LICK, JAMES, 1796-1876; b. Fredericksburg, Lebanon co., Penn.; learned the trade of a pianoforte manufacturer in Philadelphia, and followed the business successively in New York, in Buenos Ayres, Valparaiso, and different places in Peru. In 1847 he set tled in San Francisco, bringing with him a capital of $30,000, which he invested in real estate in that city. The profits on this investment made him very wealthy, and in 1874 he placed $2,000,000 from his estate in the hands of seven trustees, to be devoted to certain specified public and charitable uses. In 1875 Mr. Liek desired to make some changes in the schedule of his gifts, to which the trustees were doubtful of their right to give assent. At his request they resigned, and other men were selected by him to fill their places. The next year he died, and litigation followed on behalf of his son and other heirs, who advanced a claim upon the property. The issue was settled in 1878 by an agreement on the part of the trustees to pay the son, John H. Lick, $885,000 in addition to the sum intended for him by his father, he agreeing to divide $72,000 of the amount between the other heirs. This left the list of Mr. Lick's bequests as fol lows: To the university of California, for the erection of an observatory, and procuring therefor a telescope superior to and more powerful than any ever before constructed, $700,000; to the Protestant orphan asylum in San Francisco, $25,000; to the city of San Jose, for the purpose of erecting and supporting a non-sectarian orphan asylum, $25.000; to the ladies' relief and protective association of San Francisco, $25,000; to the mechanics' institute of San Francisco, for the purchase of scientific and mechanical works, $10,000; to the San Francisco society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, $10,000; to found an old ladies' home in San Francisco, $100,000; for the erec tion in San Francisco of free public baths, $150,000; for the erection of a group of bronze statuary around the city hall of San Francisco to represent the history of California, $100,000; to erect in Golden Gate park a .monument to
Francis Scott Key, author of The Star Spangled Banner, $60,000; to found and endow the California school of mechanic arts in San Francisco, $540,000. The residue of the estate, if any there shall be, will be divided between the San Francisco society of pioneers and the academy of sciences. How many of the associations named above have received in whole or in part the sums awarded them is not reported authoritatively. Of course, considerable time was required to turn the estate into cash and close the various trusts; but it is believed that sooner or later Mr. Lick's plan of be completely executed. The observatory of the university of California will lie erected on the summit of Mount Hamilton, a peak of trap-rock in Santa Clara co.,.4,21:0 ft. above the sea. where there is nothing to obstruct the view within a radius of 100 miles. The point is nearer to the equator than any of the grand observatories of Europe or America,