The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-23

his death, at the advanced age of so years,
that James Lick executed his trust deed
| bequeathing 81, 941 900 worth of property
| Tor various specified objects or trusts.
This property has grown in value so that the
trustees were able not only to pay out over
a half million as the result of com promise
litigation, but have now over 81 200, 000 of
surplus for the residuary legateee, an adj
vance in valuation during the twenty
years of about 81, 700, 600 in round numbers,
or an increase of nearly 100 per cent.
James Lick was born in Fredericksburg,
Pa. in 1886 and died at San Francisco
October l. 1876. After receiving a common
school education he worked as an organ
and piano maker in Hanover, Pa, and
later in Baltimore, Md. In 1920 he estab-
lished business of his own at Philadel-
phia, but a year later he emigrated to
Buenos Ayres, where for several years he
manufactured musical instruments.
1t was love affair that drove him to
South America. He loved miller's
daughter in Philadelphia, but the miller
objected.
"Young man." said the miller, "when
you have mill as big as mine you can have
my daughter"
"In few years rll have one bigger than
that" was James Lick's reply. And it
fell out that way. When he went from
South America TO California in 1S47 he had
estate and in other enterprises. The last
years OF his life were spent in California,
where he was president of the Society of
California Pioneers. He had the reputa-
ton OF being unlovable, eccentric, soli-
tary, selfish and avaricious, and it was
said that his disagreeable character re-
suited from his disappointment in love.
To keep his word with the father of his
old sweetheart he built fourmill near
San Jose at an expense OF 100000. The
interior was finished in costly native
woods, highly polished, and before it
was destroyed by fire it was considered one
of the curiosities OF the neighborhood.
Charles NJ. Plum, who knew James Lick
perhaps as well, if not better, than any
man alive to-day, has many interesting
"reminiscences to relate of the dead philan-
thropists peculiarities.
81 b ad many quarreIs with him." says
Mr.. Plum, 'but they were usually of short
duration. He always came around all
right in a short time. There was one
worth retelling in connection with the for
nation of the trust.
tees before he died. He fell out with the
first set and paid Mr.. FELTON,, his lawyer,
500, 900 to break the trust. In this he was
successful, and then he named five others,
among them his legal son, John Lick. But
John Lick was advised not to sign as
trustee, for it was said that it might have
some bearing on his claims as legatee,
and he never did sign. There was more
trouble about this new set of trustees, and
Lick decided to discharge them. l well
remember the circumstances. / went to
Calistoga, and while there some one asked
me If | did not want to see Mr.. Lick, as he
was sick at the hotel there. / had not
known that he was in town, and | replied
that l would like to see him, and went to
his room He thpn caid that q thnnUhf no
would change his trustees, and I said to
him: Mr.. Lick, why do you wait until you
are dead? Why don't you carry out all
these things that you propose while you
are allve2 Matters of this sort go to the
dogs when man dies. Why not see that
they are properly carried out while you are
allye?, he few into rage and sat up in
bed. 1t was the first time he had been able
to SIT up MISUNDERSTANDING for weeks. He
fairly frothed at the mouth, and exclaimed:
Dung men are always visionary; you are
always interfering with my affairs Invent
out OF the room, because / saw that had
greatly excited him, but as | went / said:
Well, that is what / would do if / were
you saw no more of him for some
time not until received a message
from MN, much to my surprise, asking
me to call at his rooms in the Lick House
IN san francisco. went, and found him
IN bed lie said, Mr.. Plum, | am going to
ulscharge my trustees and l want you to
get me four more I did not want
to see him do that and said SO, but he
declared that he would and that must
get him four more by 8 o'clock in the
afternoon. He held his watch in his hand
and said, Mind you, want them by 8
O'Clock / looked at my watch and it
was then along in the forenoon. went
out, not knowing what to do, but deter
mined to go to my legal adviser, Mr..
MaStick. ! had some frauhTa in find;pg
him, but finally succeeded, and we went