The Washington times., 1904-06-05
Wills of Great and Good
Since Country Was Es-
tabliShed Filed There.
Washington, PlutoCrat of
His Day, Owned Lands
He Had Never Seen.
TeStamentS of PreSi-
dents, Statesmen, and
Gallant Soldiers.

HERE are documents rarely
strange in the vaults Of the
4 Office Of the Register of Wills
OF the District Included among them
are the testaments OF eight Presidents
OF the United States and Of a long line
Of diplomats. statesmen, and distinguish
ed citizens in every walk of life. Care
fully filed away and preserved, it is
but rarely that these precious docu-
ments see the light of day; they are
links in the chain of memory. binding
the present TO the illustrious men who
have made the country rich and great.
They are sad relics of mortality
these old wills-fast crumbling, some
of them. into the dust that is now
what was once the brilliant brains
and sturdy bodies Of their signers.
Statesmen and orators. soldiers and
sailors. the gifted and talented Of
every generation since the Republic
was born into the world, are repre-
scented in the vaults of the Regis
ter OF Wills by their last testaments.
Generals who have given their lives
for their country and murderers who
have tried 10 destroy its free institu-
tons have filed their wills in Washing
ton. and at the City Hall the documents
repose side by side.
Not all Of the wills are originals. some
Of them being exemphled copies. ad-
mitted to probate here for the purpose
of governing the distribution of prop
erty located in the District OF the lat
ter are several of the wills of the Presi-
dents. notably that of George Wash
ms ", nIH 70 of
ington the Presidential wills, original
and exemplified. include those Of John
Adams. John Quincy Adams, James
Madison. James Monroe. Andrew Jack
son. William Henry Harrison, and
Franklin Pierce.
Soldiers and Sailors.
The military profession is represent
ed by the last testaments Of Gen. Phil
Sheridan. Comm odore stephen Decatur,
Raphael Sernrles. David ID. Porter, Will
liam TeCU5 lsch Sherman. and hundreds
of othS s. There are three wills Of
Th2< deus Kosciusko. the Polish soldier
End patriot: there is the will OF the
author OF The Star-Spangled Banner"
Francis Scott Key. One can pore over
the musty archives and learn in what
wa sweet Dolly Madison desired TO dis
Romantic dreams Of her court Of brains
and beauty 70 the contemplation of the
evil fortunes that led Jerome Napoleon
Bonaparte Of the imperial family OF
France, 10 cast his fortunes in this
country. But even here insistent ro-
nance will not be denied.
The viii OF Daniel Webster reposes in
the vaults with those Of Charles Sumner,
Edwin NJ Stanton, Benjamin +. Butler,
John NJ Clayton. John {. Calhoun. and
Justin S. Morrill, They are but selec-
tons from great mass, representing
thousands Of distinguished names.
There are wills that call up sterner
visions-thoughts Of retributiye justice
and Its swift application. Here is the
viii of Guiteau. murderer Of President
Garfield, written by his own hand. the
day before his death. The testaments
Of other criminals have found IN the
vaults their last resting place. disposing
Of ill-gotten gains. perhaps. that no out
stretched arm Of the law found it pos
sible TO touch.
Fortune Good and Bad.
Institutions without number have pro-
flied by the wills in the office of the
Register. and millions Of dollars have
been added 70 their endowment Fami-
lions made b. testators among mem
bers, their beneficiaries. and there are
cases innumerable IN which some young
gentleman. who has failed 70 receive
the paternal appreciation. has been cut
on with the copper cent Of the proverb
On the more agreeable hand, the for
tunate ones have been bequeathed mill
lions-and themselves left hundreds.
Sometimes. they did not even succeed
in saving even a little from the wreck
and ruin Of their fortunes They man
aged, indeed, TO improve upon the caus-
tic averment that in America there are
but three generations between shirt
sleeves and shirt sleeves.
or these old documents the tenderest
care IS taken. The vaults are burglar and
fire uroof, and when the wills are examIn-
ed. Il IS always under the eye Of an Of
hcer OF the probate court Even now.
the historic interest OF the old wills IS
great, but IN some future time they
viii have become archives OF the coun-
try's history. Of almost incaIculable
benefit 70 the seeker after truth Of that
later da-.
Will Of Washington.
The will OF Gen. George Washington
is an eXempiided copy. The original IS
preserved IN a glass case at Fairfax
Court House. Va. After disposing Of his
slaves u his wife for tine term of her
life and making requests 70 relatives
among the Washington. GUSTS. Lewis.
Carter. SpOttswood and Thornton fam
HES Of Virginia. the Father Of HIS
Country, In a lengthy and admirably
executed document which would cover
two dozen modern typeWTitten pages
proceeds 90 dispose II his extensive os-
tates in Virginia MARYLAND. Pennsyl-
vania. New York the Northwest Terri
tory and Kentucky and in the towns Of
Alexandra. Washington, Wincheste,
and Bath. Washington was a wealthy
man. This fact IS nowhere better dis
closed than IN his will. He possessed
5000 acres in the State Of Kentucky alone,
valued at $4,000 a low figure. and 3.05l
acres in the Northwest Territory. val
ued at 49, 5l. He also possessed TWEEN
ty-four shares Of stock " the Potomac
Company, valued q sl0,6Gj. five sharcs
Of the James River COuuauy- ,--luqd a