Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-10-08

which had been willed to him by his father as
sort of private asylum. His surviving son,
VIM. B. Astor, has more than doubled the pa
ternal fortune, not so much by judicious in.
vestments as by holding to every foot OF real
estate inherited by him.
He in turn has had but two sons VIM. b.
Astor, Jr., and John Jacob Astor. The for
mer greatly resembles his father in appearance
and disposition. Like him, he is cautious,
conservative, phlegmatic, and adheres to his
possessions with extreme tenacity. About
fifty-three or four, he promises to live as long
as his opulent papa, now an octogenarlaan1.
John Jacob Astor, who is half a century old,
is reputed to have large share OF his grand
fathers financial genius. In addition to the
vast estate he will inherit, he has acquired
some s1O,0OO,O0O by his own management,
and it is thought that he will die as wealthy
as his father, whose fortune may be now com
puted at from s8O,000000 to S10O,OOO,OOO.
think VIM. B. and John Jacob Astor
likewise have each two sons, the dual being
the exact number nature seems willing to al
low to some of our Manhattan millionaires.
Stewart has been deprived altogether of issue,
and it appears to be pity that Vanderbilt
and the Astors, grandfather, father, sons and
grandsons, could have but brace of boys
each, to expend in riotous living what their
progenitors have so carefully accumulated.
The JEwELLER OF AscALoN.-Many years
ago I heard Rev. Hosea Ballou preach SER
mon on the subject of 6lial love, from the
text-"Honor thy father and thy mother
in the course of which he related the follow
ing story. Very likely it has been in print.
lift has, it will bear printing again.
Dana was the chief jeweller Of Ascalon,
and eminently distinguished for his exempla-
ry life and many virtues. On certain oc-
casion committee of the elders called upon
him for the purpose Of purchasing precious
stones with which to ornament the ephod Of
the high priest. Diamonds were the stones
they sought, and having thus Informed the
ieweller, they offered him what they consider
ed a fair price for the gems. Dana told them
he could not at that time attend to them, and
bade them call again later in the day. The
elders did not wish to be thus put off; and
moreover, they suspected that this was only a
ruse on the part of the jeweller to increase
the price of the stones They persisted in
their demand for immediate attention. Dla-
monds such as only Dana possessed were
necessary to complete the ephod. and they Of
fered double, and triple, the price they had
at first proposed. But Dana was immovable,
and they finally went away greatly disap-
pointed, not to say wrathful
Later in the day the elders called again,
and Dana placed before them the diamonds
they desired, and when they had made their
selection they rendered to him the higher
price which they had last offered.
"No," said the jeweller. "Your first offer
was all the stones are worth, and that only
will I take"
"Why, then," exclaimed the chief of the
elders, in astonishment, "did you not close
with that offer this morning2"
Because" answered Dana, ."my father
had the key of the chest in which the dia-
monds were deposited, and he was at that
time asleep. He is aged and infrm, and his
short hour of sleep was of more worth to him
than was your increased offer of price to me.
NV father has not so many comforts that |
can knowingly deprive him of single one OF
them"
The High Priest, when he had heard the
story, came to the jewellers house, and laid
his hand upon Dama's head, and said
blessed be thou by Him who hath said
Honor thy father and thy MOTHER and in
time to come may thy children honor thee as
thou has honored the author of thy being"