New-York tribune., 1901-07-07
CAN TAKE ROGERS MONEY.
Continued from first paEe.)

wing, and the building is nearly ready for
use. The present buildings are only One-ninth
of what the museum will have when the plans
completed"
The trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of
Art will not have a meeting to consider the
Rogers bequest until the regular quarterly
meeting on the third Monday in November.
ANY legal steps that may be necessary on be-
half of the museum on account of Mr. Rogers's
will will be taken by John L. Cadwalader. who
is one of the trustees of the museum and
member Of the executive committee.
THE MUSEUMS GROWTH
Trustees of the museum who were in the city
yesterday said that the Rogers bequest would
enable the institution to take a more important
position and become n greater power for good
In the life of the city. The museums growth
has been rapid enough heretofore to encourage
Its many friends The charter for the museum
was passed by the legislature in 1870 and six
years later the legislature passed an by
which the city was able to make terms with
the museum foI the occupation of its home in
Central Park Under this contract the city pro-
vides the buildings for the museum and pays
fixed sum annually for maintenance. while the
museum retains ownership and control OF its
collections. The museum is obliged open it's
doors free 10 the public five days OF each
week. including part OF Sunday. and on TWO
evenings each week. Mondays and Tuesdays
reserved pay days.
on several occasions the legislature has passed
acts authorizing the city u build or equip ad-
ditions to the original building of the museum
In the park In 1899 an act of the legislature
authorized the building of a north wing at an
expense OF 100000. An act TO provide for an
electric light plant and boiler house. at cost
Of $4,000, was passed In 1892. In the follow
ing year the legislature authorized the eX-
penditure Of $4,000 for fitting UP the north
wing with exhibition cases and other furniture
In 1890 the legislature passed the act author
izinG the building Of the new wing fronting on
Fifth-ave.. at a cost OF Sl,OGN,OUD. The new
wing. known the east extension. has been
built OF granite and is now complete Last
year the Legislature passed act authorizing
the expenditure Of 100000 In fitting up the new
wing.
There is talk Of a contest the will
OF Mr.. Rogers before the Museum OF Art can
receive the beQuest The contest. lis said
by some OF Mr.. Rogers's acquaintances, prob
ably would be based the fact that he
was an eccentric man and was nearly seventy
years old when ne made his will in 1892. While
he managed the locomotive works in Paterson
he worked about three days Il week in q little
ofDCe at No 10 broadway In this city sitting
a desk which half filed the room. He spent
his nights when he was In the city at the Union
League Club. When he in his office he
worked for hours without saying a word and
at the club he made few acquaintances. When
he spoke at all. he spoke loudly, being deaf. and
expecting persons TO speak loudly 10 him.
Mr.. Rogers short. stout man. with gray
side whlskers and horid complexion. and he
was Indifferent to hts dress ne looked more
like a farmer than director of large locomo-
tive works. At his house in Paterson, where he
lived three or four days In the week. he had a
few servants. who regarded him as a woman
hater and man of unsoCial habits
ESTIMATE OF HIS FORTUNE.
The fortune OF Mr.. Rogers may not be so
large as $SOO0O0O William Pennington one
of the executors of the will and the legal ad-
wiser of Mr.. Rogers. said yesterday that the
estate. in his opinion. would not exceed $1,000
OOO. Mr.. Pennington said he had tried 10 go
over a list of the securities for the purpose of
making estimate but he could not reach
any definite conclusion. he did not know the
market value OF many of the stocks that Mr.
Rogers held
The bulk of the estate consists Of railroad
stocks. Mr. Rogers was very large stock
holder in the Louisville and Nashville Railroad
Company and in the Delaware Iackawanna
and Western Railroad Company He also held
stock in the Illinois Central and in the Pater-
son and Hudson River Railroad and the Pater-
son and Ramapo Railroad, now merged in the
Erie, and number OF other railroad companies
Mr.. Rogers also held stock in some Western
land companies. about which Mr.. Pennington
said he knew nothing
HIS REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS
The only part of the estate which can be esti-
mated definitely is the real estate and the in
terest In the locomotive works in Paterson. The
Rogers Locomotive Works was recently sold for
Soo2.OoO. and Mr.. Rogerss Individual interest In
this sum amounts to about Si0000O He had
about four hundred building lots in Paterson
valued by real estate men at $1,000 lot, and
other real estate worth 100000 so that his real
estate In Paterson aggregated 100000
In New-York he owned piece of property at
No. o01 Broadway. and some property in the
upper end of F'ifth-av both worth about $780,
ooo Mr.. Pennington said that Mr.. Rogers at
one time had another house in New-York which
ne formerly made his home. but whether he still
owned that property or not the lawyer did not
KNOW Mr.. Pennington says that all he knows
OF this is that he spent night with Mr.. Rogers
there about twenty years ago Mr.. Rogers also
owned a farm at Pompton. but this is of no con-
siderable value.
Il once heard that he was a life member of tho
metropolitan Museum of Art" Mr. Pennington
said yesterday, but 1 never heard him talk Of
the institution, do l believe he had any par
ucular interest in it other than that he knew
that 1t was an excellent institution, doing great
amount of good for the city of New-York and
probably he thought 1t was the best thing he
could do with his money. He had no affection
any
Il have good reason to believe that the rala-
tives will contest the VIII. The only ground
upon which they fight is that Mr.. Rogers
was Incapable of legally dsposng of his prop
erty. have no idea OF what they VIII advance
to support such theory except the we'll known
eccentricity OF Mr. Rogers. Mr.. Rogers's half
sister. Virginia Rogers. now Mrs Heinitsch Is