Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-03-11
0OME CURIOUS WILLS.
A Few Modern Instances OF Tes-
tamentary Bccentricity.
Testators Who LEFT Legaoics in the shape
of Portions OF Their Botlies-An Allow
amos Bequeathed to a Cat-A
Saddler's Trade Devotion.


Modern instances Of testamentarv eccen-
tricity abound, and the United States in
particular seems to be singularly prolific
of curious wills, writes Sidney Scrope in
Once Week Some little time since Mr.
Solomon Sanborn, of Medford, Mass, left
his body to the late Prof. Agassiz
and DR.. o. W. Holmes, TO be prepared by
them in the most scientific manner known
to anatomical art, and placed in the
museum of Harvard College. Two drum
heads were to be made of the skin. Upon one
was 70 be inscribed Alexander Pope's
Universal Prayer on the other the
Declaration of Independence" and then
they were to be presented to the testator's
distinguished friend" the drummer of
Cohasset. This presentation was subject
to the condition that on tue 18th of June, at
sunrise, every year, the drummer should
beat u on the drumheads at the foot of
Bunker's Hill the spirit stirring strains of
yankee Doodle "
Another American, who died within the
last few months, by way of revenge on his
relations, who had neglected him, be-
queathed to his brother his left arm and
hand; to another brother his right arm and
hand, to another his legs, nose, ears, etc.
He also left one thousand dollars for the
dismembering Of his body.
Among other testators who have dis
played this peculiar tendency to leave lega-
cies in the shape of portions of their bodies
may be mentioned Jeremy Bentham, the
English writer, who bequeathod his body
10 the University College Hospital, with
instructions that his skeleton should be pre-
pared and cleaned, and that it should pre-
side at the meetings of the hospital directors
Whether this provision was ever carried
out is doubtful, but it is certain that the
skeleton was preserved, and may be seen
to this day in the hospital museum.
A wealthy German who died the other
day bequeathed his effects to poor man
whom he greatly dislIked on condition that
he always wore linen under-clothes and
dressed in white, and a short time age
Stanislaus Poltmarz, Hungarian, left the
greater part of his fortune to a notary
named Lott, forbidding him, however, tc
take possession until he had sung at LIE
Scala Opera House, the parts of Verdis
'Otello" and Elvlrain 'SOmnambua; ;nwhile
John Reed, the gls-lighter of the Walnut
Street Theater, Philadelphia, directed that
lis head, after being duly prepared should
)e employed to represent the skull of
Yorick in Hamlet"
Lord Newborough, who died in November,
SSS, directed that, after a certain period
;lapses, his body is to be eXhumed and re-
Inferred in Bardsey Island, which is reputed
70 have no fewer than twenty thousand
'aints buried in its soil, and Mr.. John
Browne, of Rathbane County, Limerick, re
luired that his son, Rev. Peter Browne.
hould under penalty of forfeiting a consld
rable estate, change his Christian name,
Peter" for either "William'' or James"
ne old gentleman having taken an inveter-
tie dislike to his son 8 name, while rich
,addler ordered in his Will that his daughter
,hould lose the whole of her fortune if she
id not marry u saddler. 1t turned out,
iowever, that she married the Earl of Hall
AK, who, in order to win the bride, actually
served an apprenticeship or seven years TO
/ Saddler.
Not long since Mr.. Harper settled hun
lred year on his young black cat,n the
interest to be paid to his housekeeper, Mrs.
lodges, as long as the cat remained alive
md quite recently an old Partisan dam,
eft fifteen hundred a year to her butcher,
whom she had never seen; while one man
;halked his will on a corn-bin; and
mother inscribed his on q oed-post
Both the corn-bin and the bed
)ost are filed in the will Office at Doctors
Commons, London. The whimsical will o
he Scotch gentleman, who bequeathed t,
zach Of his daughters her weight in one
,ound notes, has often been quoted. Nor
'emarkable still is the will of the Eey
Yorker who directed that his one and seven
pairs of trousers should be sold at publ
luctlon without being examined before
land. The sale was actually held, and tn.
,eventy-one purchasers found in the right
land pocket the neat little sum OF a thou
sand dollars in cash.
Another peculiar legacy was that Of
Colonel Nash, an English officer, who be
lueathed an annuity of fifty pounds TO thc
oell-rlngers of Bath Abbey, on condition
hat they should muffle the clappers Of the
)ells of the Abbey, and ring them with dole
Jul accentuation from eight Il. m to ghC p
n. on each anniversary of his wedding day
While Mr.. Luke, of ROtheringham, afte'
eavlng penny to every child who SHOULD
attend his funeral, directed that forty dozen
caves should be thrown down from the
parish church steeple at noon every Christ
mas day forever.
nOnEMT AND Eel INE