The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-04-29
From New York.
"Msrtel,r y the sprightly correspondent Of
Tho Concord On. il } Statesman, thus dis.

Hu1 fi'IiI rliuJi- G hta -
"Aisrtel, y the sprightly correspondent Of
tho Concord On. IL Statesman, thus dis.
courscth: ,, ~ r..rE4f -. L
William B. Astor Is the biggest landlord
In America. In this city q man iscsteomed
fortunate, very fortunate, If during life-
time Of hardwork he can. besides support
Ing q family, pay for house 1t Is very
rare 70 find man who. In addition TO his
own dwelling. has another to rcnt. Aman
with ten houses is small wonder; and rs
for tho owner of n hundred houses, thero
arc not six in tho city. This progression
Of numbers will afford some idea Of Astor's
wealth, since he owns moro than six hun
drVt houses. Ast0r Is now an old man,
and he has passed his days in siinply get
ting rieh. He Is a regular attendant OF st.
Rarth0l0mew's Church. where every Sab
bath no joins In the service n part ofwhich
Is the prayer ''Giye MS this day our daily
broad.n Poor fellow! How earnest q pe-
tition this must be! Surely, tho owner Of
six hundred houses should not be allowed
togo hungry. IL so. o..where would he tho
reward of virtiep Astor's house-letting
plan u to have all his houses registered I'm
q hook, tho size Of tho. lot. and that of tho
house being carefully noted. Tho namo
of tho street. tho number of stories and tho
date Of erection arc also recorded, togcth-
er with the rent and the length Of the lease.
This book Is diligently studied, and tho
rates arc varied according 10 tho advance
In v,luos. 1t happens that the Astor cs-
tato Is located in that part of New Y ork
which feels most perceptabfy the march Of
Improvement. We're IL ON tho east side Of
tho town, II would have been thir,l nste
properly; but being on tho west side, it
has participated in an enormous advance.
Hence the house-list and rent-roll need con-
tinual study, in order To estimate the nd
VANCE which can be made.a For instance,
there are eight stores which occupy the
basement of the Astpr house. They were
mt first rented ut 81 800 each, which was M
enormous figure. Then came tho advance,
year by year, until the growing figure las
REACHED $4,000. Mr.. Astor's plan is TO fix
q price for his houses which he knows can
bo obtained q and when that price Is fixed,
no ono need waste words in trying to beat
down. It viii bring that, or stand empty.
The next question is the amount of repair
II may be entitled to-; and this point Is u
fruitful source Of quarrcling between land
lord and tenant. Mr.. 'AstOr entrusts this
TO ono man, who has long been In his ser
vice and his confidence. This is tho car
penter Vredenburgh. lie Is directed to
examine each house, and his report Is final.
Vredenburgh has force of workmen who
carry out his orders; and tho six hundred
honses keep him busy, Mr.. Astorhas ono
advantage over other. landlords-he pays
noinsurance. He shis own underwater,
and saves all the profits of That business,
/ met this colossus of real estate lately,
and could not but remark how utterly
his appearance bellies his position. Stand
ing on the steps of u store aud gazing on
the hcaving crowd, my attention was at
trncted by n large and somewhat clumsy
fprm, plainly dressed and bearing a, very
ordinary countenance. 1io lid not look
like u laboring man, neither would have
connected him with mercantile or profess
sional life. He had that mir which indi-
Gated subordinate rank In some respect
able sphere, and might have been taken
for the porter of bank or mt best for the
surveyor of an insurance company,
This man / recognized rs the owner OF
the six hundred houses above mentioned.
1t is quito remarkable that though he has
passed all his whole life in q city, Mr..
Astor has nothing of what is called city
polish. lie has mono of the sprightly
manners of the man Of business, OF the
bold. nonchalant mir Of the man of the
world. On the other hand. he Is the quiz
ct, careful manager of u large estate.
which he will make rs much out of rs
possible. He has pursued this occupa-
tion for half century, and his position
has barred him In no small degree from
his fellow men. The capitalist and the
working man are generally conscious of
u dividing line, and the man of six hun.
dred houses is proportionly separated
from mankind. He has increased in
wealth twenty, millions since his father
died twenty-five years ago, while thOus-
ands have persisted by famine and. cold
and the miseries of poverty. How much
sympathy with his race can such man
have? r-i-rH5-g 80 rrar
NEXT THING TO RENTS,
This Is interest money. Few out of
the small percentages of real estate hold
ers own thcir property clear, and about
five hundred millions are lent on mort
gage. Many Of these mortgages were
given before the legal tender act was
passed, and tho liability to pay in gold in
stead of paper casts . heavy burden up
on the morgagers. At the present rate,
the advance Is not large; but 1t Is doubt
full If gold remains ut its present low fig
urc. Indeed ! know of nothing els
which Is down within ten per cent OF the
prices of 1860. Any strong bull movce
mcnt would put goldup, and any nation
al trouble or difficulty with foreign pow
ers would also occasion an advance
Hence these borrowers might be com.
pclled to pay interest In gold at liz or
perhaps mt $50, MS the case may be.
They will feel much better now since the
Supreme Court has decided to reopen
the case, when the recent decision may
bc reversed.
WHO ARE IN THE RING.
The New York Ring Is n fresh ill,istra-
ton of the power which. n few men cap
exercise over % vast number, and the re-
cent quarrel among them Is now making
some rare disclosures. Venice had her
council of Ten, Rome had hor Triumvir-
ate, and by % similar rule New-fork has
her Ring" The Ring controls the pat
ronagc Of tho city. and Of course receives
NIL tho taxes. 1t Is composed Of tho SUI
pcrvisors. the comptroller. tho chamber
lain, tho mayor and n few politicians.
Upon tho whole, ], suppose that about five
millions a year are cribbcd by the Ring.
We pay twenty-five millions a year for