The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-12-03

Aud ti,c Cause That Led 10 ft'
Close.
Tie New Work tclc gram Ia The Cih-'
..o Titilr> -fR~. Nm. ~ A,ior- thr
-rp al t.c rrlwhTaied JOAN .iaroo AsIor'
y hu diced 80 to-day. wss ".'e 81 i"e
~ al''i,.>i haidcr- "f nal c~isie uisiA
f,ts .ursfnrs,f. and Vas veil k"owh o.
-sfr tor his manv gifts 90 thi> city ANA
ST. rhrriifc> iIi> death wa~ not "ntireN
t,...t.-,-tr.l q. hi. irmils. and h -rrfi
.-. ~. s-s "a his sab t"aFl .irt itd
t..,i b., a.. is,ficf HAT death MIGHT &C.
,-,.f N sty time. although be- appeared
=, r...,..l araIrh. During De rccci.t ~
,,es,.li,.. oil The Aston House hr Vs.
-. often ia lie building. inspecting
shr changes that were bring made ana
,.,.a he seemed 10 hc la goad health,
although hi, miai al timc~ appeared 70
h .i.ssilv affected. lie Ma Al ms
.sf.-. on ia>i saturday. lie VIII he,
lsi.ri.l frnm Trinity Chapei. on saiur-
ia, William b. A~t"r Wa hori' ~
". Ia iiraiway. in March lFst Ap-.
mfed go ilie namc - John jacob As
.sr. hi~ rii.rr. III the New York dire
tar,. were gisss.e worls: tnuier- l4sl
i.ralwa,l. Wm l.. i@or'~ earliest re-
t,rnhr.ta--- are connected with hls
fathers Store. he esrif learned 80 as
-,r The fur and help &" beat theri ani
Tee thcn ira,i moths. While hIs iath-
~ wa -nrkTr. hi~ pipe and PLAYING
checkers anf drinking beer and ocea-
~ionaliy going 90 the theaier,
al. yoerrSr was RkrIDLY ACcUALLsT-
10.
No -peeial pains we're iskca with
William earliest education- With 9TH
~ bov- of his age he went "a the pub
Ii- schools Finally his either. scr,n,
thr growing expansion % hi> business
and wealth. and particularly after b.
haa begun sending hi furs 10 China
ami bringing back cas-ocs Of teas -on
.inrle cargoes Of which he ofien real
led h-mi-anc fartune--.ielerminfd
10 give MIN a thorough education. such
r, womll Il him for his 'rtare position
and 10 carry on the gigaHtic business -
rapidly swelling 90 colossal proportions
shortly sftcr he fafl,er sea. hi2 10
heidelberg University in Germany
where ~ remained several ycI4~. ac-
cuiuing hiin~cif with marked honorS
"a his -tuiic~. and likewise IN .Or- sing
inr and sword exercise. Ills university
studies finished. BE- made y hai was then
called the grand tour ~all over Europe.
William 3. A-ior's tuition. upon his re-
iurn home. was ion- and lLOroug
one lie learuei his father, business
anil advanced with him by the stepping
stones 10 fortune Is the iuiruIiiiss
of aye grew uron hi father. the ION
took main charge Of the business.
Meantime he had quite an independent
property OF his ow =. His unclc. Henry
Aston. hah died. leaving him halt a
million Of dollars This he Invested,
aud ia ISIS John J. built the Aston
House. and transferred II 10 hi> SON ioE
dollar His iathcr also gave him, sew
eral year. before bis death. his rel
dcnce III Lafayette place, gcW q resiau.
rant. adjoining he Aston library. Win
p. Asfors father died about = year.
ago. Tie was buried lis ~. Thomas
church.. and sub-rguS aiiy transferred q
Fifty third street and E.iih avenue.
Ills EsTATE wAs ESTIMATED ar S2OOCi..
GO.
lis viii covered Eve columns If The
newspapers. and ia i, he Indicated tbs
dispO -itiom 81 BIZ va,t wealth. William
D., who has just died being his princi-
pal legaiec. lie was then the richest mau
On the continent. The first ihing dat
Mr. 4 ~iOr did upon succeeding 10 hi-
colossal inheritance was TO carry out
the bequests Of biz father. lie sent one
IL hi- own sons TO WaklOrf. 10 attend
personally 10 the disposition Of the
funds assigned for besiowal there. He
al.o distributed S50ODJ IN charity. n
willed by his father. The beque~i-
amounted 10 S3Os001. the rest fen 10
bis son. The original fund FOR founding
the \ -tor Library was SlO0.0nO. Of which
SlO0.CuO Ma to be expended in the site
and building and in the purchase 81
books. and $4,000 to be invested a. 4
fund 10 increase the library. IL l. un-
Necessary 10 call TO mind now the cere-
monies Of the opening: 10 call 20 mind
the pleasant presence and graceful smile
Of Wa hington Irving. IL was a noble
Request, and the public appreciated II
~ such. The amount expended NJ 10
The present moment on this library has
been about SsO0.OsO VIM. II. A stor'S
fortune j. estimated AZ S9oucO co. but
on this subject he was always very reu-
cent To show his generous dispo .ition.
he gave an annuity o. 5000 per annuin
90 H. Cogg~weil. former librarian Of the
A-ior library. Mr. Astor married 4
daughter % Gen. Armstrong. secretary
of war aud had six children by her.
i've ct whom are Twin. --ihrce cons and
two daughters. Since 1871 the family
have lived on Lexington avenue. Their
suTnmcrs Were spent At Rhiucbcck. near
larry town. "n the Hudson. The de-