The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-03-26
ASTOR REAL ESTATE.
HOW JOHN JACOB ASHpOER FOUND
Ed HIS FAMOUS FORTUNE.


| Out-Ths Amount of the Estate Kept
Carefully Concealed.
| IL is lust l2j years since John Jacob Astor
| fthe original name is said 10 have been Ash
doer) was born at n small village near Heidel.
berg Baden, the youngest OF four sons Of a
poor peasant. lie passed bis 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 maxim,
and selling musical instruments. At l6 be
walked all the way TO tie coast OF Holland
and thence worked his passage on q fishing
vessel to his point OF destination Staying in
| ENGLAND until he was ri he sailed for this
country, with a number Of musical instru-
nents for the American market On the ship
| he encountered lurrier, by whose advice lie
exchanged lis wares, on reaching New York,
| for q quantity Of furs, with which he re-
turned to London, selling them at an enor-
nous profit This lucky venture, as is well
| known, led 70 his establishing himself hero in
| the fur trade, which increased 50 fast that be
was soon in position TO ship furs 10 Europe
aud the east ia lis own vessels, which came
| back laden with foreign produce, which he
| disposed Of &C an immense profit. He laid
| tho 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'3 wealth, when h. died ut 81, forty
years AGO, was estimated at s2QOOV,VVO 20
| S9jO00, 900, some putting 1t as high as So
| OCOO00, doubtless an e1aggeTntion. But,
whatever the correct figures Of his fortune,
! the bulk OF IL was made by purchases Of real
estate Never before in the history OF the
world had there been in all probability such
on opportunity for safe aud Judicial specu-
| latioa as there was between 1900 and 1916 in
the buying Of lands, improved and unim-
proved. on Manhattan Island. The founder
OF the plutocratic family perceived this
clearly and availcl himself Of it 20 the Ut
most lie began purchasing at the begin
ming Of the century and kept At it constantly
to the time OF his death. Tie city grew 50
fas. that much Of the real estate lie acquired
advanced during his lifetime 30 and 50, even
100 per cent.
John Jacob had think three sons Ono
OF them died vcry young; q second was De.
RANGED almost from lis birth, was carefully
watched and taken care Of by special at
tsnJlEis IL a house owned BY tho famlly on
tie west sile Of town, nc1r Iwonty-third
street, and lived 10 BE- past 3D. The third son
was William D. Aston, who had oil his
fathers fruyllity and caution without any
Of. LIS talents Or originality Tie could not
haze made money, but he could keep it and
add to il by c.us-i-ss buying Of real estate,
following the policy Of the fcuader Of tho
colossal fortune Ito was cold pLlogmatic
dull. commonplace. without Imagination
tsldcrue-s 0r sympathy 10 had neither
vices nor wo1sAc se5, unless desire for money
b. % accounted lie was, in the ord nary
sense. good husband, d good father, and
faithfully dis charged the duty imposed Oh
him OF caring for and increasing the estate.
4 mai necessarily Of power and influence
through his Great wealth, he drew nobody 10
him. lie had no real friends, nor did be feel
the need of them. lie was stanch LpiSco-
paliau, q regular attendant e, church, an OBJ
server OF ali eecesiastic forms, and passed
away at 81 amid the ceremonies behttlng
his creed and ia tho full od0r Of sanctity.
The Astor fortune has, from its creation
been virtually entailed. As most OF 1t was
left to William B. Aston, to he managed,
controlled and increased, 50 ho left 1t 70 his
son. John Jacob, and John Jacob has In turn
left IL to his son, William Waldorf, with the
same provision The law OF pFimogcuiturc
has been practically carried cut, and will no
doubt continue y 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
Tue Astors are perpetGally guarding the
financial facts Of which they are the sole re-
positories In truth, only two or three mem-
bers OF the family are acquainted with the
special facts, though all may have some
general idea Of their p.odisious wealth.
Their surplus must reach q 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, buy .ng and swelling their al
ready stupcnd0us income. They own thOus-
auds OF builUngs- dwellings. stores, offices
and warehonscs-nearly all in tho municipal
limits, as they very rarely purchase property
unimproved on out Of town. They are IN
deniably the richest family, by all odds, on
this continent, AMI, perhaps, the richest COM
moners on tho globe. Their united fortune
can not be les than 100000 0o0, and may
be considerably more
Tie present John Jacob Is not materially
unlike his father, William B. Aston. He ia
somewhat broader and quicker witted, mora
man Of the world, but fully Is much bent
on multiplying bis estate William Waldorf
Aston, now tho custodian Of the immense
estate, is OF much tho same fiber as his father
and grandfather lie is about 10; las taken
some part III politics; has been minister to
Rome, and written an indifferent book As
soon a. his father quits this planet-he snow
in the neighborhood Of Dor becomes senile,
10 will employ whatever Intelligence and
energy he can command 70 increase the
family wealth. Dcuceace' IN Globe Demo
crat
Wrist Watches In London.
vvas NOT stlrrrisel 10 SEQ that nearly all