Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1875-12-10
The Dead CrSesMs-- william b
Aston aud His One Hundred
tat Millions. ~ ~

| William B. Astor's eldest brother was Z
person OF eccentricities and could not be
trusted alone His tutor was appointed
his guardian at ha ndsome salary, and at
tended him wherever he went. He was
often very violent in his dealings with
those with whom he came in contact, and
his qaarrels With his guardian were fire.
quent. He was secluded from soc ETY. as
far as possible, and vas for long time
confined in his house at Fourte nth street
and Ninth avenue, New York, and there
he died a few years ago.
William b. As.or lived for long time
in Lafayette Place, in mansion adjoining
the Aston Library. He owned ? 500 houses
and buldmg-lots in New York, and his to-
tai wealt'2 was recently estimated at $780,
100000. MIR. Astor had more improved
real estate than any other four men in the
city, excluding Willism Rhinelander, the
Geolets, A. T. Stewart and The Beekmans.
Most of the large tenement houses around
Tompkins Square and along First avenue
and avenues A and 3 belong to the Aston
estate, as also do whole blocks in Sixth
avenue. from Sixteenth street to Fortieth
street. The old Bowery Theatre and the
old Park Theatre were ON his land. He
was always ready to buy real estate where
ne could get it cheap. It was his rule
never to sell any of his houses or lots He
leased the most of his lots twenty -one
years with the stipulation that the less 90
s!lo aid build on them. On the expiration
Of the leases the buildings reverted to him
with the lots. The Aston House was the
only instance in which he ever parted with
his real estate. For some unexplained
reason he sold this place to his son John
Jacob. for one dollar.
None of William B. Astor's property
was insured. He believed, like Mr.. Stew
art. that the cost of insurance would be
greater than his losses. The terms of his
fathers will prohibited the building of
brown-stone houses, as they were too ex-
travagant. He strictly abided by the rule,
and the brown stone houses that he owned
ne bought from Others as they reverted to
him on the expiration of leases. The most
Of the residences that he built on NJ .disop
and Fifth avenues and Thirty-thrd and
Thirty fourth streets in recent years, were
of Novia Scotia free stone or brick wi h
stone trimmings. Mr.. Astor attended per-
sonally to the rental of his real estate, and
was assisted by his sons and his agents,
Nj. Hallock and Mr.. Bruce. His office
was at IS Prince street, and he went to
the Office every day until recently. He re-
tired Mr.. Bruce on pension. In 1870
Mr.. Astor paid $2,0oO,OoO taxes on his
houses and lots. Among the places that
he owned outside of New York is Green
Bay, Wisconsin.
Mr.. Aston was harp and exacting in his
business dealings. AS his friends express
ed it, "W hen he paid out cent he want
ed cent in re turn.'' He was not so pro-
minent in charitable works as his wife,
who died a few years ago. She was mana
ger in several charitable inst itutions, and
gave away fortune among the poor. She
was a daughter of General Armstrong,
and was related to the family of Alexan-
der Hamilton. It is estimated that Mr.
Astor's estate will not amount to less than
one hundred million dollars, the whole of
which vast sum will probably pass under
the control Of his son, William Astor.