The San Francisco call., 1896-05-31
LEFT HIS MONEY
TO BUY CANDY.
An Old Oaklander's Love
for Los Gatos School
Children.
WERE HAPPY ALL DAY.
For a Quarter of a Century They
Have Regularly Wreathed
His Grave.
A PIONEER OF TWO CITIES.
Every Alternate Decoration Day the
Story of H Life Is
Told.
A PIONEER OF TWO CITIES
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANc1sco CALL

One of the very earliest settlers of Oak
land was George W. TeasGale, and on
account of the peculiar nature of his will,
made many years ago, the school children
of Los Gatos were enab ed to-day to enjoy
a unique Memorial day.
He had not been very long resident of
this city before he moved to Los Gatos,
and hardly anybody here now remem bers
Mr.. Teasdale, He was a pioneer of the
Santa Clara County town and being some
what eccentric he left peculiar will when
he died twenty-three years ago.
at his death he bequeathed all the
wealth he possessed, the sum of $780, to
the school children of Los Gatos, to be
placed in bank in San Jose and the in
| terest to be drawn annually for the pur-
chase of candy, to be distributed equally
among all the boys and girls of the schools
of the town.
When Uncle George" as the children
called him, died there was only one school
"a small affair-in the town and the
Teasdale fund allowed quite large box of
candy for each scholar, providing quite a
feast.
| Now, after period stretching over a
score of years, there have been many
| changes in the place, and those little
ones who knew and loved Mr.. Teasdale
have now grown to manhood and woman
hood or are no longer among the living,
and those children who now receive the
candy only know OF their dead friend from
what is told them by their parents and
| teachers.
In 1873 the school was composed of inst
twelve scholars. Now the village school
has been rebuilt as strictly modern in
stitution, to meet the requirements of the
rapidly increasing population.
The Tcasdale money has been trans.
ferred to the Los Gatos Bank, under the
management of the only two remaining
trustees, who are Messrs. Watkins and
| Tranthan, both prominent business men
of Los Gatos.
For the first few years after Mr.. Teas.
| dale's death the exact terms of the strange
will were fait fully carried out, but OF late
years the scholarship of the school has be-
come so large that the money was found
10 be inadequate for the purchase of suffi-
cient candy for such host of youngsters.
The situation was per picking until Mrs
Emma E. Cole, the head teacher in the
school, proposed that the distribution
1 OuAJ SdAc pidNO CfSIy dlbSAudbO OSOOIdLlOu
day, and her proposition heartily met the
approval of the trustees.
| To-day was the day that the children
received box of candy and the principal
and teachers impressed upon their mind 6
the history of the gift. The children were
told how poor Uncle George in his dying
hours gave his earnings of a lifetime to
make all children of Los Gatos remember
| him in death as the little ones of the
| village knew him in life.
The only request of any kind made ir
connection with the gift was that his little
friends would see that his grave was neve
| neglected or destroyed. On every Memo
rial day it is beautiful sight to see tn,
children decorating his grave with tn,
| choicest flowers that the beautiful gardens
| of Los Gatos produce.
Mr.. Teasdale took up his residence il
Los Gatos in a spot that afterwards be
came the town-site. His cabin was the
first building erected there, and he never
married, living all alone in his cozy litti
home. Unlike the proverbial cranky OLE
bachelor, he loved children, so adopted al
the babies of the village as his children. 7,
them he was veritable eall-the-year-arounC
Santa Claus, for, whenever he walked out
the pockets of his great overcoat in COLI
weather, and linen duster in summer
fairly bulged out with sweetmeats for hi
little folks. When he died, his place il
the heart of the town folks was neye
filled.