Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-04-22
WHIMSICAL REQUESTS.
WILLS THAT HAVE AMUSED THE
WORLD, BUT NOT THE HEIRS.


How au EngIlshmsn Got Even with III,
wife - Curious and Frivolous French
Wnis Provision for Cremation Dread
" being buried Alive.
Men seldom vt down to write their wills
nowadays w q merry mood 'risir humor
sooins tspc exhausted before they reach the
tsslari4 htAry stage. Most modern wills arc
severely Lngtness like and suggestive Of pro-
prie'y, Int a Gpirt Of III natured wnggery
lurk5 ~ them occasionally. These read as
though the authors had spent the last years
" their Hives Ia enjoyment Of the disappoint-
inents they had prepared for expectant rela-
lives. There was the case Of the city solicit
Tor, who submitted 10 be called an ''old pgn
W bis wife when alive, but revenged himself
IN his will by leaving her "A farthing, with
directions that II was 10 be posted 10 her UNI
paid. We ran Imagine how this grim tesla
tor almost welcomed death for the sake Of
getting even with his wife
Mr.. w, d, Foster the dramatic company
promoter, would have no woman present at
his funeral II his wife survived him, he
would bo cromated otherwise, he would be
buried In the ordinary way. One of the
strongest cases occurred in France NJ Trav-
ers, declaring the French TO be "a nation of
daatards and fools" left his whole fortune to
The poor Of London, and further ordered
that his body should DO launched into the
son a mile from the English coast. An at
tempt was mnde 70 declare this unpatriotic
Frsnchman insane, but the court OF appeal
uphold the will
Frenchmen always have been more inclined
70 frivolity than we are in the disposal OF
their estates. One bright specimen actually
provided that a new cooking recipe should
be pasted on his tomb each day There was
more force, however, in the frivolity of the
French lawyer who left 10000 to local
madhouse, declaring that 1t was simply an
act Of restitution 10 his clients
CREMATION CLAUSES
Cremation clauses are now becoming COM
mon, but these appear only in the wills of adj
vanced and strong minded people. Other
provisions are made by nervous people,
moved chiefly by the dread Of being buried
alive. This was the case with Mr.. John
Blount Price, justice OF the peace, Of lsling-
ton, whose will was recently published Mr..
Blount declared In his will that four days
after death two skillful surgeons were to be
paid 60 each to perform such an operation
ON his body as would prevent the possibility
Of his coming 30 life In his coffin.
The Viscuunt de Carros Lima, who threat
ened his heirs with the loss of their property
II they buried him In the family vault, fur
ther enjoned on them TO have his body
watched until decomposition set in A sim
liar provision was made by Mr. Dennis Croft
ton, an Irish gentleman, last year. One
Vienna millionaire was 50 anxious about
hot 10 Lot b L., Inot
the dark. Not only did he provide for the
vault TO be lighted by electricity, but he also
ordered the coffin to be so illumined, science
thus coming In grewsome fashion to the aid
Of security.
PROVOKING PROPOSITIONS.
Lord Marlborough clnimed by will the pc
culiAr privilege Of being twice buried. His
remains are now finally laid TO rest in Bard
soy Island, of the Welsh coast; but to the
dead peers honor be 10 said that tho strictest
economy was enjJined In his obsequies, and
the housekeeper at Bonvaan, who watched
his every glance, received a legacy Of $4,000
and mn annuity Of goo year.
The waiting willn is a constant source Of
Irritation The professors Of Vienna univer-
sity were delighted to learn that Count Hard
egg had left their institution eco, 0OO but
WHICH " tAlit uUb lhuA Tue lh1Hbt was 10 &c
cumuIate for hundred years, by which time
II wonld have increased to 4ls OO, 900 the
wits decided that Count lIardcgg should have
been styled half boiled. The most hard head
ell business men occasionally like to keep
their heirs waiting. Mr. McCalmont, the
stock broker provided that hisnephew, Capt.
McCamont must wait seven years for his
inheritance Of three millions,
Perhaps tho lcgatee who has the least
chance Of realizing is the one mentioned by
a wicked Finn, who left all his property to
the devil. Finland Is now probably the only
epDs1tgy where the devil is land owner
Some notice was taken at the time Of the fact
that tho name u the icgatcc appeared IN cap
ital letters throughout tho will, The infer
enro was TINT the tcstator wished To make "a
good impression on him, with an eve to secure
indulgencos when they met Evon the devils
name Ia "a will Is better than none, which
has heen the case with certain large proper.
ties.
feature has been the tendency Of gentle
men Ia draw up Wills in favor " the ladies
81 whom they are engaged. Mr., Ralstou, for
instance, left all his property tn Miss Annie
Vizrtclly. In like manner "A Miss Bessie Mac
donald young lady OF Glasgow, has become
Is.assssss 81 u handsome legacy aud hotel in
Eow York, lett % her 10y one who hoped to
marry her London standard