The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-07-09

THR POSSIBILITY OF NEW CLAIMANT TO A
GREAT INHERITANCE


The only contingency by which the Le-
high University can lose the $8,000,000 to !
Sl0,00O,0O0 endowment, and st. Luke's
Hospital, Bethlehem, the $1,000000 to
SO, 900, 900 legacy from the Packer estate
Is the birth Of an heir. This possibility
has been quietly talked about the past
week.
The whisper was that the late Asa Pack
er's only surviving child, now Mrs. Charles
ii. Cummings of New York City, expects
shortly to give birth to an heir to the
great PScker estates. Such an event has
been wholly unlocked for. The trustees
of the University, with a copy of Judge
Packers will locked up in their vaults,
have possessed their souls with patience
and looked forward to the day when their
institution should be as rich as any seat
of learning in the land, and free to all am
bilious youths who should succeed in pass
ing the necessary preliminary examination
When Asa Packer died, on May II, 1879,
his wife, his two sons, Robert A. and
Harry +. Packer, and his daughter, Mary
Hannah Packer, were still living. First
Mrs. Packer died and then the boys follow
| ed in quick succession, leaving Miss Pack
er to inherit the entire fortune, over one
half of which is entailed.
Miss Packer was then on the shady side
OF 40 years of age, and 1t was not deemed
likely that she would ever marry, more es-
pecialy as her brother Harry had strenu.
ously opposed her wedding Mr.. Cummings,
a Lehigh Valley Railroad employee, who
had been paying her some attention. Even
| after her marriage the residuary legatees
were not disturbed The contingency of an
heir was so remote as to receive little con-
| sideration, and that the money would ul-
timately come to the University and the
Hospital was thought to be next to certain.
The will of the late Judge Packer was a
very voluminous document. The deceased
had C ONE to Pennsylvania from Connect
icut on foot IN 1928, and he had found
here fortune. 1t was no wonder, there
fore. that having acquired this wealth by
hard labor, energy and perseverance, he
should be careful in the disposition of it.
He first named five trustees-his two
sons, Elisha p. Wilbur and Robert H.
Sayre, of Bethlehem, and the President of
the Lehigh Valley Railroad Co. which
road he built and of which he was the
largest stockholder. Every bit of his
property was left to them in trust, though
he stipulated that they should give to his
wife whatever amount she should select.
to be hers absolutely. His Mauch Chunk
mansion was left for the use of his chill
dren, but at their death and the death of
their heirs it was to go back to the trus-
tees. To the Philadelphia Divinity school
he left S33, 500, and to the st. Marks Pro-
testant Episcopal church, Mauch Chunk, a
like amount. To the Lehigh University he
bequeathed 81 800, 900; to the Lucy Packer
Lindermann Library, Il memorial erected
on the University grounds to his deceased
daughter, $500, 900, and to the st. Lukes
Hospital, Bethlehem. Pa, 100000.
To each Of his three children he left an
income of 100000 annually and provis-
ior that the residue OF his estate, after pay
ing number of private bequests, be d.
vided equally between them. Each was
permitted to dispose of one-half his or her
share by will, but the other half was to be
retained at the death of the last survivor
by the trustees. who should divide the es.
tates then in their hands into three equal
parts, giving one-thrd to the children of
Judge Packers daughter, the late Mrs.
Linderman; one to his nephews and neices,
and the other to the Lehigh University and
st. Luke's Hospital, Bethlehem, in the pro.
portion of his previous bequests to those
institutions. 1t is estimated that this one
third, had Mary Packer Cummings died
chill Hess, would have amounted to SO, ,OOO,
900 or $4,000 900.
Judge Packers son Robert was twice
married, but never had any children.
Harry Packer also died childless, and if
his sister had followed his advice she
would never have married, and the Uni
versity's rich endowment would have been
a certainty.
one time conductor on the Lehieh Valley
Railroad, and who worked himself up
| from that post to the position lie now oc-
cupies of General Eastern Passenger agent,
with an office in New York, met with fa-
vor in Miss Packers eyes, and about
eighteen months ago she became his wife.
An effort was made to oust Mr.. Cum
mings from his place some months before
his engagement to Miss Packer was an
nounced, but she asserted her authority,
and as the controlling power in the Lehigh
Valley Railroad company her word was
law.
Mrs Cummings is now erecting hand
some chapel IN the University grounds as a
memorial to the deceased members of her
family.