New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1898-10-19
ODDITIES In WILLIS.

ODDITIES IN WILLIS.
some PECULIAR REQUESTS. AND cuRl-.
Gus CONDITIONS.
A Patriotic Americans Desire to BE
Heard After Death - Wills Which
: Proved That In the Cases of Their.
Makers Marriage Was a Failure.
The admiration of our American cous-
ms for their country is a prominent
characteristic of their daily life, and
some years ago a Mr.. Sanborn desired
that in death as in life his body should
proclaim the glory Of the republic. He.
left 81, 000to the late Professor Agassiz,
in return for which he was, by an ex-z
tremely scientific process set forth in
the will to tan his (Sanborn's) skin
into leather and from it have a drum
made. Two Of the most suitable bones
Of his body were to be made into drum
sticks, and with these Mr.. Warren
Simpson-to whom Sanborn left the re-.
mainder Of his property-was ''on every
18th Of June to repair to the foot of
Bunker hill and at sunrise beat on the
drum, the parchment of which had been
made out of the testator's skin, the
spirit stirring strains of Yankee Doc
lle'''
A somewhat similar bequest was
made by German in 1887. He died in
Pittsburg and by his will directed that
his body should be cremated and the
ashes forwarded to the German consul
at New York, who was to deliver them
to the captain of the steamship Elbe.
When in midocean, the captain was to
request passenger to dress himself in
nautical costume, and, ascending with
the funeral urn to the topmast, to scat
ter the ashes to the four winds Of heav-
en-. These strange directions were faith
fully carried out.
Quite as peculiar were the directions
for the funeral of Mr.. John Under
wood. He willed that he was to be
buried in a green coffin with copy Of
Horace under his head and of Milton
under his feet, Greek testament in
his right hand and a small Horace in
his left. Six friends, who were not to
wear mourning, were to follow him to
the grave and there to sing verse Of
the twentieth ode Of the second book of
Horace. After this they were to "take
a cheerful glass and think no more of
John Underwood"
Wills may also be admitted as evil
dence of the mixed blessings Of the
| matrimonial state. A nobleman wrote,
II give and bequeath to the worst of
women, whom unfortunately married,
As brass halfpence, which will buy her
a pullet for supper"
A Glasgow doctor, dying some ten
years ago, left the whole of his estate to
his two sisters, and then came this ex-
traordinary clause: "To my wife, as a
recompense for DESERVING me and leav.
ing me in peace, expect the said sister
Elizabeth to make her gift of 10 shil-
lings sterling, to buy her a pocket hand
kerchief to weep in after my decease. d
A Mr.. Sydney Dickinson bequeathed
to his wife the sum Of $50, 1000, <'on
condition that she undertakes to pass
two hours day at my graveside, fol
the ten years following my decease, in
company with her sister, whom I have
reason to know she loathes worse thar
she does me-
Another husband stated that he would
have left his widow e1O, 900 if she ha6
allowed him to read his newspaper il
peace, but as she always commenced
playing and singing when he started tt
read he left her only $1,000. Such in
stances could be multiplied indefinitely
but one other is worthy of note.
A husband left his wife 912, 900, to b.
increased to 824, 900 provided that sh'
wore widows cap after his death. Sh
accepted the larger amount, wore tn
cap for six months, and then put it off
A lawsuit followed, but the judge bel,
that the testator should have inserte,
the word "always'' and gave judgmen
in favor of the widow, who the day aft
er re-entered the state of matrimony
Thus the husbands little plan for pre-
venting his widow marrying again fail
ed. ..- i ss5
But the most curious will which tn
writer has ever come across is that {
M. Zalesky, Polish landlord. who die
in 1889, leaving property valued q
100, 900 rubles. Hiswill was inclosed
, an envelope bearing the words, "To B
Opened After My Death. " Inside thi
was another envelope, ITO Be Opene
Six Weeks After NY Death. !" When th
time had passed. the second enveloI
80