The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-12-01
THE DEAD SRUStS.
William II. Ast0rand His One llu



Wm. b. Astors eldest brother was "
person of ecccntrIcitics, and could not be"
trusted alone. His tutor was appointed
his guardian mt handsome salary, and
attended him wherever he went. lie
was often very violent IN his dealings
with those with whom he came in con-
tact. and his quarrcls with his guardian
were frequent. He was secluded from
society as far ms possible and was for Il
long time confined in his house Mt -Four
tccnth street and Ninth avenue, New
Park. an 4 there he died a few years ago.
William b. Astor lived for a long
time in LAFAYETTE Place, in mansion ad-
Joining the Aston Library. lie owned
$500 houses and building lots in that
city, and his total wealth was recently
estimated at $l5OOOO,OO0 MIR. Aston
had more improved real estate than any
four men in the city, excluding William
Rhinclander. the GeoietS. y. L. Stewart
and the Beekmans. Most OF the large
tenement houses around Tumplins square
and along First avenue and avenue \
and B belong TO the Astor estate,
as also do whole blocks in Sixth avenue,
from Sixteenth street to FOrtieth street.
The old Bowerv Theatre and the Old
Park Theatre were on his land. He wa,
ALWAYS ready to buy real estate where he
could get il cheap. 1t was his rule new
er to sell any of his houses or lots. He
leased the most of his lets for twcnty-onc
wears. with t1e stipulation that the lessee
should build on them. On the eXpira-
ton 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. A>tors property
was insured. He believed, like Pr.
Stewart. that the cost of Insurance would
be more than his losses. The terms OF
his fathers will prohibited the building
Of brown stone houses, as they were too
extravagant. He strictly abIdcd by the
rule, and the brown-stOne houses that he
owned he bought from others rs they re-
verified to him on the expiration OF leases.
The most of the residences that he built
on Madison and Fifth avenues and thlr-
ty-third and Thirty-forth streets in re-
cent wears were of Nova Scotia frcc-stonc
or brick with stone trimmings Mr., As.
tor attended personally to the rental OF
his real estate. and was assisted by his
sons and his agents, Mr. Hallock and
Mr.. Bruce. His office was Mt - Primo,
street. and he went 10 the office every
dav until recently. He retired Mr.
Bruce W tn pension. In 1870 Mr.. As
tor paid 100000 taxes on his houses
and lots. Among the places that h,
owned outside OF New York is Green
Bay, Wisconsin.
Mr. Aston was sharp and cXactIng IN
his business dealings. As his friends cN.
pressed it. When he paid out cent
he wanted cent in return. He was
not SO prominent in charitable works rs
his wife, who died few years ago. She
was manager in several charitable IN
stitutions, and gave away II fortune
among the poor. She was daughter OF
General Armstrong, and was related tc
the family of Alexander Hamilton. II
is estimated that Mr.. Astor's estate vii
not amount to less than one hundred
million dollars, the whole of which vast
sum will probably pass under the con-
troll of his son, William Aston.