The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-01-13
WILLS OF RICH MEN.
NOW SEVERAL WEALTHY MEN DIS.
POSED OF THEIR ESTATES.

his brother and sister call attention anew
TO the fact that the financial results OF
the creation of fortune in family arc
apt to be small to the collateral branche,
and heavy to the direct line of ISSUE
The wills of the heads of the Astor
family do not point moral in this re.
spect, because the family has followed a
rule designed for the perpetuation of a
great family estate in two parcels. Side
bequests, If considerable, would have
prevented the execution of this plan
The distribution of the late Samuel j.
Tilden's fortune is not illustrative of the
common custom, because he was bach
elor
A. T. Stewart. the great merchant
prince. made simple will. In the sec
ond paragraph of the document opened
after his death in 1915 he wrote simply
"All my property and estate of every
kind and description and wherever sit
uated | give, devise and bequeath to my
dear wife, Cornelia M. Stewart, her
heirs and assigns forever" In the next
paragraph he appointed Henry Hilton to
manage, close and wind up his partner
ship business and affairs. He made ex-
Judge Hilton. the widow and William
Libbey his executors, and he bequeathed
to Mr.. Hilton the sum of $1,000.0 900 las
= mark Of regard"
In a codicil to the win he bequeathed
various sums of from SEQ 900 to $500 to
Is many faithful employees in his busi-
ness, and other sums of 81 500 to $500 to
seven household servants. To two Sis
ters named Marion, at whose fathers
house and hands he had enjoyed hospital
ity, he gave $12 900 year and a house in
this city. To Henry Hilton's wife he
gave $1,000. In second codicil he gave
80, 900 each to four persons of the name
Of CGnch, who were relatives Of his wife,
to two Of whom he gave house in town,
md to Sarah Smith and her daughter he
gave $4,000 each. He willed that all
persons who had remained in his employ
during twenty years should have 81 900,
and all who had worked for him ten
years $500. A letter to his wife accom-
panied the will, and in that he said that
b hoped to live to carry out his charita-
ble schemes. but if he died before doing
% he would depend on her to do 80 with
tho advice and assistance Of their friend,
Henry Hilton.
Mr.. Stewart had no children. II he
had no relatives either, his will is not a
case in point. But, on the other hand, If
It Is true, as many claimants assert, that
he had number Of cousins and other
hin in Ireland. his absolute forgetfulness
OF them or refusal to benefit them is re-
markably opposite.
Commodore Vanderbilt. who died in
January, 1877, made many bequests to
others than his children. To his wife he
gave $500, 900 and all the contents of his
house in Washington place, the use Of
which was hers for life. To his brother.
Jacob II. Vanderbilt. he gave $50, 600
To his sister Phoebe he gave 81 200 year
during her life. To his nieces and neph-
sws he gave various sums, ranging
from $50, 900 and $4,000 down to $500
and 5000 year But he gave one grand
nephew $25, 900 and another SEQ, 900. His
doctor got 10000. and a faithful old
clerk got $20,000. To an uncle he gave
5000, and the wife of nephew re-
eeived $25, 900.
When he came to consider his children
the situation was altered. To William
e., his eldest son, he handed down the
bulk of his magnificent property, the
value of this gift being estimated at $780,.
100000. The whole property had been
considered as worth $105, 900, 900, and of
the $15, ,000, 900 that William H. did not
get one-half went to Williams sons, the
Oldest one. Cornelius, getting greatly the
largest share. He seemed thus to indi-
cate belief that young Cornelius, who
had already shown ability as financier,
would become the head Of the house in
the third generation.
To his own less worthy son Cornelius
he gave merely the interest on 5000, 900.
He divided 81 ,250, 900 equally among five
daughters, and two of these he further
enriched. the one with the interest on
f400, 900 and the other with the interest
on $300,000. Enriched is scarcely the
term to use, for it was evident that he
intended only to insure to each of them
the comforts of n competency.
When it came time to open the will of
William H. Vanderbilt it was found that
ne had gwen to nephew, w. V. Kissam
$50, 200: to his uncle Jacob the dividends
on l 900 shares of New York Central; to
his aunt Phoebe and to each of twelve
other relatives annuities of 81 1000 The
great bulk of the increased estate went
TO the children. There were eight of
them, and each got $4,000, 600 outright,
together with the interest during life
on another IS ,000, ,000 the eighth part of
trust fund of 100000 900. The prin-
cipal in this legacy was to go to his
grandchildren when his children died
To his eldest son, Cornelius, he gave an
additional So 100000 outright. and to his
favorite grandson. William H., the son
of Cornelius, he gave 81 900, 900 outright.
The youngest son. George was to have
the family mansion and works of art
when his mother should die TO his own
widow he left yearly allowance Of
100000 and the right to give away
$500, 200 howsoever or to whomsoever she
pleased. To each of his four daughters
he gave the house in which she was liv-