The Washington times., 1936-08-29
BY FRED MENAGH
Copyright, 1885, by King Features
syndicate, Inc

TORONTO. Canada, Aug. 90.
Ask somebody quick what they
would do with a million dollars
and you're liable to get any kind
of anSwer-usually a fantastic
one. But confront a person with
a real chance of getting a million,
and give him five or ten years to
think over what he would like to
do with it-then you'll get some
real answers.
It's like that with the Millar
Will Maternity Marathon con-
testants. Most of them have been
in the weird race for the million
dollar baby sweepstakes prize now
for from two to eight or more
years. They have thought about
that million-and what tn y
would like to do with it-plenty.
Old Charles Vance Millar, orig
inator of the world-famous Mater
nifty Marathon, used to think he
was glimpsing human nature by
tossing 9 dollar bill on the side
walk in front Of his hotel and
watching the man in the street
scramble for it. Maybe he was.
But the eccentric millionaire
bachelor lawyer er.sportsman is miss
ing a show better than any he
ever staged during his life.
May Be Grinning
Unless-as some people here in
Toronto like to think-he's sit
ting up there on the front porch
of eternity grinning from ear to
ear at the spectacle Of the "Stork
Derby"
Almost every type Of character
is represented among the seven
pairs of contestants for the baby
sweepstakes prize. And in spite
of a surface display of generosity
and good will among them, there
is, nevertheless, in some instances
that human undercurrent which
has earned for money the descrip-
tion "the root of all evil" Just
how far it will develop remains to
be seen when the Millar will con-
testants pile into court next Oc-
tober 81 with their claims to hav-
ing the largest number of chill
dren born in Toronto since Octo-
Der 81, 1926.
For the present one can no
more than conjecture as to what
will happen when the vast fortune
is at last available. Mrs. Lillian
Kenny. mother of 13, of whom
are living. considers herself a
sure bet in the race. Already she
has declared that kidnapers at
tempted to make off with one Of
her little girls. She says tn e y
tried to grab the child when she
was on her way home from school
and told her:
$50 you're the million dollar
Kenny girl! Well, you'd better
come along with u.s."
NO "SHARE.WEALTH"
Mrs. Kenny states flatly that
she'll go into no share-the-wealth
plan with any Of the rest of the
contenders if she wirls-as she
feels so confident she will. She
asks:
"Why should l split my mil
lion between six other families?
I'm the winner-So what?"
She has it all very nicely fig
ured out where that money will
be used, too. First, she plans to
buy a nice house in Toronto, and
then she is going to buy up Mary
Pickford's birthplace-the house
still stands in the city-and turn
it into a museum for display of
her wood carvings and models Of
public buildings.
AS for the balance-why, she'll
just sock it away in the bank and
live on the income. No more
worry! No more having to go on
relief!
Papa Kenny and the six young
ones listen intently to her predic-
tions. But they don't offer any
suggestions.
Now the Bagnatos are interested
in q nice country place and a
good education for the children.
Mrs. Bagnato is exceedingly proud
Of her active, healthy brood. She
has deep-rooted desire to give
them every opportunity this t
money can afford.
Like Mrs. Kenny, Mrs. Bagnato
Is fairly we'll convinced that she
is going to win that million dollars,
or a pretty fair share Of it, any
way. She doesn't comment much
about sharing it with the other
families. But she indicates in an
offhand way that she might con-
slider giving some of it to the
families that she likes.
GraZianas Poorest
Let's take a run down to the
shabby, bare home of Gus and
Hilda GraZiana-the poorest Of
them all-and see how they feel
about using million dollars. Gus
IS certain that Hilda is going to
have twins, and says that will def
initely put them in the land. Gus
is eloquent in his plans for using
the vast sum. He says:
"The very first thing I will
do, will be to build a whole lot
Of nice, clean, brick homes for
poor wOrkingmen to live in.
Men with families like myself.
! won't charge them any rent.
ALI they will have to do is keep
the houses in repair-and keep
them nice and clean. No rats
allowed,