Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-21

One clause in the will of the late
Payne Whitney. wealthy financier
and sportsman, attracted extraordi-
nary attention. 1t read: II give and
bequeath to my friend, Finley Peter
Dunno, the sum of 100000" This
half million dollars for the author of
Mr.. Dooley" and similar gifts to
two other personal friends, along
with many millions for colleges, hos.
pitfalls and other institutions, made
the Whitney will most interesting
document
Mr.. Payne Whitney's will is faith.
full to the public interests. the insti.
tutional devotions and the private
friendships of his active life. 1t
should be read with the gratitude as
we'll as the praise of the community
which he served unostentatiously and
WELL" says the New York Times,
which records the lifetime benevo.
lences of Mr.. Whitney as reaching
into the millions and benefiting hos.
pitfalls, the New York Public Library.
the Cornell University Medical School
and Yale University, while in addition
he gave literally of time and counsel
as well.
His broad benefactions by tesla.
ment," the Brooklyn Daily Eagle
thinks. ARE the logical sequence of the
life he had led and the aspirations in
which he had INDUCED. He was al.
ways consistent with HIMSELF
Commentator is voiced by the
Philadelphia Public Ledger for the
stipulations made by Mr.. Whitney in
| regard to his requests to charity, "A
wise provision of the will of Payne
| Whitney and one which will command
| wide attention." says the Philadelphia
paper, lis that giving large measure
of liberty to the trustees of the estate
in the distribution of money to chart.
ties. BY this provision Mr.. Whitney
avoided to large extent the fastening
OF the dead hand upon the admins.
| traitors of his estate" The Watertown
| Daily Times also notes this feature of
the will with approval, and says, ION
the whole, the Whitney will is an un.
place among testamentary instru
ments."
Calling attention to the requests of
half million to each of three
crat remarks that gifts to friends
rarely appear in rich mems wills
many of them, perhaps, find it hard to
name real friends. 1t was not so with
Payne Whitney. and it may be said
with certainty that the three men re.
membered so generously would far
rather have their friend restored tc
them than have his money"
The Decatur Herald names the
three men-Finley Peter Dunno
Samuel A. Clark, successful archi-
tect, and Eugene Hale, jr.-and adds
"As 1t happens, Finley Peter Dunno
earned $4,000 a year when he was
writing Mr.. Dooley.' and at so, in the
full vigor of health, is not merely
well off but wealthy. If Mr.. Dunno
doesn't require the money that Mr.
Whitney gave him. he can have the
fun of giving it away, even as did
his benefactor." suggests the Herald
as it surmises that this perhaps
was in Mr.. Whitneys mind when he
added to the wealth of men that were
already rich"
Just why Mr.. Whitney should
have taken a notion to leave such g
munificent bequest to a man fol-
whom his only tie was friendship
we cannot say" remarks the Bloom
ington Paragraph, which, however
thinks it mot likely that Mr.. Dooley
will spurn the gift with fine Sinclair
Lewis disdain." That Payne Whit
neys friends were not all richE ir
this worlds goods is brought QUIT BY
the Los Angeles Daily Times, which
says of him: But. best of all, hi
was known as a poor mans friend
and especially the friend and bene.
factor of poor horsemen. They say,
continues the Times, that when tn.
news of his sudden demise reached
the Belmont Park Stables, where h
had several horses entered for &
great race that day. tears courset
down the cheeks of many of tn,
jockeys and other horsemen. and
they grieved over the loss of thei
employer as they would have don,
over that of a near relative"
The lavishness of Mr.. Whitney