The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-03-20

mense population here proves how truly
. man made the town"
The Land Office is situated In Prince
street, near Broadway. One might easily
pass the little one-story brick Office with
out noticing It's character, and even the
little tin sign ("entrance next door fails
To convey n correct idea OF the place.
Next door" Is "A two-story building. and
il is the real office, the other being mere
~ the tire-proof depository of deeds and
other valuable papers. Here three or four
clerks and collectors are employed ui.der
the supervision OF Astor's two sons, John
Jacob and william, the former OF whom
Is expected 10 inherit the largest portion
of the estate. The plan Of letting houses
is as follows: The buildings are registered
in "A book, and are so carefully described
that one can see AT "A glance the size and
condition of each, and TO this j. fixed the
rent and the term of years thar will be
given. All applicants are answered from
this book, and they need not attempt 10
" beat down." Ii the building stand idle
on account of high rent. II i less damage
than the variation from an established sys-
tenn. The mex business after settling the
rent is what amount OF repairs shall be
done. This Is generally "A fruitful source
of dispute between landlord and tenant,
but Mr.. Astor confides il To a man who
has been many years in his service. This
man is "A carpenter, and is Astor's general
Inspector, and his report is final. Ii "A ten
ant can persuade him that repairs should
be made, the point is won; il not, he need
go no further.
The Astors have had a great deal of luck.
Fol- instance, John Jacob (the old mani
had a brother Henry Astor who was = IA
nous butcher in the Bowery. He left an
estate of 100000, and bequeathed ii all 10
William, his nephew, who Of course need
ed II. This was nearly forty years ago.
and this legacy, withinterest, now amounts
10 about 81. DOC, 200, which il more than
equal to the present cost of the famous
Aston Library, adding interest from the
first endowment. Another fortunate thing
Is that Astor's principal purchases were
on the west side of the city, instead OF the
east side, for the one has improved three
times as fast as the other. This incessant
improvement causes frequent change in
the magic figures of the rent roll. For in
itance. the eight stores i'm the basement of
the Aston House were once dear az 1000:
then came the gradual process of sticking
sem up" and now they are each worth
$1,000 q year. The Aston was a first-class
investment. II cost $500 900, and would
now bring three times that sum.
The bulk OF the Astor estate will. on the
death of VIM. b. Aston, pass into the
hands of his Oldest son. John Jacob. He
Is a large. heavy built man. of mild and in
offensive temperament, and. like his father.
of a negative character. Like him. how
ever, he knows how TO ''hold on" lie
retains the coarse, German (blonde) fea-
lures. and might be taken for a Prussian
Of ordinary stamp. This retention of the
old features of life on the Rhine" tends TO
preserve the family, and their SIMPLE and
economical manners ward off the dangers
of high life. John Jacob has a large brick
house on the Fifth avenue, near Stewards
palace, and this may be considered the
manor house of the largest estate in the
Union. This estate Is the grand object of
his care his father was chiefly to be con
sidered as the impersonal agent of an inn
mense property, and John Jacob j. also "A
mere land agent. whose object will be to
p~erpetuate IL TO his children. The time
will come. however, when this property
will be divided and reach at last other
owners. Variability will assert its laws in
this as well as in other destinics, and the
Aston estate may yet be only a renewed
lessen of the transitory nature of earthly
things.