The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1888-02-02
posr.moarem CHARITY.

60ObsWOUb 6@ VVAUVV
How 10 Bssssw lleasy aaA nadewmsnss
70 the Best Advantage.
The will Of the late Mrs. John Jacob
Astor. while II does not dispose Of
any vast sum in charity compared with
the magnitude Of the fortunes held By
the various members Of that family,
IL, neverthelesa . very practical In.
strument In the direction In which she
devised her money for public uses.
Her long nnection with various In.
stitutions doubtless taught her the
wisdom Of helping those already pros.
porous aiding them to extend their
good work and improve its quality
rather than to found new ones that
might not be adequately endowed. or.
at least that would not fulfill the ideas
Of her lifetime There have been many
very wealty men In New York, closely
occupied in the care and in-
crease Of their property, who
have been known to have formed .
deliberate design to leave large sums
Of money for the purpose Of building
suitable public institutions Ia the city
where they have amassed their boards.
But when they have been confron nted
BY the protracted and complicated
litigations originated by avarlcious or
disappointed kindred. which We see
constantly in our courts, they have
generally abandoned the notion Of
such . post-mortem dissipation Of
their estates. Not only this, but Mr..
John Jacob Astor himself, in order to
provide against such contests in the
courts, has made formal recorded
transfer Of his many millions to his
only son; in consideration Of which he
accepts an annuity of 9100, ,00o Ger.
tainly, SO astute man of business 40
he is did not take step like this with.
out the advice Of able counsel and
with view to practical ends; and It
is highly probable that the example
will be often and conspicuously fol.
lowed by the possessors Of notable
fortunes.
It was James Lick, of San Francisco.
who first executed trust deed involv.
ing fortune of sufficient magnitude
to attract Nations al attention; but even
his provisions. now being carried out
with great wisdom and unbounded
liberality. gave rise tn bitter and de-
termined contests in the courts Of Cali
fornia which were only settled after
years Of delay. The fight over the
millions of the late Samuel J. Tilden
has but begun; and that over the Stew.
art estate. conducted by able counsel
IL still in its infancy, In the splendid
generosity Of Miss Wolfe. all OF the
heirs under the will. or at law, con-
Cured; but such is not often the case.
Thus 1t would seem to be a question
whether it would not be vastly better
for millionaire intent upon doing .
great public service with his wealth to
convey the necessary funds to trustees
in his lifetimee And II there is the
faintest possibility that any Of his
kindred would set out to break the
will, would 1t not be wiser. Il he leave
his bsnefactions to be paid by regular
testament, that he should bestow them
upon existing Institutions Of varying 6
types, that are amply able to prote ct
their several rights. NJ oreover. It sell
dom happens that scattered bequests
are fought with the determination
prov oked by . vast sum left In .
lump.
This entire question Of how to be-
stow money 90 that it will do the most
good is one Of the most perplexing to
the rich. Also. It happens frequently
that many liberal bequests are de-
feated simply because the would-be
giver has no intelligent idea ~ to how
to execute his charity. Millions upon
millions Of money devised to charitable
purposes are every year Withdrawn
from circulation. and even the interest
locked up. awaiting legal decision as
to the ultimate disposition Of the
money. because the testat0r did not
take those precautions which ample
experience has shown to be necessary.
-Frank Leslie's Weekly.