The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-08-02
WEALTH AND GOSSIP
SurmiSeS as to the Amount of
Mrs. SearleS' Millions.
If WAS SOMEWHERE NEAR SEVEN
Mr.. searles Described-He was a Man Of Fine
Manners and Musical Tastes-Blsy
Tongues at Lawrence, kas.

4
Hubbard and Thomas C. Stillman, men
toned in Mrs. Searles' will as co-executor
with MIR. Searies, were Mrs. Hopkins
lawyers and business advisers for man.
years before she married Mr.. Searles. Tn,
marriage did not interfere with thes'
gentlemen's relations with Mrs. Searles
for both she and her husband had sucl
confidence in Mr.. Hubbard and MIR. Still
man that they continued to have almost {
supreme voice in the management of the
vast estate. Immediately utter the dealt
of Mrs. Searles General Hubbard wa:
summoned TO Methuen, where ne attended
the funeral, remaining until after the viii
was read, when he returned to New York.
Yesterday morning he was seen in his
Office in the Mills building. az have reaC
some newspaper articles since the death OF
Mrs. Searles," he said, land have noticed
many Measurements concerning both the
deceased and MIR. Searles. So far as the
| fortune which she has left her husband is
! concerned, the estimates which L have reaC
IN the newspapers care considerably eX
! aggerated. The statement that she left
upwards of s30,000,000 Is very incor-
rect. About one-half of that amount
would be nearer the actual figures.
and even s2O,OOO,OO0 would be very
liberal estimate. About four-fifths
of the estate is invested in stocks and bonds
Of the Southern Pacific, the controlling in
terest in that road being held by Mr..
Searles, c. Z. Huntington, Senator Stan
4 ford and the Croker estate. The remain
der of the estate left Mr.. Searles consists
of the Great Darlington mansion, which
cost s., zoo. 900; tue house in San Francisco.
Sl25,0 900; the Fifth avenue house in New
| York, the home where she died in Meth
uen, her summer residence at Block Isl
and, and various other pieces of real estate
/ of minor value. The income from the es-
tate, although very priucely amount, is
less than one would naturally suppose and
very much smaller than could be obtained
if So, 1000, 900 in cash were drawing inter
est in banks. For instance, the millions
which are tied up in real estate, instead of
bringing in an income are continually en-
croaching upon the remainder of the es-
tate. as each one of the costly houses must
be kept running at enormous expense, not
withstanding that during the greater part
Of each year the servants alone occupy
them"
''Will Mr.. Searles attempt to dispose of
any part of the estate, or will it remain in
tact" General Hubbard was rsked.
$50 far as L know, Mr.. Searles
is content to have his property re-
main very nearly as it is now. | presume
pensive establishments. out such costly
properties as those at Great Darlington
and San Francisco are not easily disposed
OF, and TO sell any one Of them unless just
the right sort of a purchaser could be found
would mean very great sacrifice. Per
sonally, Mr.. Searles is man of very sim
pie and unpretentious tastes, not given at
all to display. He prefers quiet life.
Mr.. Searles Is a strikingly hand
some man, little past fifty.
should think, with mild blue eyes,
hair that is nearly white and a refine
ment of manner which charms all who come
in personal contact with him. l think his
characteristic is his passionate fondness
for art Gifted with a natural taste for the
beautiful, he has cultivated it TO such an
extent that L doubt if there is anyone who
has finer artistic sentiments than he. He
confines himself 10 no particular branch,
but is q liberal patron of art of every de
scription. He has also a considerable taste
for music of which he is passionalely fond.
At his Great harrington house he has a
pipe organ which eminent musicians have
declared to be the finest instrument in the
world. 1t cost ,000. AT the Methuem
homestead he has another organ, smaller in
size and less costly, but probably one of
the most eXquisitely toned instruments in
the world. He plays the organ himself,
but prefers TO listen TO the music of pro-
fessional artist. In no respect is he like
an ordinary man. He is strictly temper
ate in all things, cares nothing for shoot
ing. tishing or boating, and INDUCES in no
sort of games. He never, TO my knowl-
edge, was a member of any club and in
fact, he holds himself entirely aIoof from
everything in life that might be called CAV
Unless / am greatly mistaken, he will
spend the greater part of his life there and
Only make such visits TO his other place as
necessity compels. 1t may seem strange
to people that one VINO possesses such
grand places as those at Great Darlington
and San Francisco would choose to remain
in the less attractive one at Methuen, but
to those who know. him best it is only an
other trait of his retiring disposition. l
have known Mr.. Searles personally for
over fifteen years, and during all that time
l have never discovered a blemish in his
character. To me he is refined gentleman
whhm all would admire. His marriage
with Mrs. Hopkins provoked considerable
criticism l know, but il was most unjust
AS every one who enjoys any degree of in
timacy with Mr.. Searles knows his marriage
was entirely free from mercenary motives
for at the time it took place he had re-
tired from business and was in the en-
joyment of comfortable fortune, the fruit
OF his own untiring work. Their marriage
was one OF affection, notwithstanding a
difference of some twenty years in their
ages. Their New York friends have seen
little of them. Although they owned the
dom occupied, although Mr.. Searles had it
redecorated and filled up last year by his
old employers, Herter Brothers,"
The people of Great Darlington are not
at all pleased that the little Massachusetts
village should have been forgotten by Mrs
Searles in her will. They are INDUCING in
saying a great many hard things about
Co. 1.
due influence The villagers expected the
church at Great harrington, which Mrs.
Searles helped to build, would have been
remembered, if not by handsome bequest,
to the extent OF memorial window.
Many surmises have been made as to
what was Mrs. Searles' motive in cutting
off her adopted son, Timothy Hopkins,
without penny. 1t has been limited, how
ever, that she desired to take her revenge
for some offense which may never be dis
closed. When she fell In love in her old age
and astonished the world by marrying a
man who was young enough TO be her son,
Tim became SO angry that he lost his head.
He said many unpleasant things about the
marriage, and his remarks came to the ears
of his adopted mother Mrs. Searles
was furious at, what she termed
his ingratitude and made will
that disinherited Tim and made the house
decorator man worth at least $40, 900, 900.
When the reporter called at the Fifth
Avenue house to-day he found the three
servents excitedly discussing Mrs. Searles'
will and expressing surprise that not one of
the many servants who have spent q life
time in her service had been remembered
81 cannot understand it btu said one
"Mrs Searles was one of the loveliest
women l have ever seen. She was always
30 kind and generous to all of US, and it
seems nexts to impossible she would
make will, leave all of her