Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-12
MEN WHO MADE MILLIONS.
Ana what Was Done With Their
Property After They Died.

From the San Francisco Chronicle
one or the most unique documents ever
prepared from the facts found in the ar
chives of the probate court has just been
compiled from the records at the city hail.
1t sheds light on the affairs of scores of
men who were successful business men in
their day. ard tells what became of the
millions II ey left. The records of the San
Francisco courts show that nearly 400 heirs
appear to have participated in the emolu-
ments left by fifty-three millionaires in the
period between 1871 and 1893. In very few
instances have the principalities accumu-
lated by the kings of commerce remained
undivided.
A glance at the document shows that in
the twenty-cne years covered by the re-
search fifty-three large estates have been
administered on before reaching the hum
dreds of heirs to whom the sum of nearly
SlI5,ccJ,Opp-the court appraisement of the
estates-haG gone by operation of law or by
testamentary requests. OF the fifty-three
names in the list. few were worth much
less than $l,TO,g0, and many were con-
spicuouS in their generate as the wealth.
lest of Californians
The first striking fact in connection with
the fftyt'lree great estates in the list
aside from the startling total, is that most
OF the estates reached large number of
persons soon after the death Of the original
owners. In spite of the fact that some
estates went to one person only. as in the
blythe case, the average number of per-
sons participating in each estate was about
ten. The bulk of the fifty-three estates
however, reached $40 heirs. Probably
SLWD10 or the total of S115,0p00o0 went
TO legatees net enumerated in tine list of
3i2 participants.
The comparatively small estate OF Kate
johnson, which was appraised a 81 80 900
reached more heirs than any other, the
N he is- haf,1
the &i00,GO of Thomas Blythe went to
the one child, Florence. after celebrated
trial. The estate of Maria Coleman was
valued al 81, I5I, 600, and it went equally to
three heirs. Charles Crocker's SD 900 900
reached six persons, while Mary Ann
Crocker's 11,SS3657 went, share and share
alike, to four of the six who got Charles
Crocker's larger fortune. Peter Donahue's
u, '9o,3l2 went in equal parts to three heirs.
Mrs. Theresa Fairs S4,693,250 went to
three persors-Charles L. Fair Miss Vir-
ginia Fair and Mrs. Charles Oelrfchs, while
William P. Fuller distrbl ted his Sl11l 26o
to seven persons of his rame.
Emanuel Goldstein's 81 ,0O0, 600 went to six
heirs George Hearst's sS,1sS, 1871 went in
equal parts to lis wife and sen, while Wal
ter S. Hobart's $5,213, 1856 went in thirds to
Ella Hobart and Mrs. Winthrop Lester
Mark Hopkins $40, 694.762 went to two
persons. Robert c. Johnson's s19l0 $50
went to eleven persons in almost equal por-
tions.
There are few exceptions to the general
course Of Estates, in the case of Lick
and Stanford. The S5,090,pn Of the Lick
estate went chiefly TO heir and to a
number of trusts of a public nature created
before James Licks death. Charles Nc
Laughlin left his s2,iI6.0O0 to his widow,
while Alexander Montgomery's S23JS SO
went to three heirs. Daniel I. Murphy's
S2oi1,6iO went to six heirs. William S
O'Brien's s3,655,459 reached eight persons
James Phelan left an even million, which
reached four persons in shares and a num-
Der of small requests A. J. Pope's 81, 60
O,D reached four heirs
Washington Ryer left s1.o7G 39S to fifteen
persons. Leland Stamford DIS S17.6SS,3 $40 went
to fourteen persons, and the trust for the
university. Robert Sherwood's million went
to five heirs. James p. Treadwell left
something more than a million to six heirs
Of the same name. J. Clute Wilmerding's
S2,Oo0.000 was distributed to twenty-one
persons, being the largest subdivision made
In any of the greater estates. John VIE
lands S62S,oOo went to nine heirs of the
same name, while his wife's sl31 900 reach
ed her six children. The S4417,DO of
Adolphus c. Whitcomb went chiefly to
four persons.
A study of the list shows that the money
left by the millionaires has since entered
countless channels of commerce.