AN OLD MAN'S ECCENTRICITIES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 938, 4 October 1910, Page 4

AN OLD MAN'S ECCENTRICITIES.

DISENTANGLIKG A WILL.

■:(By Telegraph.-^SpeciaJf : Oorrespbndeirtj;

;.- ; '■'.',' .-:;-.; '-■'}_ ChristchiiTchj October a!' : -. Speaking to :■; ai - "Times"..' .'reporter :. oa Saturday,'Mr; Edgar;;E';.;:Waitß,f.Curatof. of the'Christchufch Museumi'recalled hie' impressions oif •"Bobby , .was a well-knowii 'nguris ifi ; lieadingl«y,near'. Leedsi .'A ;, receiitv. ; -.cable::'message stated that Arthingtoa'6 will' had- taken' ,ten years:- to ■inteipret. ; i >-The' ; - sum-: of was bequeathed, td:'the'.Baptist Missionary .Society, andi JE373,000 .to .the LondoniMissionary 'Society,' whiles twenty 'cousins , .: of■: the \v man i' divided

;■ Mr.Waite said..that thelong tim& that -.vOhad elapsed- 6ince', ; Arthington'e death- ia ? : - : .1900-until : the.will'-hadlbeen disentangled l •'. ; was_ : probably due;to-'the/ojd' man's'.eccen-': o' tricity; . .-He .was -known miser' fii'.v. '■'; and/wide in the''districtjwjaen ; Mr. : iWaite'.•' Uved;;atjHeadingley, 'andVail;,sorts:-: : bf ■'"'' stories: Were, current about Ijim!.' ■ He;waa'..-.' ' 1 always', dressed 'in 1 the shabbiest,'clothes,': ; , ;' and wbre an;old : brbad-brimmed : highVhalV '•' , very : much batteied.) The" ■■ h6 lived was a : large place which: helh'ad' -; ■bliilt.ior e : brideY.,wlo : iEted':;him: at^the^'■■:. : :'i last moment,-and- ever.k&wn'.'-'v ■t6 ; ;.Tisit ; :it.-. .All .the I WindoijfS and ; ; doors w>; were barricaded,' and. how-.Arthihgton got'.-'W ■the. : -pa^ent-.^;tax«;.foi;:;a^lbi^-;-Jtoe.'byt''.- ; ':'' . saying, .that.; the. -house vwas •' uiif ufnished; ■":'W ; .) but on one .occasion;:the;collectior.: : got i':a■;,;.; ladder; and tdok ; the.; boards away "; from'';•■ a ;-i< i window,;. He -discovered' 'a/chair ;and'^"a" : ;">;'G' .table in one;;room,vand :the: ! miser?"was-:-'-V-f.. forced/to.':pay.(;^ : . : '^ ::^"~~^^y^'':^y-r ;'s\ : : ?'■ '■ ■} -Arthington■' frequently--visited:'the;fmn-fi'.-.■ '■!: se'um of. .which "■■ Mr.;:.Waite;had.'oHarge,', : .-'. and .'asked questions: on naturalVhistory,-;'■;.:':. of.iwliioh l 'he seemed to know'praotioally: ■:; nothing; '■■ Hβ;told:Mr.'Waite onione'.oc- -J: :- casion that he had some.water beetles in.: ;■- a' sink, 'and■: would' UkB:;to know- : about,', -■; their; habits. Mr.' :Waite : .BUggested::thai';f. '.the''.-m'^ri'ionM- : o6m'\a : Leeds;Naturalist;.Club.'.which. was-'goingA -" on .'an r excursion, nest .'day. :■' The ■ distance i;': travelled'was about'eight miles each wajv j rand-:the^rfetiirll!'fa^'..was'-ntider;a; , Arthington. did'iiot : .tu]!n v upland 'on the- '■ ■ ':fpll6wiM^ay;^^ld-Mr.:;A&te;that;he^ ; had: walked' each;.'way- and saved. the.'.fare;;;: ;5 thereby: missing the-parry:; : 'He ; was'iever.; ;jv ;- : knotim :to'. and;was excerH r■■■:'■ ; ;tipnally-: : mean;' m',evexj. :way:'; : ; Hei^aKi"';''. tempted.'.toi;pose aa'.a'.pltilahthropist,'-aidt;.-, would: offer large: sums to .'] institutions. - . :■■. There wei;e always -.absurd •dbndi.tions,:.afc., , -,'.,. tached.' to the 'gifts, \ such. as .one; that. : ,a -,' 'I ; ' home JshouldLnnd. , ilOOO; if he gave: itCa' tsimilar;amount, and he,was never known• ■■-■-. '■■' :to actually give : any. of;-his; money;. away.: ■; ':■'.; ;At the. time Mr;-'Waite. last : saw s Arthing-'; ■ ":■,. ton , in ' 1892; he. -wae; over., seventy, .but • was :j i\:.-. ■hale and.hearty,- and.';was v a;good;waliar.:i- : -"-: