The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-12-05
ODD WILLS AND REQUESTS.
CURIOUS LEaAcIEs LEFT BY EccEN-
TRIO PEOPLE.
n fabulous Servants Legncy-mr.
SanbOrn's Strange WiIl-MiStakes
Made i'm Drawing Wills.

A BsbuiOus Servants Legncy-Mr.
sanborn's Strange Win-Mistales
Made i'm Drawing Wills.
Among the curious wills and requests
that deserve mention is that of French
merchant who, in 1910 left large legacy
to the lady who had Tilted him in order
to express his gratitude to her for her
forbearance and his admiration for her
sagacity in leaving him to a happy
bachelor life. Jasper Mayne, who died
in 1920, left to bibulous servant an old
portmanteau which. he wrote, the legatee
would value when he found that it con-
tanned something (Which would enable
him to drink" The something" proved
to be a red herring. A Scotch gentle
man having two young daughters be-
queathed to each her weight, not in
gold, but in 81 bank notes. The elder
seems to have been Simmer than her
sister, for she only got $3.50, 900, while
the younger received $2S7,7 An an
nuity of $3.50 was bequeathed to the
bellringers of Bath Abbey by Lieutenant
Colonel Nash, provided they should
muflle the clappers of the bells of the
said abbey, and ring them with doleful
accentuation from 8 A. NJ. to 8 p. NJ,
on each anniversary of his we'd
ding day, and during the same
number of hours, only with
merry peal, on the anniversary of the
day which released him from domestic
tyranny and wretchedness. Requests of
bodies for anatomical purposes, or of
skulls as curiosities or relics have been
sufficiently numerous; but unuuestion-
ably the most curious will of this sort
was that made by Mr.. S. Sanborn in
1871, when the testator left his remains
for dissection and provided that the
4 flesh stripped from his bones should be
used to fertilize an American elm, and
his skin to be converted into two drum
heads, inscribed with the Declaration of
Independence and Popes Universal
Prayer, on which "Yankee Doodle
should be played at Bunker Hill annual
ly on the 18th of June
A testator cannot, it need scarcely be
said, be too careful in drawing up a will.
'My black and white horses" do not
bear the same meaning as my ''black and
my white horses" A near friend of
Victor Cousin, the philosopher, lost
large legacy through a trihing accident
and delay. Cousin intended to include
his name in his will, but there was no
stamped paper in the house, and he
told his servant to obtain some.
The servant said he would-to.
morrow-and on the morrow Cousin died
at dinner, just as a west of England
millionaire was choked at breakfast with
fish bone, with the unsigned will which
would have altered the disposition of his
vast estate lying on the table. People
should initiate the example of Lord
Eldon, who, when q very rich piece of
patronage came into his gift, having re-
ceived the news while riding with the
relative upon whom he intended to be-
stow it, wrote out the appointment while
sitting in his saddle, lest he should be
thrown from his horse before he got
home. An officer in the Indian army,
who had not much to leave, but was on
friendly terms with two of his brother
officers, made will, leaving his property,
consisting merely of per, onal belongings,
to be divided between them. The tesla
tor came Unexpectedly into very large
fortune, but he forgot all about his will
and never made another. When he died
the will made under such different cir
cumstances held good, and his aged
mother, sisters and near relations were
left out in the cold.
OF requests to animals a few NAV be
mentioned. In 1881 a peasant of lou.
louise made his horse his universal heir
Doctor Cristiano, of Venice, left c, 900
torins for the maintenance of his three
dogs, with condition that at their
death the sum should be added to the
university of Vienna. A Mrs. Elizabeth
Hunter in 1913, left 81, 600 a year to her
parrot, and the Count of NIrandoa be-
queathed considerable legacy to pet
carp. Lord Chesterfield left a sum for
the support Of his favorite cat, so also
did one Frederick Harper, who settled
$500 year on his young black cat, "
the interest to be.paid to his housekeeper
Mrs. Hodges, as long as the cat should
remain alive. The most singular of these
wills, however, was that of a Mr.. Berke-
ley, OF knightsbridge, who died in 1905.
He left $125 to four of his dogs. Dur
ing journey through France and Italy
this gentleman, being attacked by bri-
gands had been protected and saved by
his dog; the four animals he pensioned
by his will were the descendants of this
faithful friend. Feeling his end near
Mr.. Berkeley desired that two arm chairs
might be brought to his bedside and his
four dogs seated on them, receiving their
last caresses, which he returned with the
best of his failing strength, and died in
their paws. BY an article in his will he
ordered that the busts of his four dogs
should be carved in stone and placed at
the four corners of his tomb. PhiLadel-
phid Record.
A French Brigand.