Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1889-11-29
THE LOST WILL.

mirried aud his eccentrieitie, made his
name familiar one in several eountie /.
He lived in little log hou3c on a farm
about four miles from a village, aud
sometimes he was alone for months, and
again he would have his house crowded
with his relatives. While fat her and
mother were dead, h9 hal three
brothers and four sisters living, and in
the same county. ~Ole day lie might
meet one of them and hand him 500
/ gold piece. The very next day lie
would pass the same person by without
speaking. As he was worth about
5000 600, all made by the sale Of oil
wells found on his lands in Pennsy.va.
MIA, and as his relatives we're all poor
none of them dared offend him. II he
treated them coldly they put up with
it; if he insisted on some family stay
ing with him for a week they made
every sacrifice to please him.
There was a layer Of humorin the 0 Id
mans composition withal. think he
reasoned that all his relatives cxpec.e ed
slice of his wealth, aud he intended
that each one should have it, but he
proposed to make them earn it al far as
they could. If he knew that his brother
James was planting corn, and in a
great hurry to get through, he would
send for him and insist that he hunt Or
hsh or go looking over the country fa
some plant or root needed for sicIzn 4
II his brother Henry was exira busy ins
his saw mill the old man was suro to
send up a message to him to come down.
and take witch hazel rod -
wandering over the hills ~ate
metals There was only one bed ii the
house, and yet the old man would in
sist that family Of eight COM ana
visit him and sleep where they could
Twice a year he killed lamb. The
rest of the time he lived on pudding
and milk aud vegetables.
Uncle Tom, as every body called him,
was over 70 years Of age when / fiji st
knew him, and it must have seemed to
his relatives that he intended to live to
be hundred. As the years went by
he really seemed to improve, aud it was
a cold day when he couldn't think Of
some new trick to play on those who
anxiously waited for him to turn IN his
toes. He had made will, as was
known in a certain law office, dividing
up his wealth pro rata, but one day
something occurred to determine him to
revoke it. He had sent for his brother
Henry and family to come to him at
once, Henry was saving hlmhher on
contract, one of the children was ailine
and he returned word that he could not
come. This was the first time he had
ever refused such demaud, aud when
the messenger returned the old nan
boiled over with indignation. He sent
for his lawyer to come and make new
will, and the lawyer, Of course, brought
the old one. He saw this laid on the
clock shelf and it was lying there when
he went away. The new will was not
entirely completed that day. Martin
said he might want to make some other |
changes, and SO he did. His sister May,
who was an old maid, was with him
that day, and after the lawyer had gone
Martin wanted TO lower her down Ia
the well to recover a lost bucket. She
was timid and afraid, and the result
was that she was ordered to pack up
and leave, and wa' toll plainly that
she need not expect d1llar.
Nor was this |. Having got his I
hand in, as it were, the old man went
for another brother, and forced rup-
ture, aad then sent for a lawyer and /
cut the three persons off with legacy
Of 500 each. lie signed the new will
and placed it with the others, SAYING he
would keep both for few days and SEQ
if anything else turned up. Then, in
order to show his contempt for his rela.
tiyes, he sent for a woman named
Thatch to keep house fer him. This
woman was a widow, about 40 years
old, and was looked upon as half crazy
and the other half foolish. She was
employed in the village at l1undry
work. Martin gave out that he would
marry her, and he was heard to say
more than once that not one Of his reIa.
lives should ever get dollar Of his
money.
One night, two months after sbe
Thatcher woman went to keep house for
him, he got bad fall while bringing
n wood. He had to be helped
2 bed. but only portion
of what followed was known for
many months afterward. The old
nan felt that his last hour had come,
md he got rid Of her for few minutes
~ sending her out to the barn. Which
will he meant to burn no one will eYlr
saow, bat b. got Up and hvrnad paa af