Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-01-06
HER GIFTS DOUBLED,
Miss Jane Holmes Bequests to
Local Public Charities
RECEIVE A BIG ADDITION.
The Advance in the Value of Her
Estate and a Partial Sale
GIVE THE INSTITUTIONS 100000,
Instead Of the S3OO,OOO Specified in the
Noble Lsdy's Will.
GIVE THE INSTITUTIONS 100000,
THE LUCKY ASYLUMS AND HOSPITALS


A monument that becomes whittier in its
beauty as the grass over the tomb grows
higher and higher each year, cannot be
made of enduring granite or the purer
marble. But there is such a shaft in this
city. 1t was erected by woman's delicate
hands, and as it is chastened BY gathering
years, it will add more and more luster to
the name and memory of Hiss Jane
Holmes.
The blessings which this noble woman
left to the poor and sick Of Pittsburg have
multiplied. They will continue to multi
ply. her wisdom in life is assisted by
Providence after her death.
When Miss Holmes died, in May, 1885,
she bequeathed SSOO,OO to the public char
table institutions. There was residuary
clause in the will. Through its operation
the institutions have now received 5000, 900,
and the same wise management may In the
future swell this sum to nearly 81, ,OOO, 900.
Miss Holmes expected that her charitable
bequests would be increased considerably
over the specific amount named in her will
in each instance, by the sale of her prop
erty, but she never expected the gifts would
reach the enormous sum they have. In the
three and half years since her demise her
estate has appreciated in value to such an
extent that her dying requests were peculiar
" favored.
DIVIDING A MILLION.
After making the bequests in specific sums
Miss Holmes will closed with this para
graph:
All the rest and residue of my estate, real
land personal hereby devise and bequesth to
nv executors to have and to hold in trust. to
divide ana appOrtIOn the same pro rata be-
tween and among the said several charitable
institutions.
The estate consisted very largely of stocks
and bonds. Miss Holmes held stock in
about every bridge in Pittsburg, including
the Suspension at Sixth street. She was
also q large owner in the Bank of Pittsburg
and the Exchange Bank. In the Allegheny
Valley Railroad and some of the passenger
railways her money was invested in big
sums She even was interested inan-
cially in iron mills. The inventory
and appraisement fled in court by Messrs,
John Porterfeld and J. J. Donrell, her
executors, on June 10, 1885, fixed the value
of her entire estate at 81, ,05O,5S3. In Sep
tember of the following year an additional
account was fled, which showed that from
the advancing value of the property, divi-
dends and accrued interest, this total esti-
mate had been increased Unjust Is months to
s1,1O7,O52. This fairly illustrates how the
appreciation of the estate continued after
ward.
Within two years after Miss Holmes
death the executors had distributed the be-
quests specifically made in the will. Then
they began to sell off the estate. The pro-
ceeds derived in this manner were found to
amount to as much again as the sum they
had given out as the original bequests. This
second installment of money has only re-
Gently been distributed among the public in
stitutions.
THE LUCKY INSTITUTIONS.
The Protestant Home for Incurables, to
which Miss Holmes bequeathed S5O, 900, has
received S1OO, 900 instead, owing to this Sec
ond gift.
The Home for the Friendless. on Wash
ington street, Allegheny, also receives $780,
900 instead of S5O, 900, the original bequest
The Protestant Orphan Asylum, on
Ridge avenue, Allegheny, was left $4,000
originally, and this has been doubled by the
receipt of $4,000.
The Home for Aged Women, at wilkins
burg, gets $50, 900 also, instead of $4,000.
The Home for Aged Protestants, in Allie |
pheny, was grateful as it could be for S25,-
600, and now they have had it increased to |
$4,000.
The Western Pennsylvania Institution |
fol the instruction of Deaf and Dumb, at |
Williamsburg, was remembered by Miss |
Holmes to the extent of So, ,000, and this, too,
has grown to 200.
The Educational Home ior the Blind, |
which was suggested by Miss Holmes in her |
will. and for the founding of which q board |
of trustees has since organized, was allotted |
S20,0 by the philanthropic woman, and
although the institution has not yet been |
opened, that sum has increased with the |
others until it is now $4,000.
The West Penn Hospitals bequest has |
been increased from 1000 to $4,000.
The Homeopathic Hospital receives $20,-
900 instead of $4,000.
The Home for Colored Children, in ALE
gheny. is given So, 900, although only ex-
pectiag $40 900.
The Episcopal Church Home for Orphans,
in Lswrenceville, from SIC, 900 up to $50, 600.
The Free DiSpenssry, which had been be-
queSthed $4,000, gets $40, 900.
SHARED WITH INDIANS, TOO.
Even the Indians in the far West share in
the residuary benefits Miss Holmes left
SIC, 900 to the Domestic and Foreign Mis-
sionary Boards of the Episcopal Church Of
the United States for work among the In
dians, and this has now increased to $40, 900.
The Protestant Home for Boys, on Ander-
son street, Allegheny, $50, 900; the Western
Pennsylvania Humane Society, 5000, and
the Home for Colored Women, in the Elev-
enth ward. S5,OOO do not share in the resid-
uary provision. They simply received the
amounts mentioned by directions of Miss
Holmes.
Considerable of the estate remains to be
SOlO. As IL lh very NdluSDle " VIII DIlHg
enough for third distribution OF money
among the charities How much, the ex-
ecutors cannot of course form any idea, nor
do they know when it will be made.
Miss Holmes generosity even went so far
as to exempt the charitable institutions from
the payment of the collateral inheritance
tax which the State demands. This she
directed should be paid by the executors out
of the balance of the estate. The tax when
paid amounted to S54, 963. The only other
bequests Miss Holmes made was $500 900 to
her nephew, VIM. d. Holmes, and two
valuable pieces of real estate on Wood and
Penn streets, TO the same gentleman.
A gentleman who was an intimate friend
Of Miss Holmes, advances the rather novel
idea that the lady's death, occurring at the
time it did. brought the institutions a great
deal more money than they would have re-
ceived had she lived several years longer.
He did not mean that her charitable desires
would have not remained as strong. They
would in all probability have strengthened.
But advancing age would have made it
next to impossible for her 20 have retained
&C large an estate in stocks and securities of