Kilmore Free Press (Kilmore, Vic. : 1870 - 1954), Thursday 20 March 1919, page 1


Strapge Bequests. A well known citizen of. Brooklyn, alike renowned for his werath -and eccentricity. died a short time ago, and his last will and testament was found by his sorrowing rem latives, with whom he had been at odds during his life, to contain the following curious bequest' I own seventy one pairs of trousers. It is my desire that they be sold by auction after my death and that the proceeds of the sale shall be distributed to the deserving poor of my parish. They must, however, he disposed of.severally to different bidders, no single individual being permitted- to purchase more than one pair.' These directions were duly carried out by the heiresiat-law. The seventy.one pairs of trousneers were successively knocked down to as many purchasers, and their price was handed to the parochial authorities, A few days after thb sale one of the buyere took it into his head to make a careful examination of his newly acquired property and he found a small canvas bag neatly-sewn in the waist band. Upon opens ing this bag an agreeable surprise met his gsze in the shape of ten one hundred duollar notes. The tidings of this pleasant discovery spread like wildfire through Brooklyn and New York and each fortunate purchaser of a pair of these pantaloons was rejoiced to find his investigation rewarded by the acquisition of a sum cquivalent to L200. Vindictive will making is so despicable that it is humiliating to find it so common. Only a short. while since a wralthy magnate after le.ading his wife to believe herself.his legatee left her one shilling, and brqu athed L72-000 to others, including L3500, to a t srvant shle disliked.

Another man left all his money to bis wife, hut stipulated that she should fcrfeit L200 every time she appeared in public, unveiled, L200 every time she smiled& at a man, and L1000 if she permitted a man to use an endearing term or to kies her. The meanest of all, however, was the man' who left his wife a farthing, wibbh directions that it should be sent -to her in an anstamped envelope,.Ono Ono disillusiqnised testator wrote in. bia will, 'IDuring my married life I have always declared that my wife was the desrest woman in the world, and I am convinced that should any other man be rash enough to marry her he will find it so. To deter, as far as possible; anyone making such a ruinous experiment I leave her nothing.' A lady who died lately says in her will, ' As to my sisters and nieces, nephew and brother.inlaw and cosain, nothing. nothing, nothing shall come to bhem from me but a bag of sand to rub themselves with. ~ None deserve even a good.bye. I do not recognise a single one of them,' Harriet Martinesa, the famous authoress, willed herself away in parts. She announced her intention of leaving Mr Toynbee, the auri t, her ears. ' But, my dear mad in,' observed her doctor, ' you cannot do that; it would make your other legacies worthless.' She had, iu fact, already willed away' her head to the Phrenological Society, and had left the doctor LlO in her codicil for cutting it off. Food placed in the oven to bake is sometimes forgotten by the busy housewife. To prevent that an alarm clock will be found helpful. Set the alarm at the hour the baking should be finished, the housekeeper will hear it, and until that time the reeponsibtiity * ll'be t hbey minud.