Rensselaer Journal, Volume 11, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 August 1901 — Burning Up Paper Money. [ARTICLE]

Burning Up Paper Money.

A cranky old man in Minnesota has directed in his will that his administrators shall gather up all his cash in bank and burn it till nothing is left but ashes, -’e wished to spite his heirs —a brother, sister, and nephew. His heirs do not wish to be spited, and they are going to fight the will. They are going to contend, among other things, that an administrator has no more right to destroy money by fire than to destroy buildings or crops. There is a material difference. The burning up of buildings is a destruction of values. It takes something from the wealth of the community. When paper money is burned there is no destruction of values. There is merely the wiping out of certain evi-

dences of indebtedness, just as if promissory notes instead of bank bills were thrown into the fire. If the administrator should be allowed to obey instructions, and should burn up $50,000 in United States currency of any kind—this is the amount in bank to the credit of the estate—then the United States Treasury would be $50,000 better off than before. Practically the national government would be the heir. If national bank notes were burnt up the banks which issued them would be the gainers. Therefore, if the will shall be sustained it W’ill be in the power of the bank where the money is deposited to determine who shall be the legatee. It can hand over to the administrator its own notes, if it have any in circulation, the bills of other banks, or United States notes. Or it may hand over gold coin and invite the administrator to burn that to ashes. The court before which uis will is to be contested may well set it aside on the ground that the testator practically left it to the bank to determine the real legatees. If the court does not care to do that, it can set the will aside because the testator was not of

sound disposing mind. It is easy to reach that conclusion. Mrs. Tom Moore, or “Zeeke,” is one of the oldest Indians on the Pacific coast. She is a Makah Indian woman of Washington, born and raised at Neah Bay agency, and is without doubt more than 100 years old. The first thing she will ask a stranger for is tobacco, which she eats with great relish. She is nearly blind and can just tell daylight from night. Her husband has been dead for over thirty years and she has no relatives living, being supported by rations furnished by the government Besides writing a number of standard legal works, General Stillman F. Kneeland, a New York lawyer, finds time for his two hobbies, painting and violin playing. In his office are two marines which he has painted. James Angus, a collector of curios residing at West Farms, N. Y., has given to Roger Williams park at Providence, R. 1., a collection of corals and polished agates valued at $15,000