Ellsworth American., 1875-12-02
General News.
The Astors.


William b. A-ior the New York million
airc. died on Wednesday at the a.e Of Isl.
lie vas - well a. usual the SATURDAY. be-
tore hi drath-Eiyiug hi- daily attention
Ia hi> Immense business. On SUNDAY aud
Monday lie grew e.ble with symptom, of
pneumonia. bnt retained hi consciousness.
to the end. He leaves two sons. john ia
cob and William Il. Jr., and two married
daughters to inherit hi, vast estate valued
al more than one hundred-somc say two
hundred million dollArs-,wIce "a much a.
all the property of Portland.
John Jacob Astor, father OF William b !.
WAS probably worth thirty million dollars
~ hen lac died iu ls43. Much ha, been
written OF h. eccsLtriciiy and business
prosperity. Born In Germany. 1868. hc
cmi.rated to London at sixteen years of
are. and u the niicd States four wears
latcr-ihc very year in which our indep.n-
dencc WAS Acknowledged by Great Britain
ON the voyage hc became acquainted with
a iur trader. by who>c advice he exchanged
his mu,ical instruments for iurs in New
York. With these fur- he FASTENED back
10 London. where he adyaniageou.y dis
posed OF them. after which he again pre-
pared To cross the Atlantic. determined to
appy himself systematically to the fnr
trade. Meanwhile he made himself famil-
lar with the different kinds OF fur and stud
led the continental markets. On his return
t. America he established himself IN New
! orr. where he aiteTN ards continued to
reside. IL the pursuit Of h.s business he
frequently visited London. however aud
the distant trading pot, in Canada. IIi-
extensive acquaintance with trappers aud
trader, enabled him to profit largely by
sending furs to Europe aud the East when
the treaty negotiated by Mr.. Jay in 1894
removed the restrictions TO their exporia-
ton which had previously existed. About
this time his business became SO exten-
sive thar he had dealings in every quart
er OF the globe. He was worth $3.50 600
the result Of sixteen years OF business, at
the beginning OF the century.
The house in which William b the son
was born in 1892, was situated Oh the site
Of the present Astor House-the lowest
floor being used a fur store and the sec
ord floor as a family residence. William
b. received u good education. and early
developed the money getting and saving
propensities of his father Al the death of
the latter, the former was worth six million
dollars. acquired by bequest Of an uncle
and by sharp traffic.
The life of William b. Astor was really
uneyentlul. He spent his many years in
managing his large estate. He passed his
life in his Office in Prince street. just out
OF Broadway. A large man. six feet tall,
with STOPPING shoulders. carelessly dress
ed, seldom carrying an umbrella. He at
tended personally TO the details OF his i'm
mense business. No clerk was more faith
ful than he. His heavy unimpressible face
! was at his desk early in the morning and
be never lett it until five in the after
noon. He owned many leaseholds which
zsr -. IL
! dollar of rent or income aud could answer
| all questions connected with his vast es-
tate. He is said to have saved 81 l.000. 900
year. He was short aud business-like in
his answers TO questions that were daily
| put TO him. and he was never at fault. con-
cerning details OF facts. In business hours
he never did anything in the way of chari-
ty.. Only at LONE was he generously hos
pitable.
Mr.. Astor married daughter of Gener-
| al Armstrong. who was secretary of wa
under President Madison He had six
chlldren-three sons and three daughters.
In summer the family lived near Tarrytown
and in winter in Lexington avenue. One
| of his SONS served on Mcclellan staff dur
ing the war. aud the others attended to
business connected with the estate.
With all his immense wealth, Mr.. Astor
hH' ii'cu SohpdI dti'els useltes me, anu
he dies nourned by only small circle of
friends. As many estim ate success in this
life, he was the most successful man of the
age. But as God estimates success. as we
shall all estimate il when we "see eye TO
eye, Astor's life has been fearful fall
ure. He has illustrated the brute law of
getting. but he utterly failed to respond
TO the divine rule of giving" BY the side
OF Henry Wilson, dying almost penniless,
yet rich In good influences. in faith aud in
character. william b. Astor appears IN
conspicuous contrast Lewiston Journal.