Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-06-11
RICH MEMS ESTATES.

| Society is not benefited by warning upon
the rich or the desire to accumulate wealth.
Woe to the people who make wealth a
crime and the rich man a monster TO be
kicked and cursed with impunity. A COM
munity which inculcates this spirit will dis
cover, sooner or later, that it has warmed
into life prolific crop of sgrarians and
communists, who will exterminate the evils
of wealth by dividing it out among them
selves II wealth is to be made obnoxious
and rich men viiifed, encouragement will
be given to the ragsmuffns and lazy vags-
bonds who live on the labor of others. But
it must be confessed that the frequent dis
graceful law suits over rich estates by gang
of msrcenary ingrates has given many ter
rors TO wealth and much responsibility to
poverty. So soon as rich man is hustled
into the grave, the poor kin, who DETAINED
him while living, called him stiDgy. miser-
ly, greedy and parsImonious, commence a
disreputable squabble over what was made
by honest industry while they We're living
life of debauchery and shame. ii this thing
Is to continue, men will soon regard wealth
as an evil TO be avoided, knowing that the
CLOGS WHICH Tdltic pOh thCiA WIZ 10
the signal for commencing the war OF della
nation. To prevent this the millionaire who
feels the pulse of life throbbing feebly in his
veins, will have TO resort TO the practical aud
convenient plan recently adopted by an old
| lady of Port Monmouth, N. J. 1t was known
| that this good lady had a large sum OF
/ money. After her death her heirs searched
| Tor - E To- ha ofarflin.-
lstion Was made that fearing her relations in
quarrelling over division of her
estate, wouA succeed in proving
that she was either fool
knave, or both, and $40 procured her for
tune by dishonesty, che wade a funeral
pyre of her money, deeds and bC-ls and all
evidences of her enormous wealth. This
was kind and considerate in the old lady, Cor
in adoptipg this course she saved her name
from scandal and bestowed upon her rela-
tiyes an inheritance OF peace, saved them
the worry of pickering over her estate, and
family onarrels, the bitterest of all feuds.
This method of disposing- of estates is not
IiLxelv 20 become popular among heirs and
Lowers, but will be adopted by proud and
sensitive men, who prefer leaving to pos
| terity an unsullied name to that detraction
and Islander which wealth is sure to
| inspire. The death of Commodore van
| derbilt was the signal for lawsuits and the
most shameful exposure of family secrets
| The name of the defunct millionaire was
dragged through filth and slime by his own
children As the contest progressed it in
creased in nastiness, until the lawyers OF VIM.
\ III. Vanderbilt hung their heads in shame,
and advised their client to compromise in
order to prevent the stencil which would fill
the land by the revelations about to be made.
| And it seems the Vanderbilt money is the
| root of still further shame, for there is now
to be a contest over the estate OF G. J. VAN
derbilt, who recently committed suicide.
He left one OF his sisters only $1,000, and
this paltry sum is to be expended in the
| purchase of a souvenir of himself. The
| loving and affectionate sister pre-
| ferred something more valuable, ana
hence she objects to the Will, setung
forth that it was not the free and voluntary
act of the testator; that he was not OF sound
mind; that he had epileptic fits as often as
once a week, which made him mentally
weak; and that the execution OF the Will was
obtained by George n. Terry, his travelling
companion and personal guardian, who al
| tached himself to him for the purpose ol
getting the bulk of his estate, amounting &c
$780, 900. She also alleges that the "dece-
dent received the sum OF 100000 after the
termination of the litigations growing out Of
! the will of his father, and which litigation
t would not have been instituted but for hii
: benefit, and which were an expense TO the
contestant of over 500, 900, which the dece'
!, dent we'll knew, and also knew that he would
e not have received any portion of such sun
i of 100000 but for the efforts of The con
e testant, and he repeatedly told the contestan
E that in consideration thereof he had made
d provision for her in his will so that sh
"a would not be loser on account thereof. Sh
}" further alleges that but for such fraud an
undue Influence the decedent would hay
T. oe testamentary provision linden,
ying her for the amount SO ex
pended for his benefit The contes
over tue estate of William H. Vanderbilt
ias When ne becomes the bedfelIow of pauper
Fer and the graVe-worms, who have no more re
no. spect tor the rach than the poor, will be TEL
ity rible. The lowest figure at which his wealt
g." ID estimated is $165, 200, OOO-the highest
Of 100000 ,000s II j. said his income viald-