The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-08-21
Daily Financial Gossip
By HOLLAND


 New York, August -(Specjal)-1f the will of Edward Francis Seafles stands uncontested. or if contested. is held valid by the courts, then an estate of perhaps SoO,UpOoOO or maybe more will pass into unllneal hands, no son of his succeeding. It will not be exceptional in that respect for several very large estates have by request passed out Of the lineal line. The estate of Henry M. Flagler is one of the latest examples.
 Various estimates have been made of the fortune of Mir Searles. none placing it at less than s59,o00,Ooc. Although he was a citizen of Massachusetts and made his home for years in his birth town, Me- thuen, nevertheless his financial interests were in great measure centered in New York. so that he was looked upon as a Representative millionaire of New York city.
 No one can tell until the estake is in ventoried whether Mir. Searles left s5o- GOO 900 or $50. 900 600, or perhaps not more than s40010,000. But it is certainly 8 very large estate, and the foundation of it was the Central and Southern Pacific Railroad promotion. He inherited from his wife who before he married her was the widow of Mark Hopkins, about S40. 100000. If the estate now is as much as S60,V0oD. then that increase represents wise nursing of Ine pTODGrIl6S, CdIeiul COHSCl dllpii bi them in the thirty years since Mir Searles succeeded to the fortune. Conservative and also wise infringement of a great es- tate for thirty years would be sufficient of itself to establish proof of mental strength, business ability and all the quail | ities which are necessary If a great for tune is to be preserved and increased. < Some romantic tales have long been in circulation based upon Mir. Searles' al legged eccentricities, also upon the TO- nance of his marriage to the widow Hop kins when he was in her employe. Many | of these romances are strongly tainted with fiction or with figments of imagina- tion Mir. Searles was reputed to be as eccentric a recluse as it was possible for any mortal to be in these modern times. He was, it is true, a man of retiring dis position He did not seek association with men. although he was capable of | loyal friendship for the few with whom | he did associate. He was not a woman hater in the sense in which that term is usually employed, but preferred to have men domestics about his place. His cousin. Miss Littleton, and her mother, who cared for him in those things where a womans care is of value. did not live | in the Methuen home, but in small cot | tage on the place.
 A LOVER OF MUSIC
 | Mir. searles, when living in New York. and before he entered into service IS art I ist with the Hopkins family, was com panionable young man. He mastered the organ so that he played it we'll and for 1t | he had a dominating passion as long as I he lived. For some months he played the organ in church in New York, accept- i ing no pay Tor it, glad of the opportunity i to be of service at that time, He had no thought then that the day would come l when he could count his fortunes by mil 1 lions.
 I Visitors at Great Harrington. Mass. have abundant opportunity to see at least the lofty granite walls that surround the so-calied Hopkins place, as well as to get glimpse of the miIarets and tow