Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-05-18
THE HUNTINGTON REQUEST.
Mr. uuutington's Career-His Will.

VT. ehHhtinstOhs saTecr-h1s w III.
Through tine courtesy of State Treasurer
Du Bots we are enabled to give our readers
Huntington, the donor of the above men,
TONED bcques,, amounting TO over two hun
dred thousand dollars, which has recently
come into the possession of the State, and
from papers in the Treasures office and
from Mr.. Du Bois, who received the fuud
from the executors, we learn the following
facts in connection with the life Of Mr.,
Huntington,
He was born In Roxbury, Washin ,ton
county, VT, February %, 1894. His father
died when lie was child, and he lived with
his grandpa her until lie was eleven years of
age, when he went to live with his Uncle
Downer, Supposed to have lived in Sharon,
working on IA farm until he was sixteen
years old. lie afterwards worked at tanning
leather aud shCemaking, teaching school in
the winter months, until about the year 1928,
| when he had saved five hundred dollars,
and went to Brantford, Province of Ontario,
| Canada. He there started shoemnking
business, employing four or five journeymeu
| shoemakers, boarding them in his own house
aud working hard himself with them. 1t
| became Profitable ard he soon had money to
invest outside his regular business, and with
| it he purchased building lots in the, then,
young but growing city of Brantiord. This
investment proved profitable and in lS43 he
he was worth Thirty thousand dollars.
In 1851 he was worth about $4,000,
and having great faith in the financial
soundntss of the United States, he purchased
heavily OF American securities, at that time
SO depressed, particularly in Canada, and in
this manner and by great economy all his
| life, and nit'cnioyiur. giving away or spend
| lng N ney himself, from day 10 day, he
| finally nj his death had accumulated prop.
erty of two hundred thousand dollars in
value, all OF which, as will be seen by his
will, he ihtended his native State should
have.
Mr.. Huntington Was twice married His
| first wile's name was Mary llershay, u Yer
mont woman. and by her he had five children,
all of whom died previous TO his death. His
second wife, to whom he was married la
| 1871, was Canadian, and with her he had
a marriage settlement at the time of their
marriage, giving her twelve thousand dol
lars. She survived him and is now the
wife of physician in Buffalo, n. Y.
Mr.. Huntington was for some years be-
| fore his death, which occurred January 10th,
| 1877, delicate maa, and the eAecutor Of his
will, for some years previous 10 his death,
| assisted him about his affairs. lie once went
to Europe, but had not VISITED Vermont for
many years, and the first that was known #
his desire to bequeaIh his property 10 his
native State was during the latter part OF
the session oi he Legislature of 1876, when
Governor Fairbanks received letter from
him in relation to IT,; and later Governor
Fairbanks sent his private secrelary, A. E.
Parker, Esq, to Brantford 10 confer with
him, he arriving there on the day of Hunt
ington's funeral. Distant relatives CONTESTED
the will, and for the last six years the case
has been in the courts In Canada and only
within month has final decree been issued
giving his personal property and its accumu-
latons TO The State, and the real estate,
amounting to some forty thousand dollars, to
his heirs, under the mortmain act, so called,
of Canada.
II will be noticed that the details
OF his recommendations in his will
are quite peculiar and can hardly be
practically carried out to the letter, but that
the income of the fund should go for the
benefit and use Of the common schools of the
State, there can be no doubt.
The VIII,
y MS Is lne last WIN anu Testament OF
Arunah Huntington, of the town of Brant-
ford, in the County of Brant, Esquire
!, Arunah Huntington, OF the town of
Brantford, in the County of Braut, and
Province OF Ontario, Esquire, beng OF sound
mind and memory, declare The following to
be my last win and Testament:
LIST. give unto my wife, Johanna Olivia
huntington, all my household goods, and
furniture and waring apparel except the
watch and safe hereinafter mentioned, to
have and TO hold the same for her own use
aud benefit absolutely
I'd, give, devise and bequealh all the
rest, residue and remainder Of my estate,
both real and personal, unto my executor,
hereinafter named, upon the trust hereinafter
mentioned.
Cd II 10 my wish that my said executor
ahali so soon after my dCSease as may be
found convenient sell and convert all my
said eslatc Into cash and after paying nv
funeral and testamentary expenses and of
proving and registering this my Will, pay
and deliver the rest and residue thereof to
the Government and Legislature of the State
of Vermont, one of the United States of
America, to be disposed of by the SAID Gov
ernuent and Legislature, Gs they shall deem
best, having regard to the Recommendations
hereinafter contained.
4th. recommend the said Government
sud its Legislature, to appoint three Trus-
tees, under regulations to be approved of
and settled by The said Legislature, for the
management, control and distribution of the
said fund and in accordance, as far as
may he, with my WISHES hereinafter OK
pressed.
F1a-l would suggest and recommend to