The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-05-21

present William, and son of the famou.
William B. Aston. His name is Henry aaG
his history is queer, as well as himself.
When any New Yorker, familiar with
the dazzling society career of Mrs. William
Astor, the late escapade of her daughter
Mrs Coleman Drayton, and the promi
nence of William Wal f Astor, asks
about the collateral branch he gets answers
very much mixed. There is a vague i'm
precision that the other son of William B
Astor Is of somewhere being taken care
or" Sometimes one is told outright that
he is demented and that the Astors care
Tor him bountifully, as they do for all the
afflicted of their kith and kin. But in Co
Iumbia county, and especially around AS
torvllle and on the Copake flats, a sug-
gestion of that sort would be apt to start a
fight
Henry Aston is there and very much at
liberty, and, moreover, he is the bountiful
patron of all that region and the guardian
angel, as it were, of the biggest family in
it, namely, the Dineharts And it was his
marriage into that family that severed his
relations with the other Astors. He lives
in big and odd looking house in the town
of Astorville, the house and all its annexes
being painted yellow, with liberal splashes
of red and black, the loot ongsombie," as
they say in Paris, being quite startling to
ore who sees 1t for the first time
He was always queer" say his old COM
panlons, but at sixty he is a very fine and
intelligent looking man. His conversation
is pleasant, and that and his manner alike
indicate at least average intelligence, if
not more. But he does a few queer
things. For instance, he sells horse or
cow or anything else he is tired of for
whatever any neighbor offers for it, be it
five dollars or fifty. He also pays the taxes
OF those neighbors who get behind, loans
them money at whatever interest they
think they can afford to pay, rents farms
out on similar terms and gives to all
churches and charities whatever is asked.
1t goes without saying that be is popular
on Copake flats.
When he was lad his father sent him
mp to live with Mr.. John Ashe, who occu-
pied one Of the Aston farms. He COM
menced holding religious services for the
hired help, and when they did not get
religion TO suit him be discharged all of
them, but hired them again the next day
at advanced wages. Finally he married
Miss Melvina Dinehart, sister of Mrs Ashe,
and all his relatives were furious about it
His grandfather however had left him
some real estate, which rapidly increased
IN value and he was independent.
Melvina Dinehart was a rustic beauty.
but her father was a common laborer and
had probably the largest family of children
in the county. They are all rich now.
William, oldest of many brothers, managed
Mr. Astor's business for some years, and
now owns three large farms and much
other property. Delbert Dinehart was Mr.
Astor's next agent, and he is now very rich.
The principal paid them handsome salaries
and a good per cent. on the collection of his
rents. He also took his wife's parents to
his house, where they lived in great com
fort till few years ago.
Mrs Melvina Aston is now well pre-
served matron of fifty years, and having
had no children has taken an active part
IN managing her husbands affairs. She
holds in her own name the deeds Of several
fine farms. In fact, there is a saying in
Copake that Mr.. Astor married the whole
Dinehart family. but be might have done
worse" Although his father left him 10
property in fee, he provided a very hand
ZONE annuity for him, and present indica-
tons are that he will live many years to
enjoy it. Such is the real condition and
such are the surroundings of that Astor
who has completely dropped out of the
family life and concerning whom the city
tradition is that he is away of somewhere
and being taken care of. "