Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-24

Whose Birth Brings Great Joy to
Quite Number Of People.
AN IMMENSE FORTUNE INVOLVED.
The Peculiar Provisions of Very Import
ant Testament.
CHARITABLE SOCIETIES INTERESTED

NEW YORK, August ga girl baby
was born Tuesday morning to Mr.. and Mrs.
j. Hooker HamersIey, at their summer cot
tage at College Point, L. La girl baby
who will be famous as the baby who brought
joy to numerous charities in the State of
New York and whose advent had been
anticipated with an interest that extended
beyond the usual small circle Of immediate
relatives and friends. She little knows
what changes a change in her sex would
have brought in the disposition of great
estate, or how, far across the sea, a lord and
lady in one of England's most famous
ancestral homes awaited the cable announce
ment of her arrival.
Although no courtiers filled the halls of
the house in which she was born, although
no armed guards kept watch without, al
though no nation awaited her coming and
no cannon were fired nor flags flung to the
breeze to signalize her earthly debut, rarely
has princess or queen been born with all
these accompaniments whose birth has in
volved larger properties than that of Miss
Hamersley, infant daughter Of J. Hooker
Hamersley of the good city Of New York,
and cousin by marriage once removed of
otcnnciH Hisueos, tuc AmcllcdH ~ ucness
of Marlborough.
FATHER AND SON.
There died in New York in 1883 Louis G.
Hamersley, Sr., for many years o promi-
nent member of the New York business and
social worlds. A quaint old man, of courtly
bearing and pleasant manners, he was well
kntwn to all the older residents OF the city.
He had one inseparabls companion--his
" he Suo
met dressed alike, talked alike, and, save
for wide difference in age which naturally
showed itself, were counterpart in form
and feature. They were called the "Ham.
ersley twins" and rarely day went by in
winter that they were not seen walking on
Fifth avenue together, engaged in close and
earnest conversation. They became almost
landmarks, and when the elder man died
New York society felt it had lost one Of its
founders.
A man of large wealth, there was little
discussion as to who would be his bene-
flciary, and in a few days it was announced
that he had left his vast estate entirely to
his son. Notwithstanding his devotion to
his father, the younger man had not been
entirely insensible to the charms of the fair
sex. He had become engaged a few years
earlier to Miss Emily Iselin, a niece Of the
well-known banker, Adrian Iselin, but the
engagement was broken. Soon afterward
New York society was called upon to well
come as the new fancee of the rich Mr..
Hamersley Miss Lily Price, a leading belle
of the good city of Troy. N. Y, and daugh-
ter of Commander Price, one of the Unions
followed, and the elder Hamersley with
conscious pride introduced his sons wife to
society. The fathers death, however, was
too great blow to be borne by so devoted
son, and few months after bis demise the
younger Hamersley followed his father to
the grave.
HAMERsLEY'S WILL.
Society's eyes were now turned on the
young widow, who, it was supposed, would
inherit the whole estate. But wills oft
bring surprises, and the will of Louis @.
Hamersley, Jr., was the veriest bombshell
that has ever been thrown into New York
society. 1t was found that the estate was
put in the hands of trustees, who were di-
rected to pay the whole income OF the prop
erty to Mrs. Hamersley during her life.
Then followed this remarkable clause: SIN
the event that no issue of mine shall sur.
yive my said wife, then on her decease I
give my said estate, real and personal, to the
male issue of my cousin, j. Hooker Ham,
ersley, and to the male issue of such OF them
as shall have previously died leaving issue.
In the event, however, that my said cousin
shall die without leaving male issue surviv-
ing him or surviving my wife, then, on the
decease of my wife, give the whole or my
said estate to such charitable and benevo-
lent corporations located in the State ofEew
York and in such shapes and proportion as
my dear wife shall by her last will and tes-
tement, etc., etc., designate"
The three trustees were George S. Will
Jams, Jacob Lockman and Mrs. Hamersley.
1t was known that j. Hooker Hamersley,
although bachelor of uncertain age, was
much addicted to the writing of poetry and
the driving of maidens fair in his handsome
'T" cart, Then, too, if the will should not
be admitted to probate Mrs. Hamersley
would receive her widows dover, amount
ing to something like 81 $50, 900 in fee SIM
pie instead of the mere income. A contest