The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-05-21
A CELEBRATED CASE.

dispatch printed yesterday morning and
announcing that the decision of the SUI
preme court OF the United States in the
Fiske-Cornell university case il against
the university. IL means dollars and a
good many Of them in the pockets Of the
governor. The contest was begun years
ago, before Hill was elected lieutenant
governor OF New York on the Cleveland
ticket. II involved n vast sum Of money
which the heirs of Mrs. Jennie McGraw
Fiske claimed could not rightfully be held
by the Cornell university. II was under
stood ut the time that Governor Hill, then
nm attorney at Elmira, took the cas- on n
contingent fee. All these years the case
has been moving from court 10 cou and
now il can go no further. The contingent
fee, when final accounting comes, will be
q very generous slice Of the immense
moun Of money involved, and II will
come in handy for Mr.. Hill who h by no
means q rich man.
Years ago, Willard Fiske wal an edi-
torial writer for n newspaper in New York
state. He had formerly been associated
In newspaper work with General Hawley
Of Hartford, now n federal senator for
Connecticut. He was mn accomplished
scholar, a gifted linguist and q remark
~ opoh nv ittu ~ WuTIn ITituu
in Andrew ID. White and, when that
gentleman organized Cornell university,
twenty-five years ago, Mr.. Fiske was
made professor of German and librarian,
n field that was extremely ~congenial TO
him. He was no money-gettcr, he lacked
average business instinct, he would UNI
hesitatinRly part with his last dollar for
any rare book he happened to fancy. He
was particularly fond of travel. For
years he led n scholars life at Cornell.
Meanwhile jeremiah McCiraw, a rich
man, died leaving a splendid bequest TO
the university for library purposes and
the balance of an immense estate to his
unmarried daughter, a lady then past 30
years of age, who never had beef wooed
and won. The library fund constantly
increased, h entire McGraw estate, in
deed. proved to he better than the man
who accumulated IL had fancied IL 10 he.
Much of the property was in western land
that rapidly increased in value. Other
years passed. When President White
was appointed minister TO Germany, Miss
McGraw became his guest i'm Berlin. She
had built n magnificent residence on the
edge of the University campus. II stands
there to-day, beyond doubt the most inn
posing private mansion in central or
western New York.
But when Miss McGraw, then a woman
well toward middle life, went To Europe
her friendsk knew that she was in extremely
delicate health and, almost As a forlorn
hope, was seeking relief in Europe which
this country seemed not to afford. Not
long afterward Professor Fiske sailed
away for a trip To Germany, and a circle
of interested friends was surprised with
the information that, mt the residence of
the American minister In Berlin, Professor
Fiske and Miss McGraw had been q
ried. For n time the bride and groom
travelled leisurely In Southern Europe,
purchasing costly articles OF rare work.
manship for the furnishing of the mansion
In Ithaca. Car loads OF these purchases
were shipped To America, but, unhappily
the bride never again enjoyed the sight
of them. Gradually her health wasted,
and before the residence was ready for It's
treasures death claimed her and her form
was laid away In the crypt Of the superb
memorial chapel that graces the campus
AT Cornell. Thereafter II was discovered
that the lady's will left an annual income
Of &ls,OOO to her husband and, in direct
compliment To him, set aside a large sum
Of money for library and kindred purpose
mt Cornell.
II was not long before trouble began
and IL turned on petty details that ought
never 20 AVE e brought up. But there
was an alleged 'business end" i'm the
board Of university trustees, represented
by a rich man named Sage. He was '.rc-
solved 10 ooh after the true interests of
the university" He was penny wise in
dollars that have since cost the uni
versity hundreds of thousands. He
was altogether too thrifty, he was too
sharp i'm driving "A bargain. Tie outraged
the liner feelings of Professor Fiske. He
misunderstood the man. He wanted to-
know about the expense of Goa for heat
ing the residence n the cost Of main
tanning a gardener, while Willard Fiskc
wanted the university to have and enjoy
the house, with all It's gathered treasures.
save only one modest little room for him
self. where he might make his home and
participate in building up a great library
and art department for the university out
Of funds every dollar of which might have
been his own, had he, prompted by sor-
did purpose. yielded consent to the gener-
OTIS offers of his devoted bride, who would
j~oyfully have mad him direct heir In
four times the sum he received had he
but whispered the wish. IL was a case
where n hard-flstcd man of business
failed TO appreciate the sentiment of an
other man who, confessedly, was not n
man of affairs who surely was not grasp
but who, ON the other hand. could not en-
durc the penny-wise policy of the trustee
who confronted him.
Estraugement followed and this ripened
into open hostility. In the end. Professor
Fiske. realizing that under It's charter the
university could not hold the amount in
volved IN the estate. which steadily grew
In Nnlnr. resolved for his nnri that il