St. Landry democrat., 1888-01-14
THE ASTOR FAMILY,
Interesting "reminiscences of It's Founder
and His Descendants

! brings up some remi niScences of he
husbands family and of its early his
tory.
On the north side of Ann street, he
tweed William and Nassau, near the
, center Of the block, is the little allie,
that for years was the entrance to the
, fur factory of the John Jacob Asto1
who founded the family in the United
States. 1t was in 1888 that John Jacol
turned his face toward America ant
sailed in the steerage of an emigran
ship from Liverpool to Baltimore Hi:
father was butcher in the little vii
lage of Waldorf, in Germany, and JOIN
Jacob had spent his early years in chop,
ping sausage meat for the thrifty
burghers of the little hamlet.
He meant to do the same thing in
America, and to add to his income by
peddling musical instruments. A
lucky acquaintance made on ship-board
changed the current of his life and
pointed out to him the way to the
wealth he afterward acquired.
He met a furrier in the Storage who
told him all about the money that was
to be gained by the purchase of furs
from the Indians and the frontiersmen
and their sale to the large dealers
Perhaps the knowledge that in those
days, rs in our own times, the poor
Indians and frontiersmen usually cot
the worst of any bargain had no very
deterrent effect on the thrifty, money
hunting progenitor of the rich family
of to-day.
Any how, he started in the business
in small way when he got to this side
of the ocean, and as he kept carefully
every shilling he earned. and never
spent any thing needlessly, John Jacob
in few years had a little money laid
by.
He kept his business in musical in
struments still in existence, and if hall
the stories about him are true many
cracked fiddle or wheezy accordion was
turned over by the economical John to
the innocent aboriginal in return for
portion of the valuable pelts thew
brought him.
He was married in New York, and,
though it took him long to decide
when he did choose a wife she was one
who resembled the tight-isted trader
IN frugality and business Judgment.
Besides, she brought him few hun
ired dollars in dowry, and the bride
groom insisted that the money should |
be counted down before the ceremony
took place. He was accommodated,
and the Astor family started fairly off
On its career of money-getting and |
money-keeping.
John Jacob did a good deal of his
trading with the Indians himself. He
never trusted much to his agents, and
could drive a better bargain with the
red men than most people of his day.
He kept his engagements faithfully with
them, and though he would haggle half
an hour for a sixpence or try to throw
in some of his high-priced peddler's
stuff upon them in place of money, the
Indians were sure they would receive
what was finally agreed upon
So the years went on and the former
German butcher boy grew wealthy and
old. He still lived in a few poorly
lighted, narrow rooms over the store on
Water street where he had piled up his
furs for sale at home or for shipment
abroad. He sickened one day there,
and the doctors told him that it meant
Heath if he remained among the nasti-
ness and hundred smells of the street
BY the riverside.
He moved away, got well again, and
'esumed the piling up of wealth in
.rade and real estate until when he
lied, forty years ago, he was worth
more than $2O,000,0O0. In his latter
lays the old man grew mellow-hearted
md kindly, and some of the great for
une he had gathered went to help the
title village where he was born, and Q
400, 600 of it staid with us to build the o
Astor library.
He left the bulk of his estate to his :
on, William B. Astor, who went on in
he steady, sure path that his father Z
ad followed, and more than trebled n
he wealth that had been willed to him. ii
'welve years ago, when he was also g
arried to his grave, no one knew just
ow great fortune he left to his son, q
ohm Jacob, who stood the other day, I
'ailing and weeping, and with the Ii
eight of his seventy years upon him, b.
y the bedside of his dying wife.
1t will not in the course of nature be fo
cry long before the last John Jacob is
ill be gathered to his fathers, and then fe
lie wealth that is now easily $500, O00,- fu
)0-and the bulk of it in paying real =
tate-will fall to his only son, Will
am Waldorf Astor, who seems by ed 10
cation and temperament well calcu- as
ted to add to the amount rather than DC
diminish it. oh
The Astors never sell real estate, but w
arcely month passes that some Ct N
cir surplus is.not, SO to speak, going
to the ground. They are buying con-
nually, and only themselves OF their
listed agents have any idea OF the
st blocks of buildings in their pos