Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-12
s Best Cartoons.

the mind is apt TO be confused and tn,
usual perspective befuddled. Instead
every person who EaS anything TO be
aueath at all should make Will
dispos!n2 OF IL when he is in Eood
health and sound mental condition. II
Only one or two persons are mentioned
RS bene'ciaries. The task is an easv
one. but IT. the viii contains endow-
ments, trusts. life interests. etc the
most exper; legal advice should b. Oh
tanned In drawing up the document
The signature should be Witnessed BY
a. least two persons, not named as
benefclaries q the will
Absence Of VIII unjust.
While unfair and incompetent VILLA
often cause great hardship to the per
sons for whom they should be most
designed to benefit and protect. there
is nothing quite SO unjust as the ah-
senee or any wnll at all In this event
the court settles The estate IN accord
ance With the laws o, the state, with
no regard FOR certF In personal claims
That deserve reward For example in
Pennsrivania family Of Eve children
was turned out from home when the
rather iuariied again. The Oldest child
a boy Of twenty. took the Others IN
TIA" house OF his married sister. and
himself went To work In large fac
Tory To support Them Three yesrs
later tho boy was killed by accident
leaving over $1,000 In his savings ac-
count. There was no will But unde,
til" law. the father was entitled IA ,
share IN the money which claim he
Immediately took advantage or. ihs
married sister and other children ret
tins practically nothing
mother case in point is that OF an
oia man past sixty. who VAS recent.
~ let destitute in small New York
community. owing TO the lack OF
Will When small boy Of eight he
was adopted By a farmer and his vie
VINO had just married their daughter
to wealthy landowner ~ nearby
town Though an only child the aaurb.
ter had never gotten nlonc we'll u.iih
hcr parents, being possessed OF a NOR
bid. discontentcd nature easily dis
pensed with on the farm. The small
boy. who enjoyed numerous frcckIes
and sunny disposition. soon won the
affection OF the couple. AS he grew
into his teens. the farmer died and the
boy took over the farming OF the whole
place and later became village post
master as a sort Of sideline to help nav
off the mortgage.
Compelled TO Give In Farm
After many years OF hard work in
which the mortgage became a thing Of
the past. and the farm tripled its in.
come, the boys foster mother also died
leaving no Will The boy. who was
then hfty-six years old himself wa.
cpmpeiIed 10 give UP the farm that br
his own efforts he had tripled In value
10 the married daughter, who now
ella lined the entire estate. The only re-
dresa he had was TO file a claim for
wages during the time he had managed
the farm. which was met by counter
claim OF the daughter for board and
lodging during that period. That was
four years ago, but the case has not
yet been settled. for II takes time 20
get these things through the courts In
the meantime. this man is in ruined
health and subsisting on the charity
Of sympathetic friends and acQuaint-
anccs.
From this it may he seen that max
ing a will is the duty Of every person
! The legacy tax is not enough 10 deter
the average American. and superstt-
ton Is relic Of middle ages. A viii
us the browning achievement OF A mans
life. a thing that carries personality
so that a hundred years from now the
race may regard IL critically and read
the character Of the man who wrote
IT, Thus the will OF william Shake-
speare describes him much more ac-
curatelv than do any Of his portraits.
as do the Wills OF Mary Stuart. Henry
VIII. and George Washington. So when
the thrift propagandists urge the maxi
ing Of Wills upon Americans. they are
not only aiding an economic necessity.
but the building Of record Of per-
sonalities for the edihcation of future
psychologists and anthropologists.