The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-12-03
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.

OtEE NEW 1pEt z LII LUs
THD DEATH OF yICE-PREsIDENT WILSON
or wM- B. AsToR CONCERNING SAL
LORs-THANKsGvING
NEw YORK, November 80, 1875.
The flags all over the city are still at
half-mast for the death of Vice Presi-
dent Wilson, an event which causes sin
cere and universal sorrow. His simple
mauliness of character, his unaffected
patriotism and unquestioued hones-y
have year by year won for him among
all classes a regard which death easily
exalts into tender memory. Like the
Iamented Lincoln he sprung from the
very dregs of the people, and yet attain
ed to the second honars Of the Republic
a. the other did 10 the first. The career
Of both admirably illnctrates the fee
genius Of our institutions, and the alb
sence of those barriers of caste and priv
ilege which blocks the way in less ia
vored lands.
WILLIAM Il. ASToR's DEATH.
Naked ont of the world, naked and
poor as he came into it, goes this week
the wealthiest man on the Continent,
Mr. VIM. b. Astor only surviving son
of John Jacob Astor. He leaves prop
erty, mostly real estate, estimated at the
lowest figure to be worth 500, 600, 0O0,
and probably these figures are a great
deal too small, big as they are. He was
born in this city, in 1892, and was there
fore So years old. His father died in 1913,
at the same ripe age, leaving a fortune
of $50, 600, coo, more than half of which
fell to William B., whose portion, increas-
ed by a legacy fIom his Uncle Henry,
has steadily grown to this enormous sum.
He owned more than 2. 500 houses and
building lots, many of the houses being
among the finest in the city. 1t has been
a rule with the Astor family from the
beginning never TO sell any real estate,
but to buy, which they have done with
rare sagacity and good Judgment ever
since old John Jacob Astor got good
start in life. While William b. may not
have had SO original genius for money
making as his father, he was certainly
in all other respects his superior. He
possessed an excellent Judgment and
aptitude for business and affairs, and
,napoca5 his ya ST noncarnS with yvopdar-
| full intelligence and order. He was one
of the best landlords in the city, strict,
| to be sure, and exacting his own, but
| taking excellent care of his tenements,
holding them at fair rent, and so Just
and reasonable that people always liked
to get into his houses; and he took care
to make it for the interest of good ten
ants to stay. He nearly doubled the
old mans bequest for founding the As
tor library: indeed, it is said that he in
spiFed the idea of it in his fathers mind,
for it is not generally known that:he was
was ripe scholar and fonnd his chief
enjoyment in the society of books. His
lie WIS Qullc ulcN tllliuiY hc HNcu iiuOh
more simply and unostenratiousy than
hundreds in this city do who are bother
ed to make both ends meet, and worked
more hours a day than most men who
merely get living from hand to mouth.
So in life he had no more enjoyment of
his wealth than We all may have and,
perhaps, do have out of our small in
comes, and all of his millions could not
buy him one hours respite from the
strake of death.
"How much did z - i-aye| asked
one friend of another, when rich man
of their acquaintance died. ''He Jeff
ali he had," was the wise reply. Fo tu
nate indeed, and blessed are they who
leave more than material wealth, houses
and lands, and silver and gold; who
leave names which pass along down the
ages in the kindly speech Of the lowly
and miserable, lifted up, ccmforted by
their thoughtful and tender benefac-
tons