Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1889-12-13
| FOUND THE WILL

N"F y p made d ' his names
~ II familiar one
i'll several counties. He lived in a lit
tie log house on farm about four
miles from Il village, and sometimes
he was alone for months, and again
he would have his house crowded
with his relatives. While father and
mother were dead, he had three
brothers and four sisters living, and
in the same county. One day he
might meet one of them and hand
him $50 gold piece. The very next
day he would pass the same person
without speaking. AS he was worth
about 5000, 900, allmade by the sale
of oil wells found on his lands in
Pennsylvania, and as his relatives
were all poor none of them dared
offend him. If he treated them cold
ly they put up with it; if he insisted
on some family staying with him for
week they made every sacrifice to
please him.
There was a layer of humor in the
old mans compusltioa withal. l
think he reasoned that all his rela-
tives expected n slice of his wealth,
and lie intended that each one should
have it, but he proposed to make
them earn it as far as they could.
If he knew that his brother James
was planting corn, aud in a great
hurry to get through, he would send
for him and insist that he hunt or
fish or go looking over the country
for some plant or root needed for
sickness. If his brother Henry was
extra busy in his sawmill; the old
man was sure to send up a message
to him to come down and take witch
hazel rod and go wandering over
the hills to locate metals. There
was only one bed in the house, and
vet the old man would insist that a
and sleep where they could. Twice
a year he killed a lamb. The rest OF
the time he lived on pudding and
milk and vegetables.
Uncle Tom, as everybody called
him, was over 20 years of age when |
first knew him, and it must have
seemed to his relatives that he in
tended to be n hundred. AS the
years went by lie really seemed to i'm
prove and it was Il cold day when
he couldn't think OF some new trick
to play on those who anXiously
waited for him to turn up his toes.
He made a will, rs knownina certain
law office, dividing up his wealth pro
rata. but one day something occur
ed to determine him to revolve it
He had sent for his brother Henry and
family to come to him at once. Henry
was saving lumber Oh contract, one
of the children was ailing, and be re
turned word that he could not come
This was the first time he had evel
refused such demand, and wher
the messenger returned the old maj
boiled over with Indignation
He sent for his lawyer to com,
and make new will, and the lawyer
of course, brought the old one. II,
saw this laid on the clock shelf, anc
it was living there when he went away
The new will was not entirely com
pleted that day. Martin said III
might want to make some Other
changes, and so he did. His sister
May, who was an old maid, was Will
him that day, and after the lawyer
had gone Martin wanted to lower
her down in the we'll to recover a los
bucket. She was timid and afraid
: and the result was that she was ord
cred to pack up and leave, and wal
told plainly that she need not expec
q dollar.
Nor was this all. Having got hi
hand in, as it were, the old man wen
for another brother, and forced {
rupture, and then sent for a lawye
ar cu1 the three persons off with {
legacy OF 500 each. He signed tn
new will and placed it with the other
saying he would keep both for fey
days and see if anything else turned
up.
Then in order to show his con
temptfor ms relatives, he sent for /
woman named Thatcher to keel
house for him. This woman was
grass widow, about 40 years old
and was looked upon as half Graz.
and the other half foolish. She wa
employed in the village at laundr.
work. Martin bought her clothe
and jewelry, and even gave out tina
he would marry her, and he wa
heard to say more than once tina
not one of his Hn.atives would eve
get a dollar of It's money.
One night two months after tn
Thatcher woman went to live wit
him, he got o rad fall while bringin
in wood. Hh bad to be helped t
bed, but onlS a portion of what 10
lowed was Known Tor many month
afterwnrd, The ola man felt tina