Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1893-01-14
WILLS OF RICH MEN.
HOW SEVERAL WEALTHY MEN DIS
POSED OF THEIR ESTATES.


POSED OF THEIR ESTATES.
The Astor and She vsrdorbiit Riches
Went to tho Oldest soa-Tho Late A.
II. Stewart tiave Eis Property TO u!a
.Wiso-Eiis Other rsssu~sts.
THO email requests by Jay Gould to
bis brother and sister call attention anew
to tho fact that the financial results Of
tho creation OF fortune in u family arc
apt to he snull TO the collateral brrnchea
aud heavy to the direct line of issue.
The wills OF the heads Of tho Astor
family do NO. point morsl IN this re-
spcct. because tho family has followed e
rule designed for the pcrpetuet;o.s OF
great family estate il, two parcels. Side
bcoroats, il considerable. would have
prevented tho execution Of this plan
The Distribution OF the late Sainnel }.
Tilden's fortune is not illustrative Of the
common custom. because be WE bach-
elor
a. T. Stewart. the great merchant
prince made simple will. fn she 800
onA paragraph Of the document opened
after his death la 1876 be wrote simply.
All my property and estate OF every
kind and description and wherever sit
uate,i rgive. devise and bequeath to my
dear wife. Cornefa b. Stewart. her
heirs and assigns forever" In tho next
paragraph he appointed Henry Hilton to
manage. close and wind up his partner
ship business and nffairs. He made e.-
Judge Hilton. tho widow and William
Libby his executors. and he be9ueathed
TO Mr.. Hilton the sum OF $l000,000 "as
mark OF regard"
In co<licil to tho will no beQueathed
various aums OF from 2o.00O to $500 to
as many faithful employees in his busi
ness. ard other SUNS OF $1,000 to $500 t"
seven household servants. To two sis
ters named Marion. at whose fathers
house and hands no had enjoyed hospital
ity. he Caves la 600 year and a honse iii
this city. To Henry Hilton's wife he
gave s.. 900. In y second cotlicil no gave
$40. 900 each to four persons OF the name
Of Clinch, who were relatives of his wife.
to two Of whom be gave q house in town.
and to Sarah Smith and her daughter be
gave SIC. 0CO each He wil!ed that al
persons who had remaiaod in his employ
during twenty ycar sAnuid have 81 900.
ant; all who had worked for him ten
years $500. A letter to his wife accom-
panied the Will, snd in that hs en!ll that
ha hoped to live to carry ont his cliarita-
bic schemes. hus il no died before doing
10 he would depend on her to do 50 with
tho n.lvico and assistance vi their friend.
Henry liilton.
Mr.. Stewart had no children. II ne
had no relatives :either. his will Is not
case il point. But. on the other hand. II
it Is true. rs many claimants assert, that
lie had a number Of Cousins and othor
kin in Ireland. his absolute forsetflllness
Of then. or refusal 70 benefit them is 10
markedly opposite.
Commctiorr Vanderbilt. who died in
January. 1871. made Macy boqnesta to
others than hiS children. To hls wife he
gave $500. COO and all tho contents OF lis
house in Washington place. the Use of
which was hers fer life. To his brother
Jacob Il. Vanderbilt. he gave s5o,GM
To HIS sister Phu;,o be gave 81, 2co year
du,iag her life TO his r;cces and ;ssil-
ews he gaze variors Gums. ranging
froa, go eco #n,i $4,000 down to 5000
ani s2G2 = year But hesave ono graud-'
nephew S25. 0oo and another SEQ. coo. Ills
doctor got Sl0.C;sa. ana faithful old
c:crl; got 80 .c0a To 81 uncle he gave
s. .0o9. and tho wife OF a nephew IT,
ceiyed $33.0H0.
When no came to consider his children
tho situation Was altered 70 William
f.. his eldest son. 10 handed Iowa the
bulk cs his magnificent. property. the
value 81 this gift BEING estimated ut $50.
00O. coo. Tho whole property h;sl bee!
considered ~ worth $lo5. o1O. 010. and OF
the i5.C0o. Oco that William e. did not
got ona-half went 20 Williams cons. the
eldest one. Cornelius. getting greatly shc
largest share He soemol thus to indi-
cate belief tina. Young Cornelius. who
hNl already shown ability II inancior.
would l,eco!ne the head Of the house In
the third generation.
To Ills own less worthy son Cornelius
he gave nurely the interest on $2o0.o0o
lie divided 81 Pa. 0Go equally among five
daughters. and two OF these be further
enriched. tho ons with the interest on
$500 .O00 and tho other with the interest
on $3CN. 0O0 Enriched is scarcely ths
term 20 ylsa. for i: was eYlasnt that 10
Intended only to insure TO each Of them
the comforts of a competency.
When it came tiule to open the will OF
William II. Vanderbilt it was frlnd that
ho had given to nephew. ". V, RissaIn
$50 60: to his unclo Jacob the dividends
Gil coo shares OF New York Central: to
his aunt Phnbe and to each CT twelve
other relatives annuities Of sl.2CO Tho
great bulk of the increased eHtSte went
to the children. There were eight OF
Them. nnl each got $5,00o,0D outright
together with the interest during Hfa
on another $1,000, 600. the eighth part Of
trust fund OF s40.0o0,000. The prin-
cipal in this legacy was Co go to his
grandchildren when his children died
To his eldest son. Cornelius. he gave an
additional $4,000. coo outright. and to his
fayorite grandson. William H.. the son
of Cornelius. he gave 81. 0oo. eco outright
The youngest son. George. was to have
the family mansion and works OF art
when his mother s,oull die. To his own
widow he left yearly allowance Of
/ 100000 and the right to give away
$500 600 howsoever or to wholnsoever she
pleased To each Of his four daughters
he gave the house in which she was liv-
ing wien lie died. Having thus disposed
of ONLY about half OF this great property.
which WAS said to DO sufficient to give
| fonr nlIars To avnry man woman and