Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-12-03
THE LATE WILLIAM ID. AsrOR.

IN " cath EstI m nted At One Hun
deed and Fifty niliioas OF Dol
Iars-Somsthi"g About Fsis
Character and Business
Rnbits.
William B. Astor's three surviving
sons are John Jacob, Henry ard Will
liam Astor, and bis two daughters Mrs,
John Carey and Mrs. Frenk Delalo.
He owned 2 500 houses and building
lots in New York, and his total wealth
w,r r,c,rty estimated at $50. 900, 900
Mr.. Aston had more improved real
estate than ATTY four men III New York.
exciudii William Rhtneiauder, the
Goelets, A. L. Stewart, and the Beck
mans. Nest of the large tenement
houses around Tompkins square and
along First avenue aud Avenues
and B, belong to the Aston estate, SIS
also do whJ;e blocks In Sixth avenue,
- Get. The OH Bowry Theatre and
the old P#rk hcutfe were on his lard.
He was alvEays ready 20 buy zeal es-
tate We. lie C, I'D ct it chenp L
was his RUE n8ve4 to sci! any Il his,
,:ousss or is He leased the most OF
his lots for twepty-one Yeas, with the
4tIpuieti IL that the lessee should build
on chem. On the expiration Of the
t,sa<eS the buildings reverted to him
s-!ttl the lots. The Aston House was
the only Instance III which he ever
laried with his real estate. For some
un>x planned reason he sold this place
to his son, john Jacob for one dollar.
s8hF-INsURED.
None OF William B. Astor's property
was injured. He believed like Mr..
Stewart that the COST of insurance
would be greater than his losses. The
terms of his fathers will prohibit the
building of brown stone houses, as
Eaty were too cxsravagant. He strlct-
- apided by tins rule, and the brown
s;one houses tt,al he owned he bought
rom others as tLey reverted TO him
IN the expiration If leases. TIE most
% the residences that he bull OF Mad
son aud 6fth avenues and Thirty third
AID Thllty- fourth streets III recent
years were IF Nova Scotia freestoLe or
DrIck witt, stone trimm inge. Mr.. As
tor attended personally 10 the rental
q i,i> real tA-tn!4 and wa@ assisted by
hi, -nns and agents. Mr.. H4iiork and
BIZ. Bruce. H ffic4 was ar IS Prince
rect, and - w,'ut to the office every
d4y until very recently He retired
| NJ Bruc" on a pension.
In 1870 Mr.. Aston paid two millions
| dollars taxes on his houses and lots.
THE AsroR FAMILY.
Mr.. Aston never held pnblic office.
| His whole life was spent IN the mau-
| ,.gemcnt of his fortune. Neither OF
his three sons has any business Pur
suit.
Henry, tie youngest son, inherited
| the estate of his uncle John Jacob, SLY
years ago. He married the daughter
| Of a poor farmer in Barrytowp, Ouch
eAs county, against the wishes OF hlf
! relatives.
| The Astor estate descends to Johr
Jacob, the eldest son Of William B
He is about sixty years old, aud ha,
ona son, William.
| It has baeu the custom In the Aston
family for three generations to deposit
! one hundred Thousand dollars in bank
at the birth of a son or daughter, The
money aud the interest to be given (
the child when he or she became o1
age.
Mr. VIM B Aston had three dsugn
ters, the eldest of whom was the frs:
wife Of Sam Ward. Another was til.
wife of Frank elan !, of Grinnei, Min
tun & Co., and the third Is married
! 10 br. JUuu Oarey. Tno uuu. JvI.
Winthrop Chsuer married oae Of his
gran ddaughtors-
Mr.. Aston Wi. sharp and exacting in
lis business dealings. As his friends
expressed 1t, when he paid outG C ant
be wanted cent III return" He was
lot SO prominent in charitable works
as Wss his w sfe, who died few ye RS
| ago. She was a messenger i'll several
| charitable institutions, aid gave away
! fortune among the poor. She was a
| daughter of Gen Armstrong, and was
related to the family of Alexander
| Hamilton.