Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-12-03
THE LATE w,.LuAmn. AsroR.
His " easth EstI na nted ut One N un
dred and Fifty Millions OF Dol
iars-S0msthiag About fsis
Chara cter and Business

t1ro-SOm1tht0H About A1s
Character and Business
Habits.
William B. Astor's three surviving
son. are John Jacob, Henry and Will
liam Aston, and bis two daughters Mrs.
John Carey and Mrs. Frsnk Dela1o.
He owned 2 500 houses end building
lots in New York, and his total wealth
wts r,c.nt'y estimated at $3.50. 900, 900
Mr.. Aston had more improved real
estate than atty four men III New York.
excluding William Rhineiauder, the
Goelets, A. L. Stewart, and the Beck
mans. Most of the large tenement
houses arourd Tompkins square and
along First avenue and Avenues A
and B, belong to the Astor estate, IS
also do whJIe blocks in Sixth avenue,
from Sixteenth street 20 Fortieth
st Get. The Oil Bowry Theatre and
the old Pork ] hcutfe were on his land.
He waa always ready 10 buy real es-
tate we, lie could get it cheap L
was his rule novel to sell any cf his
houses or is He leased the most of
his lots for twenty-one Yeas, with the
stipuieti IL that the lessee should build
on them. On the expiration OF the
leases the buildings reverted to him
s7ith tue lots. The Aston. House was
the only Instance IN which he ever
rarfed with his real estate. For some
unexplained reason he sold this place
to his SOD, john Jacob for one dollar.
sALF-INsuRED.
None of William B. Astor's property
was insured. He believed like MIR.
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
El.y were too cx'ravagant. He strict
~ apided by this rule, and the brown
stone houses thai be owned be bought
from others, as they reverted to him
on the expiration Of leases. The most
Of the residences that he bnlit on Mad
ison aud fifth avenues and Thirty third
AID ThIrty-fourt streets IN recent
years were of Nova Scotia freestoLe or
Drlck with stone trimminge. MIR. As
tor attended personally to the rental
q i1ie real estut4 and was assisted by
hi, sons and agents. Mr.. H4iock and
BIZ. Bruce. H'7.ffice was ar IS Prince
..tre--t, and 10 went to the office every
d-y until very recently He retired
| AFR Bruce on pension.
In 1870 Mr.. Aston paid two millions
| dollars taxes on his houses and lots.
THE AsToR FAMILY.
Mr.. Aston never held pnblio office.
| His whole life was spent IN the mau-
4zemcnt of his fortune. Neither OF
his three sons has any business pur
suit.
| henry, the youngest son, inherited
| the estate of his uncle John Jacob, siz
| years ago. He married the daughter
Of a poor farmer in BarrytowD, Ouch
eas county, against the wishes OF hll
| relatives.
| The Astor estate descends to Johr
Jacob, the eldest son Of William B
He is abont sixty years old, and hal
! one sou, William.
It has been the custom in the Astol
| 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 4
| the child when he or she became o.
age.
Mr.. VIM. B Astor had three dough
| tors, the eldest of whom was the frs
wife Of Sam Ward. Another was tn,
wife of Frank .,elan J, of Grinnel, Min
| tmr & Co., and the third Is married
| 10 4ir. JONI Oarey. rno uUu. JvLu
Winthrop Chsnler married ooe of his
granddaughters-
Mr.. Aston was sharp and exacting in
his business dealings. As his friends
expressed it, "When he paid outa C ant
be wanted cent in return" He was
lot so prominent in charitable works
as was his wife, who died a few ye RS
ago. She was a messenger i'll several
charitable institutions, and gave away
4 fortune among the poor. She was a
daughter of Gen. Armstrong, and was
related to the family of Alexander
Hamilton