Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-05-09
FOOLISH REQUESTS,

A few days ago an aged Ohio gentleman
died, and by will devised the sum of one
thousand dollars to be held in trust by the
commissioners of the county in which he
hadresided, the interest to be expended in
the purchase of Flags to be distributed
among the several townships of the county
aforesaid. The testator relates his exceed
ing great love for the cold flag" and in a
spasm of patriotic fervor parades his gen
crosby, meantime tying up the bequest
with such conditions that it will be twenty
or thirty years before the last township
will receive its flag. Among other things
the donor commands that the flags shall
only be used two or three times year and
never taken out on rainy days. Very likely
the vanity of the venerable gentleman was
gratiied as he dictated this clause of his
will, which he requested published by the
local paper, but he imposed an irksome
task upon the county auditor and treasurer
whom he designated as a Committee to buv
the flags charging them to see that his
rules and regulations are carried out.
Nobody is thankful or likely to value the
bequest of the flag loving old patriot. nor
will he be remembered very long, and only
then in the sense that people sometimes
do not altogether forget display of vani-
ty and stinginess, a combination that never
evokes admiration.
About the year 1877 an eccentric Canadi-
an died and left by will such property as
he had in the State of Vermont, real and
10 hQ I'D
of the common schools of the State. The
Canadian heirs of the deceased man con-
tested the will, claiming that their relative
was insane at the time of executing the
same. AS in duty bound, perhaps, the
Vermont authorities have prosecuted their
claims IN the courts for half dozen years.
and the Canadian judiciary have at last de-
clded that the instrument was valid and
decreed the money to be paid as directed
by the will The auditor and treasurer of
State have proceeded to Canada and have
been paid the bequest amounting to some
100000. The will directs that the fund
shall be apportioned among the school
districts of the State, and after comnu+a-
ton it is ascertained that the munifcent
SNNA "a WA NOiAoAo PEI u1SLrlCG is the pro-
rata to be paid under the fine sounding
legacy ''for 1.-THE support of the common
schools of the State" This would perbans
pay the wages of district school teacher a
week, or supply unabridged dictionary to
each school.
Practically, the bequest is of no value,
and will do no permanent good, and the
deceased mans heirs were quite right in
setting up that he was lunatic to devise
such distribution of the property. If the
gentleman had selected some bright town
and bequeathed it the whole sum for the
establishment of public library he would
have done some good, and his interest in
education and the welfare of the generation
been appreciated. But for vain-glory he
spread out small bequest over a great
state and made himself ridiculous without
doing any good or aiding the school svs
tenn in the smallest degree. If men have
little money that they wish to devote for
the public welfare their good sense oaobt
to suggest that the beneficial thing to he
done is to make the distribution durino
life. 100000 seemed to this devisor to
be quite sum of money but he