The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1865-03-03


of life of many, New York merchants, and
| stock jobbing. Nevertheless, be was no
plodder whe, Flooding had ceased to be
acc essary.
He was very mean. lie once lost the
services of one of his best captains and
| $4,000 into the bargain. by refusing 10
paw for thermometer which the captain
said his ship needed. The captain left
his service and entered that of another
house. He ran cargo Of teas into New
York just seven days after one belonging
TO Mr., Aslor had arrived. Astor not ex-
pec,ing another ship to arrive for months,
had made no hurry to sell bis cargo, and
before he had got ready to dispose of it,
second ship load coming in glut,ed the
market, and Astor lost all the profits Of
the voyage, which be bad estimated at
$4,000. Meeting the captain shortly sf-
ter in Broadway, he SAID: 81 had better
have paid for that thermometer of yours"
lie was afterwards c ad to ge. the caps
tain back into his service. This same
captain afterwards saved Mir Aston $780,
600. As,or's agent in China bad died
with that amount of his principals prop
erty in his hands. The captain, who was
in Canton a. the time, well knew that if
this immense property fell into the pos
session OF the Celestial officials, no, one
dollar Of it would ever reach America,
By a series oil bold measures he secured
the money, and made it yield profit to
the owner. Mr.. Astor acknowledged the
service. He said many times; "If you
had no! done just IS you did, should
never have seen one dollar ofmy money
no, not one dollar Of II" but he never
paid him for his service, though the cap
tain had TO support bis wife and children
on saIery Ct 500 a month. and hi, en-
ployer was worth ten millions.
Once, also, he gave one of bia captains
immense trouble to get two pipe. of Ma
deira wine from under a cargo of teas,
which he was sending to Amsterdam for
Il market. 1t took two days to disinter
the casks. He promised the captain a
demijohn of wine for bis labor, but be
never 60; it. Once afterwards, the cap
tain reminded him of his prom Use, "Ah,"
said Aston, don't you know the reason {?
1t isn't fine yet: wait till ii is fine. and
you'll say you never tasted such Madeira"
The captain waited, tut never beard Of
the wine again.
1t was neither furs nor teas that gave
him S2O,000,O00. When be arrived ia
New York, it contained only % coo in
habitants. In 1900, when lie began to
have money to invest, the city had begun
to double ID population, and had sdvanc-
ed near mile up the island.
Aston foresaw its future growth. ard
bough, ali the lands and lots just beyo
the verge of the city that be could get
One little anecdoIe will show the wisdom
vicinity of Wall street, in 1910, for S.
600, which was supposed to be somewhat
under its value. The purchaser, after the
papers were signed, seemed disposed to
chukle over bis bargain. Why, Mr.
Aston" said he, F." this will be worth So :
O00.'
Every true" replied Astor; "hut
now YOU shall see VIA: will do with this
rnoLev, With eight thousand dollars |
tuy eighty lots above canal street. BY
the time your lot is worth So 900 my
eighty lots will be worth SS0,000." which
proved to te the fact. In the course of
time the Island was dotted all over with
| Astor lands, to such an extent that tie
| whole income Of bis estate for fifty wears
could be invested in houses, without buy
ing any more land.
In 1900 more than seven hundred fam
lilies were residing in one third of Putnam
county, New York, on farms, the titles Of
which were given by the state. The land
originally belonged to a family named
Morris, who were tories. and their estate
was accordingly coufiscated. Aslor dis
covered that Mr. and A.rs. Morris had
ohly life estate in the land, and accord
$40, 600. Mr.. Morris was then dead aud
his widow was nearly eighty, ard very in
firm. In few years he commenced urg>
ing his claims There was, of course,
great CONSERVATION in Putnam county
| Commissioners were appointed by the leg
islature TO investigate the subject. They
asked him fer What he VI uld compromise
lie replied 100000. This was refused
The affair fingered on until 1927, when a
! tesl Case was Drought 10 lIidI Dablel
| Webster and Martin Var Burer We're re
tanned for The state. Emme: Ogden and
Aaron Burr. the latter privately, were Mr.
| Astor's counsel. lie won the suit, and on
receiving about half a million of dollars,
tie titles were secured to the occupants
We pass over his magnificent Historian
scheme, which however grand in design,
was not a pecuuiary success.
Mr.. Astor was a firm believer in the
destiny of the United States In other
words. he held It's public stock in pro-
found respect. He had hlte to say OF
politics, but was supporter of the Wing
party and was never better pleased than
to have Henry Clay at his house. The
last considerable sum he wa. known to
give away wss contribution 10 aid in the
election Of Mr.. Clay. When asked he
answered: 81 am not interested in these
things. These gentlemen who are in the
business ought to give. | don't make
money any more, and haven't any con,
Germ in the matter" One of the commit
tee replied Why, Mr.. Astor, you are
| like Alexander, when he wept because