The morning call., 1893-05-07
THE LICK SCHOOL.
1t May Surprise People
Before Long.
THE UNEXPECTED MAY COME.
A Plan to Combine the Lick School
of Mechanical Arts and the
Mechanics Institute.


teen years ago will be erected during the
present generation.
In fact there is prospect that move will
be made very sUon to provide the sort of
school that Lick wanted established so that
the boys of California with mechanical
tastes might have q chance to become in
teligent mechanics and be helped to way
TO make a living.
The leng litigation that has tied up this
bequest will soon end and it is proposed
now to make the school a feature OF the
Mechanics Institute when that soriety's
new building is erected. though being in
dependent of il. This plan would leave the
entire bequest to be used for equipment and
as an endowment. giving the school q muc h
greater income for its support than if
large amount had to be invested Ill build
ings.
When the matter of this endowment is
Strengthened out the long tangle of the Lick
9fqueSts Will be over. The trustees of the
School OF Mechanical Arts could have had
thelr money long ago II they would have
taken 1t In payments by the Lick trustees
when bills were incurred which the Lick
trustees would approve. but they wanted
the whole sum handed over TO them 10 use
at their sole discretion and so they have
done nothing. Then the Academy of
Sciences and the Society of California
| Pioneers, which were made the residuary
legatees came forward with objections and
| helped delay matters.
The trustees of the School of Mechanical
Arts are: Horace Davis, A. 5. Hallidie,
Horatio Stebbins. j. Ii. Boalt and Jnhn 0.
Earle. The purpose of the institution is
| declared in the deed of trust to be "to edu-
| cate males and females in the practical
| arts Of life, such as working In wood, iron
| and stone or any of the metals, and in what
ever industry intelligent mechanical skill is
or can hereafter be applied" All youthful
natives of California of both sexes are
eligible Tor admission as students.
| 1T occurred to me-" said A. 5. Hallidie
to CALL man, that il would be an eco
nomical measure, and would also give con-
| siderable prestige to the school, to estab-
| lish thunder the protection and patronage
| OF the Mechanics Institute. There is no
| doubt about the erection at an early date of
! fine brick and stone building on the site
| OF the Pavilion, and | see no reason why
| suitable quarters in il cannot then be set
| apart for the exclusive use of the school.
| The necessity of building would thus be
| avoided, and the only immediate items of
| expense would be for furniture and equip
| ments.
From the investment of our surplus capt.
| tai we could derive an income amply su11i-
| Gent to defray the cost OF maintaining the
| scho Ois. 1t would. of course be under the
| control OF its own trustees aud legally inde-
| pendent of the Mechanics Institute; but
| some OF US are also members of the inSti-
| tuie, consequently YOU can see that under
| the circumstances I've mentioned the incor-
| poration could hardly fail to result advan-
tageously to the school and in reciprocity
| OF interests between it and the institute.
| My idea has been discussed informally by
| the directors of the institute and the trus-
tees of the school. and. so far as | am ad-
| Yised. seems TO be generally approved"
Mr.. Hallidie Is the president OF the Me-
| chanics' Institute and regent Of the Uni
| versity of California, as well as n trustee of
| the California School of Mechanical Arts,
| and the merits of his plau are apparent,
| but unlIckily there are difficulties existing
| which prevent its being carried out imme-
| diately. They arise out of the administra-
ton of the celebrated James Lick trust.
| The board of trustees OF the California
| School of Mechanical Arts was incorporated
| September /, 1856. formal notification
was then sent 10 tie Lick trustees who, at
| that :!me, were without money sufficient to
| satisfy the beQuest. In May. 1887. the sum
| OF $1,000 twas advanced, on account. with
: which the trustees of the school betrayed
| the expenses OF their incorporation and pur-
| chased block of land on Potrero avenue.
