besides some seven
hundred or eight hundred acres in West
port. Such securities as they owned-the
surplus earnings of many years of thrift
were invested entirely in Duminick's name.
Every dollar of expense and earnings of
each family were partnership account, and
the accumulation was never divided until
yesterday. In fact, everything they had,
but their wives and babies, were firm prop
erty. They lived in perfect concord, with
out single difference or discord on the part
of themselves or families. Dominick, by
reason of his disablement, naturally attend
ed to the general business, and Martin devot-
ed himself most assiduously to the cultiva-
ton of the farms.
They we're both in feeling disinclined to
disturb the existing order of things. But as
the years begen to whiten their heads, and
their children to approach mature age, they
felt it duty to dissolve this complex rela-
ton. Their method of doing this was as
novel as their previous dealings had been.
They went to their counsel and entered into
carefully prepared written agreement, ar
ranging for division and dissolution, to carry
out which, at whatever cost of personal dis
appointment, they bound themselves by the
most solemn covenants. Their respective
houses were unlike in value and desira-
bility. In dividing these and assigning to
each his part they sold the right
of choice to the highest bidder of the two.
1t was agreed that, should change of
houses be caused by their division, the entire
household effects used by each should be left
in the house he moved from, and that only
the clothing of the family, the family bible
and the pictures should be taken to the new
home. The right of choice was awarded to
Dominick, and he chose the house of Martin,
who generously yielded it, as Dominick' g
family was the larger, and needed the larger
house. So they are to change households
each taking his wife, children and their
clothing, bible and pictures, leaving every
thing else, and proceed to the home of the
other and own and occupy it henceforth.
1t cost their wives a sigh of regret, but they
cheerfully entered into this arrangement,
and it was carried out with perfect con-
idence and good feeling. They have effected
division of all their lands except the Kansas
lands, and, for the first time since they were
householders, they may be said to own a
spoon or knife, fork, plate or tin dipper
which is not partnership property.
These brothers are highly respected. They
have often held Offices of trust in their town.
Dominick was member of the assembly in
the year 1851.