The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-11-09

two sons, who we're "compos mentis." He
also made liberal allowances TO his daugh-
tiers, Mrs. Franklin Delano, Mrs. Henry
Carey, and to his granddaughter. Mrs.
John Winthrop Chanler. whose father was
the late Sam Ward of memory revered by
all good livers with or without bad livers.
John Jacob Aston the third, whose resi-
dence for many years was on the site
where now stands the Waldorf hotel,
married Miss Gibbs, one of South Carroll
mas aristocratic daughters, and one of
the most liberal and open-handed con-
tributors to charity in the city. Never
turning deaf ear to any worthy appli
cation, her death left a void hard to I'LL
among our philanthropists. An enduring
monument 10 her charity is the cancer
hospital, which does all that science can
do to relieve those suffering from the
fatal disease which carried off their bene-
factor. Her husband was a man OF very
strong and marked character, of scholarly
attainments, great business energy, and
was easily the head of the family, in fact
as well as in name.
His brother William 3. Astor (second)
was not of so strong a personality, but
was extremely pleasant and jovial in his
temperament. He was the first of the
family to take up yachting, became a
devoted sailor, spending much Of his time
afloat. During later years all his winters
were passed in southern waters. He mar
ried Miss Schermerhorn OF the well known
New York family, and had as children
John Jacob Qourth) Emily, who married
James J. Van Allen, and has since died !;
Helen, who married ]. Roosevelt, our
Pathological secretary of legation at the
court of st. James, and who recently
died in London; Charlotte Augusta, who
married J. Coleman Drayton, and Caro-
line, who married Orme Wilson.
John Jacob fourth, married Miss Ava
rGgT
son perpetuating the name. He was a
Harvard man, and has some literary as
pirations, having produced last winter a
book somewhat on the lines of Jules
Verne's but worked out, If with less imagi-
nation, with more Difference to the pos
slble developments of physical
science in the near future. 1t
proves him to have at least dabbled
in science, even if not a deep scholar.
A little learning is proverbially a dan
gerous thing, burt in this case it has done
no harm, and will not if kept out of the
lunatic asylums
William Waldorf Aston has created more
Of a stir than any Of the Aston men of the
last two genera lions. He is the only AS
tor who has ever sold any real estate
and what he sold was his grandfather
old home a 80 Lafayette place. It was q
shrewd SALE for from its position, had he
held it, possibly it might have been in
/ cumbent upon him to donate 1t to the
| Astor library, which is next door. The
| proceeds of the sale were Immediately re
! invested in real estate, and probably moth
| ing was lost.
| William. Waldorf also has literary aspi-
rations, and while laboring under the
weight of responsibilities incident to his
! diplomatic career as President Arthur's
! minister TO Italy he procured the publ
| cation of a novel which has been read
! though, no doubt. He has also had bull
! for him some very lofty hotels in this city
! the Waldorf and the New Netherlands
! He married Miss Mary Paul Of Philadel
! phia and has a family, but as these chill
| dren are never likely to become American
! citizens, they do not much concern this
| continent. He is a graduate of Columbia
| college and a member of the bar, was
! once sent to Albany as a member of as
| sembly and once as a state senator. OF
| his record there, if any, history does no.
speak. But this continent proved too new
| and too crude and too philistine for hi:
tastes and ambitions, so, skipping acros:
the herring pond, he picked up a news
| paper, a magazine and a dueal residence
| each in separate lots, for cash.
There is no evidence yet of the purchas
! of a coronet or even a lower badge o
| aristocracy but everything comes to hin
who waits, and the sacrifices incident t,
| abjurng ones country and abusing oneI
| countrymen cannot fail to touch the hear
| of royalty or some far-seeing prime minis
ter with the wit to appreciate the ad
vantage of importing some hundred mill
| ions of good American dollars, and, Incl
| dentally, changing a bad citizen of re
public into an obsequious subject of he
| Britannia majesty and empress Of India.