The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-07-06
QUEER WAYS or QUEER PEOPLE.
Fresh Stories of Twentieth Century
 Eccentricities.

Eccentricities.
 Every day brings some fresh story of the eccentricities of people living in tury. Cases are constantly being re- ported in the press of folk who have be- queathed curious legacles or who have. commanded attention on account of some queer freak or another. For in stance, 'the Divine Sarah" Is not with out her little eccentricities Those who have enjoyed the privilege of a visit to her hotel ill Paris will remember the great actress's possion for tigers as domestic pets, and will probably not forget the creepy feeling experienced on inspecting the coffin which she hopes some day to put to practical use.
 # Another example of the eccentricity Of woman is to be bound in the case of the legacy left by lady who recently died at Pau. The testator when living showed great interest in astronomy, and her will places a sum of f4,000 at the disposal of any academy of science which is prepared to spend the money in rewarding the amazingly clever irl- diyidual who shall find a way to speak with the people on another globe. Mars is the planet suggested as most convenient for experiment. Science is capable of performing many things, but 1t will be some little time before 1t sur mounts the difficulties which stand in the way of the satisfactory accomplish 5Iaent of so utopian q suggestion. It is likely that the lady s challenge will only form a new item in the list of legacies for queer purposes. The catalogue of these is already long and curious.
 An extraordinary will was that left by the late James Sergeant of Leicester. Here is one of the provisions relating to early rising, of which he was a strong advocate: As my nephews are fond of indulging in bed of a morning. and as I wish them to prove to my executors that they have got out of bed of the morning and either em- pIoyed themselves in business or taken exercise in the open air from to 8 o'clock every morning from the 9th of April to the 10th of October, being three hours each day, and from [ till 9 o'clock in the morning from the 10th of October to the 5th of April, be- ing two hours every morning. this is to be done for some years; during the first seven years to the satisfaction of my executors, who may excuse them in the case of illness, but the task must be made up when they are we'll; and if they will not do this they shall not re- ceive any share of my property
 
 was d man of strict habits, and he wished to make his own laws of like binding on those who bore his name. Therefore, his wealth was devised to such heirs as could prove that they were not drunkards. idlers, sluggards, profiigates or gamblers: that they did not use liquor or tobacco; they re- trained from hunting or fishing on Sum day, and from attending races; that they were uniformly ready te be at business by o'clock in the morning; and, finally, that they had not taken to themselves matrimonial letters be- fore the age of 20,
 A singular bequest was that of a Thomas Tuke of Wath near Rotterdam. He bequeathed a penny to every child who should be present at his funeral. When this curious order became known 1t gathered together large number of young folk. The churchyard walks were lined with girls and boys, and six or seven hundred pennies had to be disbursed from the testator's estate. The same person ordered a shilling to be given to every poor woln- an in Wath. s Another bequest can hardly be considered so generous It appeared in the will of Bristol mariner proved in 1795. The old gentleman ordered his executors to pay out of the first mon- eys' collected, to my beloved wife, if living; one shilling. which have given as token of my love, that she may buy hazal nuts. as know that she is bet ter pleased with cracking them than she is. with vending the holes in her stockings" .
 Eccentricities in dress are now com mon enough not to excite attention, and the lady with the divided skirt calls for little comment. But it was otherwise in the days rage, and many will not have forgotten the eccentricities bred of the use of the peculiar trousers-like gar nents. Perhaps one of the most re- markable developments oe eccentricity in clothing was that which occurred a cha haVf4 i,1ar. IL.