Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1903-12-03
DRAKE s WILL
IS PRODUCED
Ex-Governor Had Left the
Document With High Ma
sonic Order.
$50, 900 TO DRAKE UNIVERSITY
Remainder Of the Large Estate ls
Divided Equally Among His Six
Children-Will Probably Amount to
About One Million.

Des Moines, Nov. 30.-The last will
and testament of the late Ex-Governor
Francis Marion Drake, for which dill.
gent and unavailing search has been
in progress at Centerville since the
time Of the generals death, was pro-
duced in Des Moines yesterday by the
Des Moines consistory of the Scottish
Rite Masons. Today it will be sent
to Centerville by registered mail. to
be probated.
In this will, made in 1897, General
Drake gives $4,000 to Drake univer-
sity and divides the remainder Of his
property equally among his six chill
dren.
The will is now in the possession
OF the Des Moines conslstory, OF
which the late General Drake, for many
years prominent Mason, was a
member. 1t was written at the time
of his becoming member in 1897.
1t is one of the briefest wills probably
ever made by a millionaire, and no
executor is named. The text of the
will follows:
I'm the Name Of God, Amen! I, F,
M. Drake. being of sound mind and
memory, but knowing the uncertainty
Of human life, do now make and pub
lish this, my last will and testament.
that Is to say:
II will all my possessions, real and
personal to be equally divided be-
tween my six children. Mile D..
Shonts, Jennie Sawyers, Eva D. Goss,
F. e. Drake, John A. Drake and Mary
Lord Sturdevant, except that out Of
my estate shall be paid $4,000 to
Drake University.
"F M. Drake. (Seal.)
Signed. sealed, and published, and
declared by the said F. M. Drake, the
testator, as and for his last will and
tes.-ment; and we, at his request and
in his presence. and in the presence
of e2ch other, have hereunto sub
scribed our names as witnesses there.
to, this 26th day Of January, A. D.,
1897.
"R. M. J. Coleman.
Geo. Fairburn."
The history of the will is unique
and is characteristic of the simplicity
with which General Drake was acccus
toned to do things of moment
1t is the rule of the consistory tina!
whenever a member Is elected, he
shall make provision for his family
General Drake became a member
with six Others and like the rest, had
his attention called to this rule. Ac
companied by George Fairburn, ther
commander of the consistory and now
a banker at Fonda, and by r. M. j
| Coleman Of Des Moines, secretary OF
| the consistory, General Drake went
into the small room provided for this
! purpose. He sat down to table and
without hesitation scratched off the
document which will probably dispose
of his property. 1t was witnessed by
| Mr.. Coleman and Mr.. Fairburn, and
then placed in the vault of the con-
sistory in charge of the secretary.
Ex-Governor brakes wealth has
been variously estimated, some esti
mates placing it as high as $4,000 00C
and others placing it as low as $500,
| 900. Probably proper estimate
would place the figure at 100000
or close in the neighborhood of that
sum. A few years ago it would prob
ably have been correct to estimate his
wealth in millions. But the general
was a generous giver. His charities
were almost unnumbered. He gave
to colleges all over the United States
to various charitable institutions, ant
helped his friends.
It Is also stated that General Drake
lost heavily in United States steel
His son. John A. Dra'-e. with John
w. Gates. was closely Identified with
the American Steel and Wire com
paly. and it was probably through
these Influences that the ex-governor
was indrced to mt his money into
| United States steel.