After the sale of the Lick House prop
| erty, in October, 1888, for 81, ,2j0, 600, the
| trustees found themselves in possession of
ample funds. The California School of
| Mechanical Arts accordingly claimed the
Immediate payment of the entire balance
due of s535,000. The California Academy
of Sciences and the Society Of California
| lOuteTs. tN6 T6SiuuaEy IeBdteeS,
the legality of this claim, the result of
which was the filing, in December, 1888, of
| the aforementioned suit OF Flood VS.. Davis.
From the decision of the lower court, in
| favor of the residuary legatees, an appeal
| was taken to the Supreme Court. The case
was submitted in December last. and
a decision Is now expected daily.
1t will put an end to the vexa-
| tious dissensiOns now existing among the
| benefciaries and give an equitable construc-
| ton of the deed of trust The speedy exc
cution of the remaining Lick legacies W i'll
| then be practicable. Messrs. Davis, Halli-
| die, Stebbins, Boalt and Earle Will be in
structed as TO the conditions under which
they can draw money from Messrs. Mas
| tick, Plum and Schonewald. and Will thus
be prepared for the intelligent organization
| OF the school.
The title 10 the interest on the $40. 600
| for some years back is also leading issue
in the case. AT the rate Of per cent per
annum it Is estimated that the Interest
amounts to $3.50, ,0G0, and the decision of the
| court will determine whether this sum is TO
credited to the School OF Mechanical Arts
or 10 the resIduary legatees. ln the mean
| time all Is at standstill.
| II am weary of this long and tedious liti-
| CATION" said Mr.. Hallidie. ''Since our in
| corporation In 1886 we have not taken any
steps toward the establishment of the
| school, except to purchase block of land
| at the Potrero. The refusal of the Lick
trustees TO pay US the total bequest of $780,
| 600 when demanded, and the action of tile
| Academy of Sciences and the Society of
| Pioneers In claiming the interest to which
| we think we are clearly entitled, have COM
| PEELED us 10 take this course. Until the
| Supreme Court gives its decision we cannot
| tell whether the fund at our dispoSalis $780,
1 coo or $50, coo. The $3.50. .0C0 interest must
| be considered in our calculations. The de-
| lay in founding the school has been loss
| to the community, and it is to be sincerely
| regretted but we diSclaim all responsibility
| and hold that. under existing circumstances.
! our policy is to wait patiently the result of
| the litigation. 1t is believed that the Su-
| preme Court will soen give its decision and
| then we can proceed Immediately TO estab-
| lish the school in conformity to the wishes
| of the Donor
| Charles M. Plum has no sympathy to
waste upon the trustees Of the School of
Mechanical Arts. "The institution ought
TO have been organized and in operation
| years ago." he said, "and its trustees are
| themselves to blame for the delay. We Qhe
| Lick trustees) have been prepared to pay
| the bequest ever since 1883. but the trustees
| OF the school demanded it all or nothing,
| and the result of that policy has been this
seemingly endless litigation"
| John q. Earle Is, on the contrary, equally
warm in his defense OF the school. For
| merly." said he, ''the Academy of Sciences
| and the Society of Pioneers were well sat-
sfied to take what should be left after the
| other legacies had been satisfied, but now
| they seem to desire all there Is in sight
They have become very high toned since
] they've located themselves in their new
| buildings with the money advanced to them
| by the Lick trustees. 1t is their policy
| which has hindered us in the establishment
| of our school. The slowness of the ST.
| preme Court, too. has been extremely vexa-
| tious. but suppose that we shall get de-
| cision some time 1t will | hope be in our
| favor. we shall then be free to so on with
| our business and there will still remain
| trife OF some S600. 900 to be divided between
| two greedy residuary legatees."
| 81 sincerely trust" said Edwin b. Mas
| tick Of the Lick trust, THAT this lamentable
| litigation will soon be terminated. We
| have now on hand about 600 cash,
| and, aside from this controversy over the
| School of Mechanical Arts. the adminlstra-
| tion OF Tho trust is rapidly nearing compile
L Il. II q. IL, 4