A Philanthropic Testator.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XIX, Issue 5953, 24 May 1894, Page 4

A Philanthropic Testator.

The story goes (says the Christchurch Press) that a late well-known resident of a South Island town has disii.ibuuv.l • j his will a personalty and real estate, value about LSOOO, to a number of persons not relatives or even immediate friends. The testator, who was a widower, appears to have no known relatives, and, therefore, he seems to have distributed his wealth on the principle that those who were civil and kind to him were entitled to a reward. His domestic servant receives LIOOO and a neat cottage and furniture. His gardener is reported to have been granted a release of a mortgage of L2OO and a legacy. To a neighboring female resident who used to cut up his tobacco for him he leaves Ll5O ; to a young lady who frequently called on friendly visits L2OO ; to a boy aged twelve a sum of LIOO ; to the dissenting church which he attended LSO ; to the minister who performed his burial L 25, and to his executrix L 150; and his residuary estate, value about LIOOO, to a young man who had won the old gentleman's heart by his civil and courteous conduct. Such large-hearted distribution of this world's goods is so rare that the affair has been the subject of a good deal of surprise, and we should not wonder if, for a time at least, courtesy and civility to persons supposed to be well off will be bestowed in less limited quantities than usual. _____