The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-11-10
DRINKS TO SAVE HIS FORTUNE.
Unique Clause of an Eccentric VIII

(California Letter in Philadelphia Times)
The most unique clause that ever
marked the will of an eccentric man, in
disposing of his property and possessions
upon his death, is found in the Will OF
Grover Sanders, q millionaire Of southern
California, who year and half ago lett
to his grandson the income OF his VAST
estats provided he should, during his life
ime, be drunken, dissipated and vicious.
At the time of its probate this curious
provision was not revealed to the pubic
and the fact that Robert AGwater Sanders
proceeded to fulfil the conditions upon
which he could only retain the fortune,
was remarked with pity and regret by the
large circle of friends, among whom he
was favorite. 1t was moi until week
or two ago that the fact became known,
when Sanders In drunken confidence
d1vulged the secret to an imbibious
friend. The friend mentioned 1t to an.
Their and SO the story spread. 1t was gen.
orally ridiculed until an Investigation
proved its truth.
= Young Sanders fulfils the conditions of
the will to the letter. He remains contin.
ually andsystematically intoxicated in or
dor to save money. BY drinking to excess
he is enabled to draw handsome income
Dissipation, with him, inslres prosperity.
Sobriety means his financial ruin. He
carefully shuns sobriety. His life is one
long, uninterrupted spree; a perennial jag
with no painful aftermath of vain regrets
fer the reason that he never permits
himself to recover his equilibrium.
The reason for the unique condition is
as eccentric as the clause. Many years
ago in Alabama there lived gay youth
| by the name of Grover Sanders He was,
| for a considerable period, very black
sheen in the Sanders household. And the
Sanders family had always teen one of
the most highly respected in the state.
But after while, when he HAD had his
little fling, and had tired of welding
yermilion brushes over city landscapes,
and INDUCING in large times, Grover
Sanders "settled down." Subsequently
| be amassed the fortune which he left to
his grandson when he died.
| 10 the last he was haunted by fear
| that his young relative, who had already
shown business Judgment SO bad as to be
almost what might be called brillian
| failure, would waste his newly acquired
wealth. The old man knew that Robert
had Endorsed notes for his friends to the
amount of SIC. 900, and owed $40, 900 more;
| that he had been sued on the Enotes and
| for business indebtedness, Juigment be-
| ing entered against him for the full
amount; and that Robert was inclined to
T! go the same rollicking pace that bhe him
self had Travelled in days agone. So he
tucked a clause in his will that he
thought would keep the money in the
| family. 1t has. And that explains why
astonishing the bar-tenders by his capac-
| ity for liquid refreshment and his I'M
| Willingness to get sober, for shei clause
was worded tn us:-
| And If at the time of my death or there
after the said Robert Atwatsr Sanders
shall be drunken, dissipated or vicious,
or shall habitually drink to excess OF
wine, spirits or malt liquors, the said
share in the einbefore-mentioned prop
erty shall be held In trust by the said
| Trustee, who shall pay only the income of
the same to the said Robert Atwater
| Sanders during such tins as in his judg-
ment the said Robert Atwater Sanders
shall continue to drink wine, spirits or
malt liquors to excess or continues to he
drunken, dissipated or vicious.
] Here was a problem for the heir to
| face. If he led respectable, non-drink-
ing existence he would have his fortune
handed over to him only to see it fall into
the hands of the enemy, otherwise his
creditors. who wouldn't take SO much as
q wink of sleep until they had whisked it
out of his clutches The law and the
many notes he had Endorsed were onstheir
side.
| But If he Immediately established q
reputation as q habitual drunkard, and
conscieniously lived up to it, he would
keep the principal intact ana have $50
| a month to spend. A man can worry
along on even that pittancs and still have
enough left to uuy steady supply of
jags.
Be sober citizen and invite beggary
Perish the thought
1t did not take young Sanders long to
decide between poverty stricken respecta-
| hility and luxurious inebriety. bis first
duty toward himself was to impress upon