The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-02-20
DEATH BED NUPTIALS.
A Millionaire Marries His Brothers.
Widow TO Secure His Property
tn Her OhiIdren

Widow TO Secure His Property
to Her Children.
PORT JERvls, Feb. ia lawsuit
brought by the heirs Of Henry II, FAR
mum, who died In this village in 1879,
worth over 81 900, 900, against Charles st.
John, the administrator, while 1t does not
affect the disposition Of the property as it
was intended by the dead millionaire, de.
feats his extraordinary efforts TO prevent
litigation In the settlement Of his estate.
Mr.. Farnum came to this region as a rod
man In an engineer corps employed In the
building OF the Delaware and Hudson Ca.
nal In 1926, before Port Jeryis had an ex.
istence. At the completion Of the canal he
was made assistant chief engineer. The
canal called many villages into existence
along its route, among them Port Jer.
Wis. Farnum purchased large real estate
interests here, and nearly all Of the pres.
ent site belonged to him and his father.in.
law, Stephen St. John. Then the Erie
railroad was built through this region in
1913. This increased the value OF the land
| q hundred.fold and made Farnum rich
man. In 1883 he started the Port Jervls
bank, and In 1856 he had Port Jervs incor-
porated as q village, aud was elected its
first president. The same year he organ.
lied gas company and subsequently a
water company, which has
EXTRAORDINARY CHARTER PRIVILEGES.
BY a toll bridge across the Delaware, the
Barrett Bridge company, Of which he was
| the chief spirit, controlled all communica.
ton between Port Jervis and the lower
| Delaware valley in Pennsylvania, OF which
this place Is the trade center. BY these and
| other enterprises he accumulated his
wealth, aud his friends had long known
| that 1t was bis desire to leave the Vulk OF
| 1t to two nephews, sons OF deceased
brother. He had many other relatives,
however, and he had contested will II he
| disposed Of his property In that way.
| Mr.. Farnum's wife died In 1878. Shortly
| afterwards he placed the widow of the de.
ceased brother mentioned In charge Of his
household, as she was childish. In Sep
TENDER, 1879, he was Frustrated with bron.
chitis, and died month afterwards. He
! made no WILL but on bis death. bed married
the mother Of his two favorite nephews.
Dying interstate, half Of his wealth went to
his widow and the other half to bis next OF
kin. This necesstated the division OF the
second half into seven equal parts, one os
which fell to the two nephews Of the share
Of their late father. Their mother falling
heir to one-ha the estate.
LEFT THEM THE ONLY HEIRS
to that at her death, and so the desire Of
their uncle that they should be principal
heirs was insured Of eventually being car
ried out without litigation. Charles ST..
John, who was appointed administrator,
found among the effects a number of un.
paid notes, which had been given to Far.
mum from time to time by certain Of thu
heirs. In settling with these heirs tn,
administrator deducted these notes from
the shares. This, the heirs held, he coulC
not legally do and they brought suit tC
recover the amounts thus deducted. The
case has just been argued in general tern
and the decision is pending.