Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-06-03
BICH FAMILY.
The Value of the Astor Propertym New
York.

The Value Of the Astor Propcrtym New
York.
Looking out of my window last evening
saw the Astor brothers passing down
Twenty-sixth street, writes New York
correspondent of the Philadelphia Times
They were coming from their business Of
fee just below Broadway on the street
they were traversing. Here they have
quite a preteutious brick building which
looks like a banking house. 10 is fitted
up like one. On the inside it has all the
paraphernalia of screens, desks big
books, and clerks which are SO
common in financial establishments.
On the outside of the door there are
two brass signs, one bearing the name
John j. Astor, the other William ". Astor.
On the inside each of the brothers has a
private Office and plenty of clerks to do
the work This place Is a singular little
institution. il wears an air of repose en-
tirely foreign to business establish
ment yet within its walls there are more
transactions of Importance yearly than in
many pretentious financial institution.
The score or more of clerks with their
big books are kept busy looking after the
real estate which belongs to the Astors.
1t is said that this establishment collects
in rentals more than a million of dollars
a year. 1t takes as much tine and atten-
ton to keep track of the property belong
ing to this noted family as it would to
conduct ar extensive banking house.
The Astors are not spectators. They
do not g upon the street for business or
invest money in ordinary business affairs.
They confine their operations to real es-
tate It was the foundation Of their great
fortune which was left to them by the
shrewd and misery old parent who made
il. John Jacob Aston, the elder, was a
odd person. He labored and
saved all the money he accumulated
went into land and its belongings. The
most glowing business venture could not
coax money out of his pocket He be
lieyed in land and invested his fortune
in it. His life was anything but
a happy one, and his family do
not seem 10 have improved much
upon it They live in good shape;
that is about all. They cut no figure in
the general life of the metropolis except
as large property owners and purchasers.
These two AstOrs are old men. William
W. is a tail, robust citizen, near 60, l
should think He has a round, full face,
a little inclined TO be red and a sandy
His brother is fully as tall,
but not as stout nor as cheerful looking.
Both of them pass along the street with
ont attracting amy attention or scarcely
passing notice.
In dollars and cents l suppose they are
by far the largest real estate owners in
the United States. They are adding to
their possessions every day. Their
present ventures. believe, are
in the direction of the new
property about Harlem that is just
now attracting SO much attention. Next
to the Yanderbilts / suppose this is the
richest family in America. How many
millions they have no one seems to know,
yet in 1860 it was heralded over the United
States that John Jacob Astor was the
richest man in the country. He had a
million of dollars then. just think of
the great fortunes that have been accumu-
lated since. The Vanderbilt estate is one
Of these; while old Astor's investments,
once thought to be worth a million, must
by this time have grown to hundred
millions The fortune he left to his
family is one of the very few in New
York that has been kept intact and built
upon by the increase in the value of
houses and lands.