Rensselaer Union, Volume 10, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 December 1877 — A Practical Hint in Making Bequests. [ARTICLE]

A Practical Hint in Making Bequests.

“Every man his own executor,” was the motto adopted by the late Job Cleveland,’Esq., of Jersey City, N. J., an honorable gentleman of business in life, and a sensible gentleman of large estate in death. This head of a family and fortune had viewed not without thoughtful alarm the increasing tendency to thwart the wills of men who die leaving the customary testamentary bequests whereby they give and bestow the earnings and savings of their lives to heirs, in the' shape of wives, children, friends, benevolent institutions, etc.; he had likewise seen the unfortunate results which oftentime follow the disposition of estates in the law’s prescribed form, without wills, whereby property is broken up among the legal heirs and families so often divided in spirit. All this made a deep impression on Mr. Cleveland, and he resolved to inaugurate a new method iu the division of his ample estate among those whom he should choose as his heirs. Just what Mr. Cleveland’s new plan was has been kept as his own secret, and was only unlocked to the world the second or third day after his death, which occurred one week ago. Tbm, in the usual search for papers which follows such events —often with a haste not at all becoming—to ascertain who iB the “favorite” heir; who is the one “ cut off with a shilling',” and who would probably be contented, and who would likely contend for a setting aside of the will, on account of insanity, undue prejudice, or something of that sort—it was ascertained that, so far as the Mr. Job Cleveland “ will-case” was concerned, there would never be such a one in the Surrogate’s or the Probate Court. There was money, and there were heirs; but in the apportionment of the former to the latter, Mr. Cleveland had fixed everything beyond dispute, even beyond the skill of a hungry lawyer to disturb, for, in place of a will, the testator had made a division of his property 'in all due and legal forms through the execution of deeds and accompanying documents, properly drawn, attested to, and recorded in life, but retained in the testator’s own possession, and duly directed to each beneficiary. Here was Mr Cleveland’s plan as revealed by the hand of death. It may be that the example of the wise father and man of business in New Jersey will assist materially in solving the problem, which is growing out Of the many, will contests of late inauguevery estate of prominence whiter enters into the Probate Courts of the land, and by which so much of falsehood and scandal is being evolved. A conveyance of property from almost any of these deceased business men and capitalist to a stranger—made in life and properly signed and recorded—would be held as good and valid in any court of justice, despite charges of insanity, undue influenoe or prejudice, and why would it not hold equally strong when tpade to a child or other legal heir? It may be that the era of unseembly squabbles over dead men’s property oan be ended, and it may be | that Job Cleveland’s method of attend 1 ing to bequests will do much toward 1 leading to this much-desired end;—Chicago Journal. “What is a dollar P” asks the Graphic. It’s just the same as gratitude; something of which we owe more than j we have.— Hawk-Eye.