Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-03-22
ASTOR REAL ESTATE.
HOW JOHN JACOB ASHDOER FOUND
 ED HIS FAMOUS FORTUNE.

A Noted Family in Which the Law of
 Primogeniture is Practically Carried
 Out-The Amount of the Estate Kept
 Carefully Concealed.
 It is just 125 years since John Jacob Astor the original name is said to have been Ash doer) was born at small village near Heldel- berg Baden), the youngest of four sons of poor peasant. He passed his boyhood on his fathers patch of land; but, anxious to see something of the world, he determined to join one of his brothers in London, who had gone there to follow the business of making and selling musical instruments. At l6 he walked all the way to the coast of Holland, and thence worked his passage on fishing vessel to his point of destination. Staying lr England until he was 21 he sailed for this country, with number of musical instru- ments for the American market On the ship he encountered furrier, by whose advice he exchanged his wares, on reaching New York, for a quantity of furs, with which he re- turned to London, selling them at an enor- nous profit. This lucky venture, as is we'll known led to his establishing himself here in the fur trade, which increased so fast that he was soon in a position to ship furs to Europe and the east ill his own vessels, which came back laden with foreign produce, which he disposed of at all immense profit. He laid the basis of his vast fortune by dealing in furs, but did not make the fortune itself in that way, though it is generally thought so.
 Astor's wealth, when he died at 84, forty years ago, was estimated at S20, ,OOO, 900 to $c5,000,O0O, some putting it as high as $30, 100000; doubtless exaggeration. But, whatever the correct figures of his fortune, L,,11> >f Io Sxr,> ,boc If estate. Never before in the history of the world had there been in all probability such all opportunity for safe and judicial specu- lation as there was between 1900 and 1846 in the buying of lands, improved and unim- proved, on Manhattan Island. The founder of the plutocratic family perceived this clearly, and avaled himself of it to the ut most. He began purchasing at the begin ming of the century and kept at it constantly to the time of his death. The city grew so fast that much of the real estate he acquired advanced during his lifetime 40 and 50, even 100 per cent.
 John Jacob had think, three sons. One of them died very young; a second was de- ranged almost from his birth carefully watched and taken care of by special att tendants in house owned by the family on the west side of town, near Twenty-third street, and lived to be past 60. The third son was William B. Astor, who had all his fathers frugality and caution without any of his talents or originality. He could not have made money, but he could keep it and add to it by ceaseless buying of real estate, following the policy of the founder of the colossal fortune He was cold, phlegmatic. dull, commonplace, without imagination. tenderness or sympathy He had neither vices nor weaknesses, unless desire for money be SO accounted. He was, in the ord nary sense, a good husband, 8 good father, and faithfully discharged the duty imposed on him of caring for and increasing >he estate. A man necessarily of power and influence through his great wealth, he drew nobody to him. He had no real friends, nor did he feel the need of them. He was stanch Episco- palian, regular attendant at church, an ob server of all ecclesiastic forms, and passed away at 84 amid the ceremonies befitting his creed, and in the full odor of sanctity.
 The Astor fortune has, from it's creation, been virtually entailed, As most of it was left to William B. AsteI, to be managed. controlled and increased, so he left it to his son, John Jacob, and John Jacob has in turn left it to his son, William Waldorf, with the same provision. The law of primogeniture has been practically carried out and will no doubt continue to be- The amount of the estate is carefully concealed as is everything, indeed, relating to it that possibly can be. The transfers of real estate, in order to be legal must be recorded, and therefore made public. Otherwise they would be kept secret. The Astors are perpetually guarding the financial facts of which they are the sole re- positories. In truth, only two or three mem- i bers of the family are acquainted with the special facts, though all may have some general idea of their prodigiouS wealth. Their surplus must reach a number of mil lions annually, and these are uniformly rein vested, mainly in real estate. They almost never sell any, but they are continually buy ing, buying, buying, and swelling their al- ready stupendous income. They own thous- , ands of buildings-dwellings stores, offices and warehouses-nearly all in the municipal l limits, as they very rarely purchase property | unimproved or out of town. They are un- deniably the richest family, by all odds, on this continent, and, perhaps, the richest com | moners on the globe. Their united fortune 1 can not be less than S30O,000,O00, and may l be considerably more.
 The present John Jacob is not materially unlike his father, William B. Astor. He is somewhat broader and quicker witted, more man of the world, but fully as much bent on multiplying his estate. William Waldorf Astor, now the custodian of the immense estate, is of much the same fiber as his father 1 and grandfather. He is about 40; has taken | some part in politics.; has been minister to | Rome, and written an indifferent book. As soon as his father quits this planet-he is now in the neighborhood of 70-or becomes senile, he will employ whatever intelligence and energy he can command to increase the family wealth.-"Deuceace" in Globe Demo- crat.
 | Wrist Watches in London.
 I was not surprised to see that nearly all
 the fair sex were wearing the wrist watches
 which are now so entirely the fashion in
 London, but which, believe, are very little 1 worn as yet in America. Made in every form,
 from the plain leather strap to the magnifi-
 lof fh1f oof fl,o. ,4ol>: