Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-27
WILLIAM AST0R DEAD.
Congestion of the Lungs Carries UT
Mrs. Drayton's Father.
he LEAVES ABOUT s5O,OOO,OOO.
The One Member Of the Family Who
Couldn't Attend to Business.
HE PREFERRED TRAVEL TO THE DESK
rBY CABLE TO THE prsPArcH,1

will probably be forwarded to New Yorl
on the steamship La Bourgogne.
New York special to The DIsPATcl
says: William Astor was of the third gen
Grafton of the Astor family in New York
The largest share of the estate has de
scended through his brother, John Jacot
Astor IL. These are the two lines dowI
which the property has come: John Jacot
Astor l., William Backhouse Astor, join
Jacob IL. William Waldorf Astor, William
Astor dust deceased), John Jacob Astor Ill
William b. Astor, to whom the first John
Jacob left nearly all his estate, himself lef
four time as much to John Jacob IL as he
left to William, who died yesterday. John
Jacob II. died two years ago, and william
William Waldorf has two sons, the elder
named after him, and John Jacob III. has q
son, William.
William Astor wa. born July II, 1880, in
New York City. He developed a stndious
disposition, was caught by private tutors
and at l6 was prepared to enter Columbis
College. He completed his college course In
lS4s He was good in nearly all his studies
although he eKcelled in none, Money-mak
ing he did not consider in his line. He
wanted wan to go abroad and spend money;
fathers idea, but when he was just out oi
college he secured his fathers consent to
visit Eastern countries in which he felt
Egypt.
An Appetite for Travel Satiated.
He travelled all through that country and
the surrounding countries. He liked Turkey
and spent year there. His appetite for
travel was satiated in 1852, and he returned
to America. His father wanted him to settle
down and go into business. He would not
do that for more than a wear. He went into
society little, and he became also great
Fine horses and yachts were his hobby for
a year, and then he fell in love and mar
ried Miss Caroline Schermerborn. The mar
Iiage was performed September 2S, 1858. For
a time Mr.. Astor gave up his horses and
yachts, and his father induced him to enter
the office and aid in the management OF the
vast and fast accum ulating estate. The son
was associated with his father thereafter,
until his fathers death, in 1875.
banker, an intimate friend of the Astor
family, said to-day that William B. Astor
only sl,0D0,0o0, which was what he left to
each OF his daughters. He was dissatisfied
with the young mans manner of living, and
he did not believe that the son was fitted to
care for q larger fortune and increase and
perpetuate it. There was another son,
Henry, who had not married to suit his
tather, and he was to be cut of. TEe
fathers intentions were known to John
Jacob IL, who protested. He did not inter-
fere as to Henry, but he said, ignoring
Henry: at is not right that my only brother
should be put on par with the girls of the
family" The father stoutly maintained that
William should have only the million, and
he would not change his mind for long
time. Finally the arguments of the elder
son prevailed, and on his fathers death
William received about one-fourth as much
as John Jacob received.
william Could Hold Onto Money.
"The old man was mistaken" said the
banker, about Williams inability to hold
onto money. After his fathers death he
became very economical. His wife had o
great deal of property in her own right and
had a handsome income from it. She has
had to use her own money for her splendid
entertainments Her husband declared
that 1t was waste, and that he had no money
TO waste on society. Mr. Astor was erratic.
and his dislike for social functions was very
pronounced"
MIR. Astor was very little known in New
York. He was of a retiring disposition. He
made few acQuaintances and claimed few
friends. Mrs. Astor's entertainments have
been famous. Her husband took little part in
them. His little social pleasure he took in q
quiet way on his steam yacht, the Hourma-
hal. He made many trips up and down the
coast and across to France. He did take
great pride in his wife's jewels, and occa-
sionalIy added to her stock, until she had
one of the finest collections in America. At
the opera ana at receptions on occasions she
has worn no less than Sl00, 900 worth of dia-
monds. The jewels she wore at the mar
riage of her son, John Jacob Astor I'LL to
Miss Willing, in Phfladelph .. year or so
ago, were worth considerably more than
that.
John Jacob I'LL, the only son of william
Astor, is unlike his father in many respects
He is fond OF luxurious life, and has shown
hitherto little solicitude about the increase
OF his fathers estate He has three sisters,
Mrs. Orme Wilson, Mrs. James r. Roosevelt
and Mrs. J. Coleman Drayton, of Borrowe-
DTayton fame. Another sister, Mrs. Emily
Van Allen, is dead.
Probable Division of the Property.
Whether or not recent events altered Mr..
William Astor's plans for the division of his
estate is not known on this side of the At
lantic. 1t is believed here, however, that
Mrs. Astor will have control of the greater
part of the estate while she lives, and that
at her death it will be divided among the
f II an IN IS M he t e9uai rs. t m
history of the family that daughters have
been so treated.
Since his fathers death Mr.. William Astor
had lived in New York, but spent his win
tiers in Europe. He was not personally at
tentive to the management of his fortune,
and all the details of the work have been |
tion of his lawyers. They have been faith |
full servants and the property his father |
left him has perhaps doubled. Exactly how |
much it is worth the lawyers themselves say |
they cannot tell. Friends of the family say |
it surely will not fall short of Sc, ,009. 600. |
Mr.. Astor is said by some persons to have |
been very charitable, and to have given |
away great deal Of money. He was an un- |
man, it is said, and of a great |
deal that he gave even his family knew |
nothing. He had many good horses, and |
among them many bred in his own stables.
The news OF Mr.. Astor's death reached |
New York late Monday night, when all the |
relatives now in the city received cable |
grams from Mr.. Marshall Orme Wilson, who |
the youngest child of Mr.. William |
AstOr. 1t was bare announcement of the 1
death. The news was wholly unexpected. |
1t was not even known that Mr.. Astor had /
been dangerously i'll. When he went away |
in the fall he had some trouble with his |
lungs, but IL was thought he had fully recov |
cred. The last news from him was that he /
was in good health.
No Particulars of the Death.
No further particulars of the death were |
received to-day at Mr.. Astors Office, except /
that death was caused by congestion of the |
lungs. Mr.. Astor's office was opened as |
usual in the morning, ana so was the office |
known there until 10 o'clock that Mr.. Astor
was dead. Then reporter brought the |
news. 1t was not at first believed A few
minutes later John Jacob Astor came and |
confirmed it. The office was then closed for
,he day, and a notice was put on the door to
;he effect that it would remain closed until
MIR. William Waldorf Astor's Office re- /
NAMED open. At the Office of Lord, Day
Lord, Mr.. Astor's counsel. it was said that
nothing was known about the division of the
Mr.. Astor's body will probably be
brought to this country and laid in the
amffy vault in Trinity Cemetery, but even
hat, it was said at the office, hau not been
decided.
Bank President Under Arrest.
CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis, April 2e.-In