Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-09-01

Household Words
A hundred years ago, English lawyers,
when dining together, used to drink to
the health of 1.-THE Schoolmaster," for
schoolmasters then often drew up wills
for people, and by their ignorance of
legal technicalities gave the gentleman of
the long robe much remunerative busi-
ness. ITO the lawyers best friend-the
man who makes his own will" vas also
regular toast at dinners of the bar.
Prosaic as most last wills and tcstaulents
are--save to fortunate legatces--there are
many most amusing instances OF eccen-
tic requests and peculiar disposals OF
property.
The admiration of our American
cousins for their country is prominent
characteristic of their daily life, and
some years ago Mr.. Sanborn desired
that in death as in life his body should
proclaim the glory of the Republic. He
left $1,000 to the late Prof. Agassiz. in
return for which he was, by an extremely
scientific process set forth in the will, to
tan hs--Sanborn's-skin into leather,
and from 1t have drum made. Two of
tho most suitable bones of his body were
TO be made into drumsticks, and with
these Mr.. Warren Simpson-to whom
Sanborn left the remainder of bis prop
erty--was ION every seventeenth of june
10 repair to the foot of Bunker Hill,
and at sunrise beat on the drum, the
parchment of which had been made out
of tue testator's skin, the splritstirring
strains OF Yankee Doodle"
A somewhat similar beqcest was made
by German in 1887. He died in Pitts
burg, u. S. A., 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 over
10 the captain of the steamship Elbe.
| When in mid.ocean the captain was TO
request a passenger to dress himself in
| nautical costume, and. ascending with
| the funeral urn to the topmast, 10 scatter
| the ashes to the four winds of heaven.
| These strange directions were faithfully
| carried out. Quite as peculiar were the
directions for the funeral of a Mr.. John
| Underwood. He willed that he was to
be buried in green coffin with copy of
| Horace under his head, and of Milton
1,under his feet, a 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
| Goth ode of the seco d book of Horace.
| After this they were to take cheerful
| glass and think no more of John Under
| wood"
Wills may also be admitted as evil
dence of the mixed blessings of the
matrimonial state. A nobleman wrote :
II give and bequeath to tine worst of
women, whom l unfortunately married,
forty.flve brass half-pence, which will!
buy her pullet for supper" A Glasgow
doctor, dying some 10 years ago, left the
whole of his estate to his two sisters; and
then came this extraordinary clause: "To
my wife. as a recompense for DESERVING
me and leaving me IN peace, l expect the
said sister Elizabeth to make her a gift OF
ten shillings sterling, to buy her pocket
handkerchief to weep IN after my de-
cease" A Mr.. Sydney Dickinson be-
queatbed to his wife the sum Of 100000
"on condition that she undertakes to pass
two hours day at my graveside, for the
ten years following my decease, in com
pany with her sister, whom have reason
to know she loathes worse than she
does me-"
; An old bachelor, on dying. left the
whole of his property to three ladies Il
/ whom he had proposed marriage, and
, who had refused him. The reason Of thi
beqpest was that by their refusal, ste
theniI owe all my earthly happiness"
1t is'not surprising that lawyers grow
| wealthy over wills when gentleman be
| queaths $500 'to that amiable youns
lady, Miss Blank, who smiles so sweet,
i in the street when we meet" Now, II
! the Blank family there were six sisters
they all claimed to be "the amiab
/ young lady" but which of them got tn
legacy, history saye.h not.
To dispose of ones worldly goods il
| poetry is as homogeneous as digging with
] jewelled spade. Still, several example
| of rhymed wills exist. A solicitor-of al
people in the world Wrote:
AS to all my worldly goods, now or to b
in store,
, give them to my beloved wife, and her
, for evermore
, give all freely; | no limit fix;
This is my will and she's executrix.
But the most curious will which tn
II writer has ever come across is that of N
j Zalesky, Polish landlord, who died i
1889. leaving property valued at 10000
roubles His will was enclosed in a
I envelope, bearing the words "Fo b
opened after my DEATH" Inside this wa
. another envelope. ITO be opened 81
/ weeks after my DEATH" When this tim
{ had passed, the second envelope wa
} opened and third uncovered, ITO b
I opened one year after my DEATH" At tn
end of the year fourth envelor
o was discovered, to be opened two yea,
after the testator's death; and SO th
d game went on until 1894, when Ii
j actual will was discovered and rea,
o 1t was quite as eccentric in its disp'
q sitions as the directions attached to i
n opening. The testator bequeathed ha
4 his fortune to such of his heirs as ha
the largest number of children; the re
a of the property was to be placed in
!. bank, aud 100 years after his death to
, divided, with the accumulated intercs
4 among the will-makers' descendant
a Thus by 1889, at per cent compour
h interest, the $4,000 roubles will ha'
! swelled into over 100000 roubles; b
Il what will this be among so many d
q scendants?
- Pension for n Delawnrean.
y Elizabeth II. johnson of Georgetov
has been granted widows origin
nauutap