620 
Vht RURAL NEW-YORKER 
April 29, 1922 
Some Property Problems of Women 
You would be surprised to see bow 
many of our legal questions refer to the 
property and liome rights of farm women, 
There seems no doubt that the enaction, 
of the Nineteenth Amendment has started 
many women to an investigation of their 
legal standing. Some of the stories re¬ 
vealed by our confidential questioners are 
remarkable. In the hands of a Dickens 
they might well be woven into tales that 
would be almost unbelievable. Here fol¬ 
low a few brief statements of actual 
happenings which have been told us. The 
point is that practically all of these un¬ 
happy things could have been avoided 
by making a sensible will or signing a 
reasonaI>1 e agreement, 
1 .OSH of Si. stK it's Shark.—-T wo sisters 
inherited property from their father. 
There was not much of it, but enough, 
if wisely invested, to provide for their 
simple needs. Both women were of 
middle age. One was of strong char¬ 
acter; the other a “clinging vine,” not 
quite capable of handling business mat¬ 
ters. On the advice of a good lawyer 
the property was invested in good stocks 
and bonds, which were all made over to 
the abler sister. The other sister gladly 
agreed to this, as she fell safer to have 
the property held by the more capable 
one—having full confidence, that if would 
he a mutual arrangement. A very plans* 
_ iblo man appeared upon the scene, and 
the abler woman finally married him. 
The three people decided to live together 
—the woman retaining her property in 
her own name. She made no will, sup¬ 
posing that her sister would of course 
inherit her property. She died quite 
suddenly, and under the State laws her 
husband inherited all her personal pro¬ 
perty- since there were no children. 
Thus the other sister, who needed help, 
L. lost all interest in her father’s property 
— ihroU{/h the failure of her shftcr to 
make a wilt , definitely leaving her pro- 
r perty as she wanted it to go. 
DAT.101iTF.K8 AM) HOUSEHOLD GOODS.— 
A common belief is stated in the fol- 
~ lowing: 
if - When both parents die. leaving no will, 
r should the daughters feel that they have 
i a right to take all the linen and silver- 
ware to the exclusion of the sons in the 
family? This seems to lie a prevailing 
belief among daughters, but 1 doubt if it- 
: is right. 
^ ; Unless it is distinctly specified in the 
will, or otherwise in writing, the daugh¬ 
ters will have uo special legal right to 
the household goods. Usually this divi- 
sion is made as a matter of family good 
will, hut wo have known Cases where the 
daughter-in-law insisted on her husband's 
share and caused great trouble. The 
daughters have no special legal claim on 
such goods. 
Lkt tiie Old Folks Hold Property. 
—We have had at least 50 cases where 
the children are attempting to induce 
father and mother to divide the property 
before their death. In some eases the 
young folks make life a burden to their 
parents in an effort, to make them give 
up title to nil their possessions and spend 
their days “visiting” from one child to 
another! If is our business to try to tell 
how this can he done legally, when we 
are asked, but wo always advise the old 
people not to surrender their property. 
AVe have seen too much of that—and 
what follows when it is done. Our nd- 
r ' vice is to hold right on to your own 
property to the last. 
The Rights ok Step-children.—W e 
have many cases much like the following: 
A widow marries a man who has several 
children by a former wife. A child is 
horn to this couple. The widow has some 
little properly of her own, which she 
wisely keeps under her own control. She 
• does not give it to her husband, as too 
many women do, without any written 
acknowledgment. Her husband’s children 
by the former wife are not on good terms 
with their step-mother as they grow up. 
Bhe wants to know what would happen 
to her property in case of death. Would 
these step-children share with her own 
child? They would have no claim upon 
her except as she willed «l share to them. 
If she died without a will her husband 
might have a share of her property. If 
she wants to provide for her own child 
her best course is to make a will de¬ 
finitely leaving her property to the child. 
She is not obliged by law to will property 
to her husband unless she cares to do so. 
Always Demand a Receipt. —Some 
years ago we received a letter from a 
real estate agent and money-lender in a 
small country town, lie said that a few 
months before a woman had borrowed 
.$100 to make a payment on her farm. 
She gave a six months’ note, and when 
it was due she came with $50 in cash 
and asked to have the note extended. 
There were no witnesses. The money¬ 
lender simply accepted the cash, gave no 
receipt, and made no record of payment. 
The woman, not understanding business, 
secured no acknowledgment, but simply 
paid the money and went away. The 
man came asking us if he could legally 
demand the entire $100! There was no 
written record of any payment ; the note 
still called for the full amount ; there 
were no witnesses, and the man was 
“highly respected” and “a leading citi¬ 
zen!" The proposed action was no more 
shameful than hundreds of other trans¬ 
actions planned to rob innocent people. 
We told that man that lie might possibly 
“get away” with his scheme, but that if 
he di<l we would tell the truth about it 
and print his name in letters at least one 
inch long. He dropped the idea. Many 
a woman unused to doing business has 
lost her money through a failure to de¬ 
mand a written receipt for any funds 
given to another. 
