Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-01-13
THE AsTOR FORTUNE.
A Fortune that Still Crews 5iggsr and Big
gsr-How lie sYas Built Up.

a Fortune that Still Grows Bigger and Big
ger-How It sVas Built Up.
The recent death of Mrs. John jacob
Astor and the universal regret at the sad
occurrence brings once more into promi-
nence the fact that Of sll the great for
tunes accumulated in this country the
Aston fortune has excited the least envy.
Mrs. Aster's most sincere SIS well IS by
far most numerous circle of mourners
were found among the poor. While 1t
Is true that the bulk Of the enor-
nous wealth OF the Astors is composed Of
what such social reformers as Henry
George csll the unearned increment,
representing the advance in value Of large
and judicious investments in real estste,
it still remains true that among the poorer
classes in New YORK when the rich are
denounced for greed and hesrtlessness,
somehow the Asters, the richest of the
rich, are rarely included In the denuncI-
alton.
1t must be confessed thst the originator
OF the Astor fortune was not gifted with
an undue stock OF the milk Of human
kindness. John Jacob Aston the fist, the
grandfather of the present heir of the for
tune, wss born ct Waldorf, in Baden, in
1863. His father was s small farmer with
large family, and John Jscob, the
fourth son, started on foot at the age OF
seventeen to seek his fortune. Walking
to the nearest seaport he sailed for
London, where one OF his brothers had 6
piano factory. He worked in his brothers.
factory for two years, st the end of which
time his savings amounted 10 Is guiness.
Investing 10 guine2s in lot OF chesp
musical instruments and buying steer
sge passage to Baltimore with the other
5, lie sailed from London early in Novem-
per, 1888, being then just turned Of
twenty. HIS vessel was caught in the ice
n Chesapeake bay and detained two
months before II could reach Bal more,
where he finally landed March 10, 1884.
During the long Imprisonment on the
ice, which he doubtless regarded all the
time as great hardship, he learned the
secret upon which he afterWard founded
ME enormous fortune. German fur
rier was among his fellow passengers,
and while smoking their pipes to while
away the long winter nights he enter
tanned young Aston with stories of his
adventures among the Indians in
search Of valuable furs, tell
ing him how chesply they could
be purchased with few gaudy trinkets,
| and how dearly they could be sold In the
London market. Young Aston landed,
| disposed of his musical instruments at a
profit and proceeded Immediately to New
York. where en- older brother was already
| living, but not prospecting. John jacob
obtained temporary employment in
BAKERS shop, and in the summer
| of 1884 entered the service Of Robert
Bovine, kind-hearted old Quaker, at the
| munifcent salary OF 81 week and his
board. His business WAS beating and
pacing furs. He worked faithfully, and
| at the end of the first month his salary
| WAS raised Here he worked for two
years, learning the details of the fur bust
| ness, and in 1856 set up little shop of his
| own on Water street. He did all his owr
! work, buying, beating, packing and
| selling his skins, laboriDg from
dawn till dark. Following ths
hint secured from his companion on hi:
voyage to his new home, he made Ions
| journeys with pack on his back to ths
! hunting grounds CT the Mohawk, Seneca
| Oneida and other tribes of Indians, mak-
| ing his tiresome and perilous trips return
him handsome profit. He thus became
an expert In the choice of fac fars, &c.
quiring love tor the business tina
amouated to an enthusiasm, which b,
displayed in after years by hanging th,
walls OF his Office with the choicest fur
instead Of pictures.
&c ID now become prosperous enough