Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1854-11-01

1
and her revolving provinces. the thirteen
State of New York, some even in th,
neghborhooda of New York city, were vo
ted by Congress TO the German soldiers
who had fought in the American army
The latter were chiefly Hesse- -Darnistad
ters. Most of them died in the course o
the year, without having Succeeded ii
con- citing this property into money; but
the relatives ana heirs they left behind
them in Germany did5not forges chase lit
tie inheritances. Upon the occasion of q
visit made by Astor to Heidelberg. in, la.
ter years. most Of the parties last referred
to, as fnheriting the allotments ofsthe de.
ceased German soldiers, and residing in
heidelberg, united and made our friend
their legally authorized attorney. in order
to realize something, if possible. from their
hitherto useless acres. But the hoped for
increase OF the value Of this property was,
on the whole, rather slow in coming, and
the heirs wanted money. moneys quick
and ready MONEY.
Astcr having been applied to on this
score, told them that in order to get ready
money. they must reckon up the real pre-
SShG foluS VI GllO CtS4 l(SSllS anu uOb tAuI
imagined value of the land, and that only
through pretty considerable sacrifice could
they get the cash for the same. There
upon the parties advised with each other.
and finally Astor received peremptory or
ders to sell, without delay. Unknown
spectators were found; the proceeds were
small, but the heirs got what they want
ed-money at the present day, many
Of these pieces of ground are among the
most valuable and most important in the
city. and have gradually passed through
Astor into other hands; the unknown spec
ulators, however, faded from the memory
of every body.
Astor, at the moment Of the embargo,
was in the possession of several millions,
SO that he was enabled to give his son,
William B. Astor, who was educated at
Gottingen 1.-The magnificent hotel on Broad
way called the castor House," which
cost the sum of 100000.
The permission, procured by the parish,
10 send dout ships in ballast, to bring home
silver, had given Astor the idea that the
same privilege might be extended to ves-
sells dispatched for the purpose of bring
ing home the amount Of debts due abroad
III SOOuS' w I'LL LlllS NlS"y uS "cuG W
Washington, and there, under the pre-
tence that he had an important depot Of
teas at Canton, obtained the desired per.
mission to send vessel thither in ballast.
This step, however, was only the forerun-
ner of another one. AsLor, in reality,
owned no depot Of teas at Canton, and
hence it simply came to this, that he
would, according to the usual custom,
send money to purchase the article.
The exceptional favor Of sending schoo-
ners in ballast TO Vera Cruz, which Par
ish had up to this time enjoyed, but which
was now gradually extended to other YES
sells, whose destination was not to bring
back gold and silver values, but goods on
American account, sufficiently showed
that under certain circumstances, there
was no disposition to grant free exit to
ships in ballast for particular object
And now arose another. point-namely,
whether empty vessels, which, however
had silver on board, could be regarded as
in ballast. The precious metals are. in
most countries, not looked upon as wares
although in some they are SO classified.
1t was not exactly advisable to bring on
y discussion of the question, whether the
expectation Of silver in otherwise unladen
vessels should depend upon it or not
The query was, whether foreign crcdi-
tor, who had come to collect the money
owed him by American merchants. would
be permitted to take the funds really thus
received, back with him. In Washington
there appeared every disposition to allow
this. Now it was well known, in the nor
thern ports of the United States, that the
leading native merchants of Canton had
never hesitated to accord their regular
spondents, returning year out and
year in from the United States, certain
credits which amounted TO considerable
sums: Upon this Astor based his plan.
He hunted up. among the Chinese sailors,
or Lascars, on the ships lately arriving
from China, fellow suited to his purpose.
dressed him as a Mandarin, and took him
with him to Washington. where he had to
play the part of the Chinese creditor. un-
der the name of Hong Qua or Kina Holu.
No one dreamed of suspecting the Man
darin's identity, and Astor pushed his
scheme safely through. The $500, 900
he sent to Canton were expended there in
tea and other Chinese articles, and within
a year afterwards returned in that shape
to Astor's hands, and were used by him
to excellent account. A stroke of skill
had been achieved whose morality no one
in the United States doubted for a mo-
ment.
Astor has left fortune OF about S1e.-
100000. chiefly to his only son. His
mind was necessarily busted with the in
crease of his resources, and had no other
direction. He was compelled by ply
slcal infrmity, to repair to Paris, where
he could avail himself of the skilful assis'
tance of Baron Dupuytren. The latter
thoroughly restored him, and advised him
to ride out every day. He frequently