The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1905-08-10
|BEQUEATHs S5oo,OoO
TO HIS NATIVE TOWN
rhos 8. Peirce Leaves THAT
Sum to Middlsboro. Mas
sachusetts
NO FAITH IN OFFICIALS
The Will Aasds Provisses for Hsndiins
the Fvsd in Such . Way 10 10
Provost Less 10 Mvnioi-
paIity.

Boston Gloss: MiddDssoro 10 IN at
Ssctive old town In southern Msssa-
ehusstts. with 1ower gardens around
tts neat white houses. wide spreading
trees shading tts streets.
plymouth men settled M~iddiebora
Their old houses and churches can bc
seem still.
Nearly four years have passed since
M~iddisboro fell n n snug fortune %
5000 and more through a bequest %
one OF It's best known citi.ens. Thomas
sproat Peiree
The Importance Of the Peirce family
IN thu town 10 manifest on every hand
In Middleboro. There II the odd PIERCE
academy building. erected by the Ia
ther Of the late Thomas PIERCE: the ola
Peirce grocery store on Main street.
with It's pillared portico. like a Greek
temple: the old colonia house Of the
Peirce family across the street the new
PIERCE public library near 10. N on the
best corner In town n business building
recently constructed, known az the
Peirce block. In this building L. the
p~cstocice. he once OF b PIERCE es-
tate and a Masonic hall
Under the terms az Mr.. Peirce's will.
ths income from his beduest In 20 DO
expended by three trustees Tor the
bencnt Of the town. according To their
best judgment. TIL n 81 he fun
had little faith I'm town offcials. not an
individuals. b In their ofacial capac-
lily, N his sole purpose In leaving his
one In trust was To keep the ex--
hands OF public servants. The town
probably n the only one In the world
that has q fund OF this kind: GER
tainiy "a 10 the only one In New Eng
hand.
Mr.. Peirce received the bulk OF his
fortune from his father. who was n
grocer In Middleboro for many n year.
The old store In which the fortune wax
made In still n grocery. In the old days
10 was q general store as well. where
crockery, dry goods. molasses and New
England rum were equally respected
staples In tho stock In trade.
Here Thomas q. PIERCE spent his
his store. and wearing the same suit
OF pepper and salt clothes. and tho
same old fashioned plug hat. the year
round.
One or his pecuiiar.;ies was his aver
sion TO spending money for lights. and
dip In a tumbler OF oil hghteo IKE tn
terror OF the store.
When serving a customer ga the even;
Ing Mr.. Pierce went poking about tD
bins and barrels with his little dip. al
ways with his hat OH. He was a kiadly
though shrewd in counting the
pennies-his pockets were his only TILL
and many were the mortgages he held
on farms IN the country round. He gave
Ions credit and took long notes. m no.
body ever accused him OF being espe-
cialiy harsh with d~elinquents.
While he was spinning out his year.
IN the store. his brothers-,here hae
been thirteen children In his fathers
famlly-disd one after another. and al
last he was left alone. Then he moved
into the old colonial family mansion
across the street. and spent his declin-
ing days there. His viii was "A surprise
TO the t~ownspeople. There were be-
quests to relatives OF more than sl00. 900.
but the bulk OF h estate was for tina
town, with $50. 200 specifically set aside
for a public library. n $500 0 more for
a permanent fun 10 buy books n
periodicals for the library.
After these requests were paid IL was
understood hat the fund remained
something more than $780, 900. This IL
invested La various ways-ln lands ~
houses I'm Middleboro TO the extent or
about Si75. 900 assessed value: In mort
cages, In stocks n In bonds.
The size OF the fund. or the charac-
ter OF the Investments by which II IL
represented. are not matters OF public
record TIL income derived from the
fund In probably abou $4,000, which IL
ftaNNI oAlt-Ilhh NJ tAaNN IN NhN YIN
mou OF money raised by he town
zach year for taxes. The fun itself Ia
about one-eighth OF the total assessed
valuation OF the property OF Middleboro.
To administer the affairs OF his trust
Nr. Pelrce selected men who reflected
ais own ideas OF life and business from
among his neighbors-men he new tn
% honest, and who would Loyalty live
sp to his principles.
The board is self perpctuating tn cass
" death or resignation OF a member,
md the members draw as remunera-
don $4,000. divided between them.
Mr.. Weston. when asked by an inter-
viewer what plan the board followed
n spending the income OF the fund.
mid: We have no general plan. We
.ry TO spend IL for the best Interest OF
he town. We met with some opposi-
uon TO our plans at first. but since Il
yas learned that the money would re-
cert To the next OF kin AZ not accented
~ the town. there has not been much
opposition. We offered Ia pay for a
high school building. but that was
'oted down.
we work through the street de-
,artment. building about a mile and
half OF macadam road n year. We
,lso pay a teacher I'm the high school.
Ind We are paying n note for the town
Il $4,000 each yea That. however,
aas a drawback. for II may our
he voters to run more heavily INTO
expense.
With the town officials. and shall con-
lnue TO work for what we think IN,
BEST interests OF the town"