The Woman and Her Legacy. —We 
have had several cases much like the fol¬ 
lowing: Some years ago an attractive 
young woman married a man, and they 
settled upon a farm. The woman’s father 
died and bis estate was divided—about 
$3,000 coming to bis daughter. Her hus¬ 
band asked for it to invest in his busi¬ 
ness, and she turned it over to him with¬ 
out question and with no thought of any 
note or other papers. The husband in¬ 
vested it in real estate, which lie held in 
his own name. Years went by, and there 
were children. The woman worked hard, 
and at middle age found herself with 
broken health and no longer attractive. 
She had two children who needed an 
education, and the woman approached 
her husband and asked for some of the 
money which she gave him years before, 
lie denied receiving it, and she had no 
documents to show that he ever took it. 
Investigation showed that the real estate 
which was bought with it had been 
transferred to other partners, having 
been bought and recorded in the hus¬ 
band’s name. There was no legal way 
of recovery, and this broken and unat¬ 
tractive woman was left without funds 
just when she needed her legacy most. 
How Stock Promoters Thrive. —A 
married woman received a legacy from 
her father’s estate—about $2,500. Her 
husband advised her to invest it in Liberty 
bonds at 4*4 per cent, but she refused to 
accept any such “ridiculous interest.” 
ITer brother needed the money in bis 
business, an doffered her 5 per cent, hut 
this was too small. She finally invested 
in stock of a lead mine which promised 
10 per cent. The lead mine failed. The 
woman still has her worthless stock, but 
no one can ever convince her that it 
will not some day double in value. Wo 
once asked the promoter how be was 
aide to sell this stock while husband and 
brother failed to convince the woman. “Tt 
was easy.” lie said. “I studied her and 
quickly saw how to approach her. I 
told her that T was able to appreciate her 
ability and judgment. Her people were 
unable to understand my proposition, but 
she grasped it instantly—which showed 
that her mind was superior. They re¬ 
garded her as a child, when, in reality, 
she was their superior in vision and 
judgment. Here was her opportunity to 
show them. The rest was easy—only 
just taking the money.” 
Beware the Shyster Lawyer. —One 
of our readers, an elderly woman, went 
with her son to buy a farm. They were 
strangers in town, and were referred to 
a certain lawyer who had a farm for 
sale. The price was $(1.000—-"half its 
value.” The woman had $2,500, and the 
lawyer told her lie would take $2,000 and 
give her a six months’ contract for 
$4,000. He knew a man who would ad¬ 
vance this money and lake a long-time 
mortgage. She must, not speak of it. 
however, for several people were after the 
farm, and he wanted to be sure she bought 
it! The woman consented and paid the 
money. Of course, she could not equip 
the farm with $500, and she soon found 
that, the place was not worth $5,500. 
She had nothing but the lawyer’s word 
that he could find a man to relieve the 
contract, and he denied that, ho ever said 
so. The woman found that she had signed 
a paper under which she forfeited the 
farm unless she raised $4,000 on the con¬ 
tract! It was just a common, dirty 
scheme for robbing this woman of her 
$2,000. Unfortunately, there are in many 
country towns just such human vultures 
as this lawyer. They live by robbery, but 
are sharp onongh to make their stealing 
“legal.” 
Using a Proprietary Article.— My 
mother has found that a certain pow¬ 
der gives her much relief from corns. 
This powder is not sold as a corn rem¬ 
edy. Would it he lawful for ns to put it 
in different containers and sell it ns 
such? MRS. G. R. 
New York. 
No. It would not be either legal or 
fair to use the powder in this way. No 
doubt it is a proprietary article, regis¬ 
tered officially. You would simply invite 
trouble and worse. If you think of put 
ting any remedy of this sort on the mar¬ 
ket, you should write the Bureau of 
Chemistry, Agricultural Department, 
Washington, and obtain a bulletin of in¬ 
structions. That will show you how to 
proceed. 
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of Monoaceticaeidester of Salieylieacid. 
Retailer’s Regular 35c. Grade 
COFFEE 
I a ft-lb. Lots 
Bean or Ground 
f|7. 
Fresh From Wholesale Roaster K M 
A nclU-loux blend mipplh'd f fl | It 
direct to rnintllcH nt n whole mmm ■ Ilia 
unto !>tiw “ 
Sent Parent Poxt Prepaid on Kcori|.t of Your Check, 
Mt-nuy Order or Ciisli. 
SATISFACTION GUARANTEED OR MONEY BACK 
GILLIES COFFEE CO., 233-239 Washington St. 
NEW YORK CITY I stubtl-hod 81 years 
*v»- - W wveel A’Ji 
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The Oil Duplex-Alcazar burns kerosene and coal or wood — together or singly. 
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On hot days use oil and have a cool kitchen. In winter, coal or wood 
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