The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-08-19
The TILDEN WILL.

World makes four columns OF that
paper, disposing Of an estate valued at
five millions. There Is no truth In the
report that the will is to be contested.
Both Colonel S. ]. Tllden and George d.
TiIdeD, who were mentioned as the
probable contestants, say they never
had any intention Of doing so. BY the
terms Of the will they would be cut eff
from all the bequests made to them If
they made any contest. The provisions,
SAYS the New York Times, are so clear as
to be understood by anyone, and were a
contest in prospect, the lawyer who
should undertake to put upon any part
of 1t construction other than 1t bears
on Its face would have difficult work.
The three executors and trustees,
Messrs. Blgelow, Green and Smith, ar
to receive by the terms Of the viii
S. 900 year in lieu OF all fees and COM
missions allowed by law. All the dead
ststesmsn's relatives are we'll provided
for during their natural lives and all
the debts which they owed their relative
at the time of his death are ancelled
Moreover, there are bequests to all his
servants, men and women. Miss Anna
j. Gould, who took care Of Mr.. Tilden
during the last years Of his life and de-
voted great attention to all the aged
ststesmaD's wants, receives the income
OF 500 900, with the power OF disposing
Of half that amount at her death. Those
who had a notion that Mr.. Tilden lived
only for himself and thought of little
but his own comfort, will be surprised
to know that he carried a pretty heavy |
nension roll of relatives and was geneT |
GUS In loans and advances to his fathers |
family and to the families of his broth
ers. Nearly all the obligations thus in
CURED, amounting to nearly $45O.OOO
are wiped out by the will.
The provision of the. will for the es
tsblishment Of free library in New
York City is the most important bequest
the people Of that city have ever re-
ceived. New York Is poorly supplied
with libraries. The Astor Is reference
library merely; no book is allowed to be
taken out, and the number of people
who derive any benefit from 1t Is small.
The Mercantile Is conducted on the
same principles as other libraries of its
class, but Its quarters are cramped, and
its facilities for reference inferior. The
L nox, near the upper end Of Central
Park, Is 30 remote from the center of
population and so guarded by red tape |
that it hardly serves any purpose of a
public library at all. The will places |
probably near $4,000. 900 at the disposal |
of an institution Ito be known as the
Tilden Trust"
With capacity to establish and main
| tain free library and reading room in
the city Of New York, and to promote
such scientific and educational objects
| as my said executors and trustees may
more particularly designate. Such cor
pOratiOn shall have not less than five
trustees, with power to fill vacancies In
! their number, and in case said institu
| VlUl DudII III u lOl bhu
manner satisfactory to my said eXecu
tors and trustees during the lifetime Of
the survivor of the two lives In being,
upon which the trust of my general es-
tate herein created Is limited, to wit:
the lives of Ruby s. Tilden and Susie
Whittlesey.
Then follows one bequest of the for
tune not specially disposed of III the
will, to the library, but in case, for any
reason, the "Tllden Trust" is not incor
porated, the executors are authorized to
apply the property "tO such charitable,
educational and scientific purposes as In
the judgment of my said executors and
: t ustees will render the said rest, resi-
due and remainder Of my property most
widely and substantially beneficial to
the Interests Of mankind"
A large discretion is left to the execu-
tors and trustees for the reason that the
whole question of public libraries In
large cities nGeis to be carefully con-
siderei In the light Of existing condi.
tions of society. Libraries of standard
works are not as widely useful as they
were score Of years ago, for this kind
Of literature can be bought now for less
than 1t could have been borrowed TWEEN
ty years ago, and the newspaper and
the monthly magazine take the place, to
q large extent, of books Of all kinds.
The trustees of Mr.. Tilden's fund have
therefore been given wide discretion,
The will ls the expression Of an emf
nently sound, just and philanthropic
mind, and rounds out distinguished
individual existence In symmetrical
manner. The principal bsquest is to
be cared for by an incorporated body
known as the Tilden Trust, and nothing
is likely to prevent the great gift from
becoming perpetual benefit to the peo.
pie Of New York.