Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-16
ABOUT THE ASTOES.
The Butcher brothers the Head Of the
Famous Family.


Let me step back hundred years and tell
you about these Astors. l may tell you some
things you did not know. When John Jacob
Aston worked his way down the Rhine to the
sea and shipped to England away from his
sioshful, lazy, inn-keeping father he stopped in
London and went 70 work for his brother, a
successful manufacturer Of flutes and pianos,
and, unless l am very much mistaken, junior
partner in what lie still the greatest piano-msk-
ing house in England, though there are no
Astors In it now. John Jacob was on his way 80
America, and only wen. to England to stop
awhile to learn English feat which he had
not accomplished when no died.
When he reached New York CITY, not very
long after the close Of the revolutionary war.
ne mad heard about the fur business and had
determined to embark in it 1t does no, matter
whether he peddled littlo before that anv
more Than It matters whether Jay Gould sold
rat traps before he became o railroad operator.
In time John Jacob 8pprenticed himself 20 a
fur dealer and learned all the tricks and Sc
crets OF the business. Blu. in the meantime he
mad come to this city for the same reason he
had gone to London-he had brother here.
his brother was Henry Aston, aud in those
days nobody questioned which would be the
more successful of the two for Henry was a
mighty and cunning man in business
above his store there. He had married a
chubby, rosy German woman, of whom lie
used to boast: ''She was der pootiest gal by
der Bowery.''
Now, the Bowery was no ordinary street, and
Henry was no ordinary butcher The Bowery
was the southern termination of the old Boston
posi- road, and down it came the bulk of the
produce OF the countryside which was eaten
In and shipped from New York. Among other
Things all the cattle came into town on that
road on the hoof to be sold to the butchers.
henry knew that, and SO did all the other
butchers. but Henry put this knowledge to
practical use. He drove out of town twice a
week on market days and met the cattle on she
road up the country. There he bought tho
best OF all the steers and cornered tho market
1t was he who thereafter set the prices and sold
to the other butchers.
His young brother, John Jacob, was Just az
instinct with the speculative spirit, but he had
no money to buy with, and SO he used to bor-
row OF Henry Henry did not like that. lie
d1strusted his brothers shrewduess or else he
was close with his money. At any rate he
loaned 1t to John Jacob unwilingly, and finally
ne met request for q loan with bluff mo ~
nc said he would not be bothered any more. but
this Is what he would do. He would give John
Jacob the sum of $500 outright as a gift il
John Jacob would sign q paper promising
never to ask for the loan of another penny
from that date forever. John Jacob Jumped
that had more to do with the foundation OF the
great Aston fortune than any other sum he got
III all his life. l have heard .ha. there are
some Astors descendant from Henry living IN
the Hudson river, and that the Great and rich
Astors have nothing TO 10 with them. i do not
KNOW whether that Is true or whether there are
such Astors, but il it is truc it is all right
for Henry unquestonably parted with the res,
OF the family deliberately aud in cold blood
when he paid that sum Of money to John Jacob
SO as not to be bothered by his then poor rela-
tlons any more.
John Jacob Aston prosperei amazingly. He
made millions when it was something that no.
body else unconnecced with royalty appeared
able to do, except the Rothschilds in Europe.
NTH those millions, made by putting the en-
tire continent under tax for its furs, he estab-
ilshed not only q landed estate, but family
with principle, with a fixed purpose. He was
OF lncalculsble service In the development of
New York, because he went to districts the city
had not reached and bull. dwellings for per-
sons OF moderate means. He built them very
we'll. to last IA long as possible. and he rented
them for fair return, thus establishing a
moderate system Of rentals with all the land
lords of the city.
In another generation an unfortunate split
occurred and the estate and the family have
since then gone forward in two parts, much
the larger part (nearly two-thirds, believe. }
going to the descendants of the elder son and
the smaller part TO the descendants OF a second
son. William Waldorf Astor now represents
the bulk Of the estate and the little baby, John
Jacob, is heir to the smaller part. But the
Old principle and purpose still hive in all the
Astors. They still build and extend the city;
they still ask only fair rentals: they still re-
fraIn from gambling, and among the mercenary
hands which seize our breadsrutfs. our Goa,
our oil and orr meats in order to raise the
prices of our necessities no Astors palms are
included. This is why We like the Astors.