Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-13
LEAVES ESTATE TO PIGS.
Cape Breton Man Does It to Spite His
Relatives.

LAKE AINSLIE. Cape Breton, February
13.-Just to get even with his relatives
who. he declared, had fawned on him for
years and derided him behind his back
while waiting for him to die that they
might inherit his life savings, Robert Mac
Donald beGueathed everything he owned to
his two pigs. The estate amounts to about
$4,000, and every cent is to go to the pork
ers and their keepers.
Macdonald had no near kin. but dozen
distant relatives kept close track of him,
and he declared shortly before his death
that their only interest was in his money
This belief soured him against the cousins,
but they were not aware of the fact, and
when the old man passed away fortnight
ago they FASTENED to hear the will read.
They We're greatly astonished and intensely
indignant when they learned of the dispo-
sition of the property.
While Macdonald had never been known
to keep swine, he no sooner learned from
his doctor that he must prepare to die than
he sent to a neighboring farmer and bought
two young pigs, male and female. These
he caused to be placed and fed in pen at
the rear of the house He then sent for his
solicitor and dictated his will, saying that
if he gave his fortune of IS 900 to his cousins
it would be in the hands of pigs who de-
MED their Identities" and that he might
as well give it to porkers which made no
pretenSeS."
By the terms of this unique document the
house is to be sold at auction. The funds
accruing from the sale are then to be
banked and the interest, together with the
income from all other funds possessed by
Mr. Macdonald at the time Of his death, is
to be used to feed and care for the two
pigs. The attendant is to provide pen at
his own expense and receive for rental and
care the sum of 81 per week. exclusive of
the amount paid for food. The attendant
is also to be the executor, for which service
he is to receive the regular legal fee.
1t is stipulated that when the pigs shall
become hogs and multiply their young Shall
be cared for, as shall their offspring, the
fees to the attendant being raised 90 cents
per week for every six pigs he raises. For
every pig that dies he is to forfeit ten cents
a week for ten weeks, unless death Is due
to hog cholera, when the forfeit is to De
waived. In event of illness among the hogs
the best veterinary in the province is 10 De
As the interest on $4,000 at per cent
amounts to but $500 per annum. and as the
attendants fees and feeding Will exhaust
this amount the first year. the Will provides
that drafts may be made on the prlncipal
Immediately after the first litter OF pigs IS
born Thereafter the principal Shall be used
as needed until no cash remains in the
bank At this time the hogs and pigs are
to be sold and the money devoted to SUCH
local charities as the executor may elect.
In case an epidemic takes off the hogs
within a given time<all that remains OF the
fund is to be given to three churches ~ p ;e
for the interest Of the executor TO see that
his charges live as long as possible Ex-
perts in farming are now busy tryihg 10
figure out how long the se.ouo WIN ,aI.'
They base their computations on the prob.
ability that the litters will average ABOUT
eight There are as many answers TO the
riddle as there are farmers