The weekly pioneer and Democrat., 1865-02-03
SAINT PAUL ssi,ii,a,Y, FEBRUARY g. 1865

; SAINT PAUL. sSitils \ ]
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, rsr..,. ~ sI...rrsgl rsaA a!ia
hurry to sell his cargo and befyse be hal
got ready to dispose Of it, Sc :ond ship
load coming in, glutted the market, and
Astor lost all the profit of the voyage,
which he had estimated q. 5S70, 0,000.'
Meeting the Captain shortly after 10
Broadway, he said "I had better have
paid for that chronometer of yours I" .'..''
He was afterward glad to get the Cap
Captain afterward saved Mr. ,Astor $70,-
900. Astors agent in China had died
with that amount of bis principals prop
erty in his hands. The Captain, who was
in Canton at the time, well knew that if
this immense property fell into the pos
session of the Celestial officials, not one
dollar of it would ever reach America.
By series of bold measures be secured
the money, and made it yield q profit to
the owner. Mr.. Astor acknowledged the
service. He said many times: eff you
had not done inst as you did, I should
never have seen one dollar of my money !;
no, not one dollar Of it; but he never
paid him for bis services, though the Cap
tain had to support his wife and children
on salary of 500 month, and his en-
ployer was worth ten millions. ...r,,.
| Once, also, be gave one of his Captains
immense trouble to get two pipes Of Ma
deira wine from under cargo of teas
which he was sending to Amsterdam for q
market. It took two days to disinter the
casks. He promised the captain demi-
john of wine for his labor, but he never
| got it. Once, afterwards, the captain re-.
minded him of his promise. "Ah," said
Astor, "dont you know the reason3 1t
isn't fine yet; wait till it is fine, and you'll
say you never tasted such Madeira"
| The captain waited, but never heard of
the wine again. . -."
HOW HE MADE H1s MONEY. ra =
| 1t was neither furs nor teas that gave
him $20, 90, 900. When he arrived in New
York, it contained only $4,000 inhabi-
tants. In 1900, when he began to have
money to invest, the city had begun to
double in population, and had advanced
nearly mile up the island.
Astor foresaw its future growth, and
bought all the lands and lots just beyond
the verge of the city, that he could get
One little anecdote will show the wisdom
of this proceeding. He sold lot in the
vicinity Of Wall street, in 1910, for $8, 900,
which was supposed to be somewhat under
its value. The purchaser, after the pa
pers were signed, seemed to be disposed
to chuckle over his bargain "Why, Mr..
Astor, said he, "this lot will be worth
$12, 900.
"Very true" replied Astor "but now
you shall see what l will do with this
money. With eight thousand dollars will
buy eighty lots above Canal street. By
the time your lot is worth $4,000, my
eighty lots will be worth $50, ,O0O," which
proved to be the fact. In the course of
time the island was dotted all over with
Astor lands to such an extent that the
whole income of his estate for fifty years
could be invested in new houses, without
buying any more land.
| In 1909, more than seven hundred fami-
lies 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 family named
Morris, who were tories, and their estate
was accordingly coniscated. Astor dis
covered that Mr.. and Mrs. Morris had only
a life estate in the land, and accordingly
purchased the rights of the heirs for f2O,-
900. Mr.. Morris was then dead, and his
widow was nearly eighty, and very inHrm.
In few years be commenced urging bis
claims. There was, of course, great con-
sternation In Putnam county. Oommis-
sioners were appointed by the Legislature
to inve-tigate the subject, They asked
him for what he would compromise. he
replied $500, 900. This was refused. The
affair fingered on until 1897, when q test
case was brought to trial. Daniel Web
ster and Martin Van Buren were retained
for the State. Emmet Ogden and Aaron
Burr, the latter privately, were Mr.. As
tors counsel. Hewon the suit, and on re-
csiving about half million dollars the
titles we're secured to the occupants We
pass over his magnificent Astorian scheme,
which, however grand in design, was not
pecuniary success. =. ...
l. SO HH oPnuoss AND HABrs. -'a
Mr.. Astor was q firm believer in the
destiny of the United States. In other
words be held its public stock in profound
respect He had little to say Of politics,
but was q supporter Of the Wing party,
and was never better pleased than to have
Henry Clay at his house.. The last cen-
siderable sum he vas known to give, was
q contribution to MD in the election Of Mr..
Clay. When asked he answered: +" am
not Interested in these things. These gen.
temeu who are in business ought to give.
don't make money any more, and have
not any concern In the matter" One Of
the committee replied: T" Why, 4r. Astor,
you are like Alexander, when be wept be.
cause there were 10 more worlds to con-
quer. You have made al the money, and
now there is NO more money 10 make "
The Old eye twinkled at ths blended COM
pliment and let "Ha. hA. hai yecy