Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-05-31
DISPOSITION OF
MRS. LEWIS ESTATE
WRONG IMPRESSION Is HELD
BY MANY CITIZENS.
According to Terms of Will. the
Portion for Park Improvements
is to Be Invested and Interest
Used-Will Be a Year Before
Interest is Realized,

There seems to be somewhat of a
Misunderstanding in the city As to the
disposition that is to be made of the
money willed by the late Mrs. Fannie
P. Lewis, the residue of the estate
amounting to S3l, Az. 54, one third of
which goes to F. E. Woodland, j. +.
Prentiss and VIM. G. Stone. as
trustees of the FANNIE F. Lewis
park fund, provided by Mrs. Lewis
in her will Several days ago, the
press of the city was given an an
nouncement that the estate had been
closed and the executor discharged.
The announcement read.
"Ihe residue of the estate amount
ed to S31, 412. 81. Underline terms of
the will of Mrs. Lewis, one-third of
this amount was paid to the Glens
Falls Home, of Glen Falls, New York !;
one third to the Northwestern Univer-
sity of this city, and one-third to F. E.
Woodland, j. F. Prentlss and w. C.
Stone as Trustees of the Fannie P.
Lewis park fund provided for by Mrs.
Lewis in her will. In addition to the
residue OF the estate each of the above
named beneiciaries received a cash
legacy of $4,000
The belief of some appears to be
that the trustees can make what ever
disposition they wish of the park i'm
provement fund and already sugges
tious are being offered to the trustees
for park improvements. In fact some
opinions extend beyond the purpose for
which the money was left. 1t should
be understood that the money has
just been turned over to them and
that according to the terms of the
will, it is to be invested, the interest
to be used for the Improvement of
parks. However, it will be year
before anything can be realized from
the investment in the way of interest
money.
In her last will and testament,
Mrs. Fannie P. Lewis bequeathed to
the above as trustees legacy in the
following language:
Twenty sixth. ~ give and be
queath to Frank E. Woodland. James
F. Prentiss and William O. Stone, in
trust, however, for the said city of
Watertown, the sum of ten thousand
dollars upon the following conditions:
said fund shall constitute and be
known as the "Fannie P. Lewis Park
Fund.- and the net annual income from
said fund shall be used toward keep
ing in repair, maintaining, improv
Ing. beautitYing and adjoining, the
public parks, squares, boulevards and
drives now or hereafter owned or
controlled by said city, of Watertown,
or by any association or corporation
acting for and on behalf of said city
of Watertown. But it is not my in
tention that the income from said fund,
or any part thereof, should ever be
used for the purpose of keeping in re-
pair, maintaining or improving, for
the purpose of travel, the ordinary
public streets located within said city
of Watertown, but that the same
might be used If deemed wise, for the
purpose of ornamenting the public
streets within the city by the erection,
fors example of artistic drinking foun-
tains, statuary or othez works of pub
lie or civic art. Such fund shall tor
ever remain inviolate and be devoted
to the purposes herein indicated, and
if at any time by any loss to the prin
cipal of said fund shall be impaired
or diminished, said trustees shall first
apply the net income from the re-
manning fund to make good such loss.
Whenever for any cause, vacancy
in said board OF trustees, the same
shall be filled by the remaining trus-
tee or trustees. If at any time there
is no trustee, in that event three per-
sons shall be appointed as trustees by
the circuit court for Jefferson county,
Wisconsin, or by the proper Judicial
tribunal, and such persons shall there
after have the same power as to fill
ing any vacancy that may occur as the
persons above named. 1t is my wish
that at least one of said trustees
shall always be good business man,
with the experience in the making of
| Investments and the handling of funds
and that all three of said trustees
should be public spirited citizens, and
interested In the beauty and welfare
of the city of Watertown. 10 case said
Frank E. Woodland should predecease
me, then l appoint as such trustee in
his place his brother, William Wood
ard. r"