Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1848-04-15
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Denth of.pnhn .Lncoh Agtor.

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Death Of JOhn Jacob Aston.
Al hllf past 9 o'rIork yesterday morn.
ing. this remarkable man breath"d his
last, ut his residence, No sos Broadway.
lie had. within II Eew months, renehed his
oinhty-fflh birthday. The lesson ol per,
severance under difficulties, taught by his
life, induces lis to publish for the benefit
ofthe world the following sketch: Land.
ipg ON our shores ms Il common Storage
passengfr-a poor uneducated boy-n
stranger 10 the language aud prople-he
has by the sole aid Of his own industry, &C
cumuIated a fortune scarcely second to that
Of any individual on the globe, and has cx-
ertted projects that have become identified
with the history of his country, and which
will perpet1ate his maine tD the latest age.
John Jacob Astor was born in July,
1868. in the village Of WaIdrop, near
Heidelberg, in the Ducby of Bad II, Ger
many. His father was a very worthy man
and held the office of balIiA. Al the age
Of eighteen years, Astdr, on the eve Of
leaving home ff a iore'gn land, resolved
to be honest and industrious, and never 10
gamble. In March 1854, he Ian ed in
this country a steerage passenger, having
sailed from London in November. and had
been detained by the ice three months.
The ship in which be had taken passage
was commanded by Capt. Stout. On one
occasion young Astor vcntured beyond the
limits assigned 10 the steerage passenger,
and appeared OF the quarter deck. Capt.
Stout observing II, came up, and In u very
pefemptory manner, asked him how he
dared 10 inttudc there, and ordered him
trvt....ty 80 -~st~~i HtL:~ rs=o@ ~t~~~~~@
passenger became the richest individual in
the Western hemisphere, and could look
down upon those who then held him in so
much contempt. On his voyage he he
came acquainted with II copntryman Of
his, who Induced Mr.. A. to learn this art.
The main portion of Mr.. Astor's property
at this time consisted Of seven flutes from
his brothers. mandatory, al London,
which, with Il few other articles bf mer-
chan9iFe, he sold and invested the small
| proceeds in furs, and commenced learning
the fur trade In Gold street by beating
skins. He was soon after engaged as
clerk in the fur establishment Of Robert
Bovine, a good old quaker, who prlzed Mr..
Aston very much for his u%ntifing industry
and fidelity. Subsequently, by the aid Of
n few thousands from his brother Harry, a
rich Bowery butcher, he engaged in bust
ness for himself, assoCisted" with the late
Cornelius Heycr, associated with Mr..
Smith the farther of Garrtt Smith.
From The time of the establishment oI
the American Fur Company, Mr.. Astor
became largely engaged in commerce
His ships ffeighted with flrs for France.
England, Germany and Russia-and pei
tries, ginsing, and dollars for China, nov
ploughed every sea to receive these pro-
ducts of the New World, and exchange
them for the valuable commodities Of the
Old. Mr.. Astor's instructions to his cap
tains were minute and exceedingly partic
uIar. He evinced almost as intimate &
knowledge with the various markets il
which he traded, as though he had been {
resident ofeach respective mart. In The
distribution Of his cargoes at home, and i II
exchanging his commodities with the ma
tiyes, Mr.. A,tor exercised n minute IN
s~pection even to the smallest details, an
seemed 10 possess an almost lntultiyt
knowledge oftbe market, not only in the
limited States, but also in Canada. 4e
Mr.. Astor did not bestow at his counting.
house more than half the time most mer
chants feel compelled 10 give their con
:. Germs II has been remarked Of him, b
one ofhis intimate friends, a mpn Of som
emincnce, that Mr. Astor was capable {
commanding an army Of 100000 ner
During a good portion ofMr. Astor's actiy
life, he resided in u large house ia tn
lower part Of Broadway, and lived in
style Of prineely magnjfccure, attended b
servants from some Of the various nation
with which he traded, and among ther
some from the Empire Of the CeIe-tials
His house was furnished Nth the riches
> plate, and his apartments adorned wit
works ofart, among which was q cupid, b
Nignard, which wal regarded as y wor
of rare merit, and for which Astor paid
princely sum.
INDi NttustdiItnS dhF hIa5
cess or Mr.. Astor's business operation
vet the greatest source Of his wealth ha
resulted from the increased value of rel
estate consequenton the continued grows
ofthe city. At an early day be ioresa
he future greatness ofthis emporium
the Western Continent, and was wont
convert two thirds Of his annual gains in
real estate, not ore foot Of which he ey
mortgaged. It has been his policy to il
IN vest in mortgages on the best proper
n offered, and in ease of foreclosure. viii
has often happened, he has bought i
property in at much less than its real galu
- In this mode together with The continue
increasing value Of real estate in this CT
. he has multiplied his wealth far beyo
the natural accumulation Of riches by |
ordinary interest, and thence, too, the b'
D. of his property. Mr. Aston has vast Ira
ofIand IN Missouri, Wisconsin, Iowa, a