The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-02-16
ROUND ABOUT GOTHAM.
MISS VIKINGS CONQUEST AND
ITS SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE

NEw YORK, Feb. 14-The marriage of
John Jacob Astor and Miss Ava Ridgway
Willing, on Tuesday, will unite the royal
families of New York and Philadelphia.
Mrs. William Astor, mother of slack, is
the queen of society in the metropolis;
while Mrs. Edward S. Willing reigns in
sphere SO high that several of her own near
relatives will never get into it.
In the time Of William Penn, the Willings
obtained large grants Of land from the
crown, and from Penn himself. This
method Of acquiring real estate was con-
sidered gooi thing in those days, and it
certainly had its advantages over the
modern method of paying hard cash for
undeveloped town lots in western deserts.
1t established the Vikings upon a footing
which has always remained firm. They are
not SO rich as the Astors, but they have
always been able to enjoy the costly luxury
OF social prominence.
There are, unhappiiy, no orders Of no
Dility in my country said one Of Miss
Vikings ancestors to foreign potentate,
but, ii there were, | should be the Duke of
Pennsylvania"
However, in spite of Miss Vikings
descent from a man who came so near being
duke, am strongly of the opinion that
an alliance with her family was not sought
by Mrs. Astor. The match pleases Jack,
and his mother consents. To understand
how Jack was brought TO this state of mind
(if any notion of his can thus be designated)
one must appreciate the many attractions
of the young lady, the tender solicitude of
her mother, and the evident desire of Fate
to perpetrate notwithstanding pun by
marrying the best catch of the day to
daughter of the house of Willing
Among the attractions aforesaid is the
cunningest little French accent ever heard
in these parts. No native of France could
possibly have acquired 1t, but Miss Willing
picked it up during her stay of some years
in Paris, where her education was perfected.
She mispronounces several English words
so prettily as to give bewitching effect Co
language which on another girls lips would
seem commonplace. But fate would have
ensnared Jack il this delightful eocentricity
hadn't. 1t is wonderful, the way these
young people have been thrown together
during the last two years When Jack was
in Paris with his mother a year or SO ago,
the Willings arrived UNEXPECTEDLY at the
same hotel. Jack was SO moved by this
| coincidence that he packed up his baggage
and went over to London. This was done
with Mrs. Astor's full approval.
When the Astors returned to this country
| they went to Newport The Vikings re-
| turned shortly after and also went to New
port. Later the Astors went to LeGox, but
| the separation was brief, as the vikings
had also arranged to spend a part Of the
summer in Lenox. There the two young
people were seen one day walking in a leafy
road and Jack looked as if he were saying
something of Importance. AS he had
never been known to do such thing before,
his friends at once surmised that he had
| been deeply affected. This was last sum
mer, and the engagement had been spoken
| of in print the previous March, but had
been vigorously denied by all concerned,
| especially by Miss Willing. In New York
the Willings live at the Cambridge, which
makes thsm next door neighbors Of Mrs.
| William Astor. Thus it is seen that Cupid
did not have to make any long shots. When
| they are married they will probably live
with Jacks parents, who, it is said, will
| soon erect a new palace at point on Fifth
avenue not so closely bssieged by trade as
the present residence, on the corner of
| Thirty-fourth street.
| Everybody wishes them happiness Jaek
used to be hard boy to get along with,
For instance his playful ways on board his
| fathers yacht nearly created mutiny. il
is related that one day he saw sailor lean
ing over the rail near the bow, and itsocA
| Cured to him that it would be very funny
| to stick an awl into the most exposed por-
| tion of the seaman's anatomy. He did so,
| and the hardy tar fell overheard with q tre-
mendous howl, striking his head on the
| anchor chain, which as not seriously in
| jured. The sailor, however, as rendered
unconscious, and might nave been drowned
| il q boat hadn't been handy. On another
occasion 1T is said that he got a moose
around the cooks neck, and was going to
| give an imitation If the execution Of Capt
| Kidd, when he was dissuaded by some of
the sailors. The captain complained to Mr..
Aston, who admitted that Jack ought to be
| punished, but said that he preferred not to
run the risk of doing it himself.
Jack went to Harvard college, where he
remained a year or two longer than most
| young men do, but failed to secure a de-
gree He is not good student. though his
general build, manner Of locomoion, and
popularity of speech, suggest that eminent
pedagogue, Dominic Sampson.
There have been many misstatements
about the Aston family since this wedding
has been talked about, so perhaps it may be
well enough to briefly state the facts TIE
original John Jacob Aston, who came over
from Waldorf, Germany, In 1884, bring
ing as his stock in trade few flutes and an
abundance of 'bull luck, left 500. COZ, 900
to his son, William B., who doubled it, and
at his death divided it between his two sons.
John Jacob ii. aud William. John Jacob
III. or Jack" is Williams son. William
Waldorf Aston is the son of John Jacob IL
he is said to be worth 500, 100000, which
is more than his uncle William Jack s
father possesses. Jack, of course, has a
comfortable fortune ia his own right, and
will probably be worth at least $40, 900, 900
some day.
The wife of William Waldorf, by the
way, was g Philadelphia. Her maiden
name was Paul. There has been much talk
of social rivalry between her an Mrs Will
liam Astor, and doubtless Mrs. jacks en-
ergies will be expected to assist the tri-
umphs of her mother-in-law. When it is
remembered that Mrs. William Aston las
SchermerEorn) considers herself superior
TO her husbands family, and that Mrs Will
ing acknowledges no equal In Philadelphia,
the tremendous social leverage about to be
exerted may be estimated.
Mrs. Willing will be remembered as hay
ing dared to say that Quaker City society
was "brezen faced" and having got her
self nicely talked about to pay for it. At
that time some of the queer facts of her
own history were brought out. Her father
was DR.. Rhea Barton, Of no very
distinguished lineage Her mother was Of
the family of Frazier, which is q
bit above the ordinary. DR.. Barton
became a widower and then married
again, his second wife being a daughter
of John Jacob Ridgway, of a very
OLD Philadelphia family. Mrs. Willing's
preference for the Ridgways has been so
marked that it has confused peoples no
ton till they forgot that she wasn't the
Of