Testimony of W. E. VanAmburg. Questions by Sparks for the Eagle. Transcript pages 203-204.
Q. We had some reference yesterday and the day before to a Cemetery Company, down in Pittsburg. Didn’t you take the name of that company or the title of that property in your name?
A. I did.
Q. What consideration was paid for the property?
A. $27,000. That was not my money that bought it. It Was the money of "The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society." I conveyed to The United States Investment Company; they deeded it to the United Cemetery Company. There is no stock in the United Cemetery Company. May I explain that?
Q. Yes, if you will. I will be glad.
A. The Society receives contributions in a tentative way very frequently, for which we issue a receipt something like this: "The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Company," a corporation under the laws of the State of Pennsylvania, has received from John Smith $500 as a donation to the Society to be used in the propagation of its work as the proper officers see fit. However in consideration of the uncertainties of life, it is hereby especially stipulated that should said donor have need of any portion or portions of said donation, and shall make request for the same in writing before death, the same shall be reimbursed to the donor from the Society fund." This fund is not ours to use at liberty. It may be called for at any time. Therefore, the Society thought well to have some place where it would have a good asset. It looked around in various places, and they found a farm, and they arranged for a United Cemeteries Company as being the most stable, it could not run away, something satisfactory that could always be used as an asset.
Therefore, it deemed it wise to use $27,000 of the Society’s money on this investment. It bought the farm. It was then agreed to take it in my name, and I passed it on to the United States Investment Company, and the United States Investment Company passed it on to the United Cemeteries Company. That is in the deed of the United Cemeteries Company that that company is—that the United Cemetery Company is a benevolent organization for benevolent purposes; and it is thereby stipulated that half of the income from this cemetery shall be used for the preservation and upkeep of the cemetery, and the other half of the income should go to The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. That is in the deed on record in Pennsylvania. The directors of the United Cemetery Company do not get one cent from it. The United States Investment Company never got one cent from it. I never got one cent from it. It is simply a holding—it is simply on the part of the United States Investment Company, as a protection against some of those who have placed money with us, and who may call for such at some time. We are in honor bound to- protect these shares, and we have taken the best method we know of how to do it."
Each year there comes to the "Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society" from this, half of the income, the proceeds of the sales of lots. This being a benevolent organization, the lots are placed on sale in that cemetery in the suburbs of Pittsburgh at about one-fifth to one-tenth of what they can be gotten for elsewhere. There are lots— It is a fact. There are many people in the large cities that are not able to buy a cemetery lot, scarcely able to buy a place to bury their dead; and we arranged for plans there or plans were arranged through the Cemetery Company so that one could get a five grave plot for $15, large enough to bury the whole family. The Society has received income from that source, and is receiving it now, as it comes in, and were receiving it in 1911, and in 1909.
This Miracle wheat was raised on that property. I say yes, I beg your pardon. I don’t know. I simply speak of what I heard from hearsay. Of my own personal knowledge, I was not there when it was raised. The income from that property in 1911 I should judge was about two thousand dollars to three thousand dollars. That is, one half equaled the two thousand dollars which is the share we got for "The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society." The other half was used for the benefit of the cemetery.
Q. Whose signature is that, will you look?
A. I would say it was the Signature of Mr. C. T. Russell and F. W. Williamson.
I could not swear it is. I did not see them write it. It looks very much like it. I have been a worker with Mr. Russell twelve years; have seen his signature during that twelve years I presume a hundred times, maybe more. I say that resembles it very closely—his signature; but there are so many counterfeiters nowadays that can counterfeit them very closely. If they desired to do it, they might do it easily. How could I say it was his signature? I say it resembles it very closely. If there was no such thing as counterfeiting, I would say that it was his signature. I believe it is his signature.
