The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-09-09
UNLUCKYLANDED ESTATES.
COUNTRY SEATS ON THE HUDsoE
TH4T RUINED THEIR OWNERS.

ereasinE Expense, ena ne Last were Sac
r~iaced-Getty. s~honssrd, Forrest, ersy
stoae, livingstone, snd Places
To own a large landed estate upon the Hudson
seems TO be the absorbing ambition Of Nev
York's richest men. Within the past few year
al the available acres within view Of the river
from Yonkers to Sing Sing have been bough
up by the money kings, and millions upor
millions expended In improving them.
The vast acquisitions In this locality OF IN,
Goulds, the Rockefellers, and the vanderbilts-
not to mention the extensive purchases Of lesser
millionalres-hsve led to the belief that with the
concentration of wealth In a few hands, that has
characterized the history Of the past thirty
years, has come q tendency on the part Of the
rich TO absorb land for the purpose Of founding
family estates to be handed down to future gen.
e%rations. The fact that there is no law of en-
tail in this country Is not regarded as an obstacle
70 the carrying out of such projects. 1t is argued
that the immense wealth possessed by these
families will enable them to maintain their
estates for many generations, even though their
fortunes should be divided and sub-divided
among numerous heirs. II. however, the past
may be taken as a criterion for the future, these
prophecies are not likely TO be fulfilled.
The Hudson River region. since colonial times,
has been the district OF landed proprietors; yet
there is scarcely a single large estate remaining
tnht - nOW tlu NY u oTikinhi oWhcTS nhny
Of them have passed through numerous hands
and have ample records OF misfortune. So that
Il has become n proverb that to own an estate
on the Hudson Is unlucky; TO purchase one,
equivalent to counting disaster.
Instances OF this kind are 50 numerous that it
Il impossible to mention them all. A recent one
was that of the late Cyrus W. Field, whose
beautiful country seat ut Ardsley has been di-
vided and sold to give his heirs the mail frag-
ment that renamed of his once colossal fortune.
Mfr. Fields case was the result OF unfortunate
business speculstions; but there are other cases
that were the result Of the nature of things
rather than OF disastrous investments. Twenty
Eve years ago Thomas w. Ludlow was one Of
the largest landowners on the Hudson. He
owned an estate OF over two hundred acres that
extended from the banks of the river TO the AL
beny post road, and from Mount st. Vincent TO
what was then the southern boundary line Of
Yonkers village. He was reputed to DO o very
wealthy man. and lived in a beautiful mansion,
with gabled roofs and tall chimneys. that over
looked the river, and was surrounded by broad
acres of velvety lawns. Tho residents Of Yon-
ters remember him a. q typical specimen OF the
landed proprietor OF the olden time. His lands
eventually passed into the hands Of his grand
children. and. as they were yearly increasing In
value, 1t was anticipated that his heirs would
some day become millionaires.
But with the increase in values oame . cor
responding increase In taxation. Assessment
after assessment for streets, for gas lamps, for
sewers. and other improvements devoured the
vast Inheritance. so that, although town lots, IS
by 100 feet. situated on the old Ludlow estate.
are now selling for from 81 800 to 81. 900 each,
the heirs are all poor. The old mansion has re-
Gently been abandoned. and will probably be
torn down to make room for Q modern villa
Anntbar Iaroa estata that paaaad opt ~ 81.
possession of its former owner was that Of Rob-
ert p. Getty. He came to Yonkers in 1S4g, q
rich man, and invested largely In real estate.
Energetic and generous, he did more toward
the growth u the town than
any other of its citizens. He built the Getty
House, now the principal hotel in the city and
erected many substantial buildings. He was
with numerous important enter
prises; was one OF the first directors OF the
River railroad. a director OF the Bank
of North America, OF the Merchants Insurance
Company, and the Corn Exchange: was Presi-
dent Of the Cumberland Coal and Iron Company.
Yice-President Of tie Produce Exchange. and
pne Of the original projectors of the old Ninth
avenue elevated railroad.
But from the time he invested in Hudson
River real estate his misfortunes began. Many
Of the enterprises in which he engaged turned
badly, until finally he had nothing but his
and left This alone should have made him a
rich man to-day II he could have held on to 1t.
But the taxes rendered such a course impossible.
He was obliged 10 sell the beautiful tract known
rs Getty's Woods to a syndicate of SPECTATORS,
have since grown rich by selling 1t in villa
plots 20 homeseekers. Mr.. Getty is still occu-
iers, universally. respected but poor. Within
sight of his windows reside the men who have
, ,ssPs ss t been Ss sSis to 5f imp re w Ri, lah have enjoyed
Lowerre estate. Here also exis.sG the remark-
lble conditions of u constantly inere using value
land with a corresponding impoverishment OF
he holder. Although town lots here are now
heirs do not possess one title to tho
In the year 1920 Frederic shonnard purchased
esidence part Of Yonkers, paying only 100000
or the same. Intact to-day, the property would
MT the present Mr.. Shonnard, who fell heir TO
lalf the estate. is far from being a rich man.
made him land poor. He has been Obliged
. sell a great Part ;iT1 Of bof his property at a sScrhtn Ice
axes and Assessments that he will never be able
Q reap a large profit when it Is sold. Yet Mr..
'honnard Is a Go%nIpfn0ds example o, E iortu-
What eventually became the most valuable of
IL the landed estates of the Hudson was that OF
.emuel Wells. IL consisted Of $50 acres in what
now the heart OF the city OF Yonkers. Mr..
Wells paid $4,000 for the property, and en-
Dyed IL for twenty-nine years. He made his
ONE in the historic manor house. once the rest
ence OF Frederic Philipse, and now the City
Hall of Yonkers, and there he died In 1s4S.
His estate would DO worth to-day /. least
hid nor a will, According to law hts property
assed TO his widow and sixteen other heirs: hut
one Of them appear 70 have become very rich
. consequence. The i'll luck that invariably
TENDS all landholdings on the Hudson was
resent in this case. The property was divided
nd sold for trihing amounts, and q few years
became the centre OF population OF a
The experience OF Edwin Forrest, the TRACE
as a Hudson River land owner IL fairly
ell known. His was not a financial misfortune,
NJ a domestic experience that was far more
iriCult 10 bear, and that embittered the last
OF his life. The story of his famous di-
orce suit IL too well known to bear repetition;
ut II Is not go well known that the incidents
'htch led up 10 il were developed while he WAS
lgaged In laying out lls extensive grounds and
lil1ing his beautiful Norman castle at Mount
Vincent. While absorbed in this work he
we'd in a small stone cottage that Il still stand
* on the convent grounds and WAS to a certain
Ntent living apart from his wife. The castle
- finished, and be MAS Just about moving
IN IL NEhan Nha n.ZsaAarr~ CANA that lAl Ia 4