The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-03-23
FORTUNE FOR
PUBLIC GOOD
Nation, State, Towns and
College Remembered by
Col. Joseph Battell
10000 ACRES FOR A
PERPETUAL FOREST

as National -Middlebury Col
lege Large Beneficiary by Will and a
Residuary Legatee.
MIDDLEBURY. March 23.-Bv the !
will of Joseph BatteIl, admitted to
probate yesterday, Vermont forest
lands estimated as at least 20,000I
acres, Will pass to the control of Mid
dlebury college to be preserved intact
as a specimen of the original Vermont
forest, and the United States will
come into possession of Ellen Noun
tain in the towns of Lincoln and War
rem for national park, to be pre-
served so far as is possible in its prim
tive beauty. Chapman hill, the beau
tiful wooded height on the edge Of
Middlebury village, is devised to that
town for park purposes and also a
piece Of woods east of the village,
with Il fund Of $4,000 for observance
Of Forefathers day in Middleburv.
| The trustees Of this fund are the Pres
ident of Aliddlebury college, the pas
tor Of the Congregational church, and
the president of the national bank of
| Middlebury. The purpose of this be
/ quest is said to be Ito honor the
memory of the Pilgrims who landed
/ from the Maytlower at Plymouth
/ Mass, on the 21st day of December
! 1920, and Of the other Puritans, who
came after them, and to maintain ever
q lively interest in that momentous pc
Rod of history throughout succeeding
/ generations.
To the Middlebury Congregational
church is left $1,000, the income of
which may not be used for paying the
pastor 5 salary of the running expenses
of the church The only individual
requests are $1,000 to young lady
whom Mr.. Battell had been assisting
to an education, and an annuity Of
5000 to an elderly woman, of whom the
testator says that he has been "mak-
ing payments to her at the above rate
for several years. -
The residuary estate, which includes
the Battell block and other stores in
Middlebury, the NIiGdleburv Register
and plant, and several farms, is de
vised to three trustees, who are en-
joined to use the income as follows:
i First, $1,000 a year to assist worthy
| Young women of Middlebury and Add
/ son county to an education: Second,
$500 annually to the town and village
of Middlebury in lieu Of taxes on the
Battell block; and third, to apply and
use the balance Of the annual income
of the residuary estate for the general
uses and purposes of Niddleburv col
lege.
The trust is to be continued not to
exceed ten years, and its terms are
thereafter to be carried ont by the
J trustees of Middlebury college. The
will further provides: " Middlebury
college is at present co-cducational and
the residuary portions OF my estate
, are to he invested as prescribed in my
will and the income used by the trus
tees Of said college IS Il whole. But
If, at some future time said college
Snail be divided so that the young mer
: and young ladies are educated in diff
farent colleges-bv whatever names
called and provided both are located
/. in Middlebury-havi in whole or il
! part different courses of study. so thai
. in sense they are different institu
tiOns. then that part Of my estate re
:; ferred to as a wild land and devise,
under section third sd of my
, will to ''The President and Fellows O
+: Middlebury college, shall be for thu
: special use of the young men 5 colleg,
: and all the residuary portions of m,
!: estate shall be for the special use o
5 the young ladies' college
: The will prescribes that the BatteI
= block shall not be sold. but kept in
; sured. and restored and repaired !
: need be. The executors and trustee
! named in the will are Robert c. Gee
!. Of the city of New York, Thomas +
I. Boyce and Walter f. Howard of Mid
d dIebury. A codicl after the deaf
. of Professor Howard substitutes job
q NJ. Thomas Robert c. Geer. enc O
- the named executors and trustees de
q clines to serve, therefore by virtue @
Is the Will the probate court will MAX
= an appointment. The executors al
Z instructed to complete the publicatio
k Of certain books which Mr.. Battcn la
- nearly ready for the press.
O. The will is remarkable for the ia
nd reaching benefcence of its provision
1t is not so much a bcstowal