A LIBERAL TRUSTEE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3192, 21 September 1881, Page 4

A LIBERAL TRUSTEE.

The following is from the Otago "Witness, and refers to the grave of the late Mr George Burton, of Wairon,: —" Civis " does not undertake the role of a story-teller in any sense of the term, but occasionally illustrates his subjects by anecdotes culled from various sources. It so happens that but few of them have hnd a distinct flavour of New Zealand about them —racy, as it wore, of our island soil, I shall therefore devote this paragraph to one "which has the rare merit of being perfectly true. It is not partielarly apropos of anything, but it is good of its kind. Perhaps some of my correspondents may from time to time engage in this department of "local industi-y," and add to my collection of literary gems of New Zealand origin. My etory is as follows :—ln a flourishing -North Island town there died an individual who left behind him a good many thousands of pounds, and debts to the amount of some hundreds. The money was left in trust for certain individuals in no way connected with the testator, but to whom the trustee was nearly Related. A friend of the deceased, happening to visit the town above-men tioned, paid a kindly visit to the grave, and was astonished to find there all negative indication of neglect —no headstone, railing, or any other of those poor devices which may gerve either to cherish the memory of the dead or show the gratitude of legatees. He therefore remonstrated with the trustee, telling him (what was true enough) that the public were actually talking of doing the work by siibscription. The other demurred. "You see," he said indignantly, "toe'vegot to pay the debts •" then, after a pause, seeing his way out of the difficulty : " but if the public will get up the subscription, ive'll supplement it liberally."