Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-05-16


SET that her frienus must be MIS-
Dragons friends, and she is using al
her social influence, which is great, TO
further her purpose. She is strong in
will ana character and infleXible in
temper. Her friends say that when
she once takes 4 position nothing can
force her TO abandon it. | am glad
that the accused wife has 50 SiauI.ch a
defender and one holding 50 exalted a
place in society. In a social battle one
woman can prevail over a hundred
men. Mrs. William Aston IS a Petit
coated paladin.
This tragic discord, for it is tragic,
whatever the facts, is likely to divide
the smart set, but the fdrcicaI affair
at Newport has already divided the
Aston family. 1t seems incredible, but !
the effects of that frivolous incident
have borne most baleful fruit. 1t has,
| am told, made the nephew and the
aunt, with her children, inplacable
foes, and all their kindred and friends
have Joined with them. IL was the
true reason. it is now said, for Will
liam Waldorf AStOr'S going abroad per-
manently and marking out a new ca
reer for himself in England. He did
not want to live here and be at vari-
ance, amounting to an ayoWed rupture
between himself and his, and the
other branch of the family. This is
made entirely probable by what has
occurred since. When Waldorf Aston
arrived here, two or three days after
the arrival of his wife'S remains, he
went to the New Netherland, the hotel
that he owns. never setting foot in his
aunt's house. He has had no cOmmu-
nicatiOn whatever with the Othei AS
tors, and will not have. He will go
back to London as soon as he can at
tend to certain business details that
demand his personal attention here,
without speaking to any of them.
1t has already been noticed that not
! one of William AStOr's family, or any
/ Of their connections by marriage eX-
/ cept Coleman DraytOn, was present at
| Mrs Waldorf AStor'S funeral. 1t
might be supposed that, on such an Oc-
| casiOn, any ordinary differences, any
common dislikes, would be set aside,
! that previous quarrels would DE for
! given, if not forgotten. But the en-
! nifty is too great, the feeling too bitter,
to be dispelled even by the presence of
death. Waldorf Aston is still so az
] grieved that he would not permit any
! flowers save his own, to be placed on
! the casket, lest some of the other
| flowers might come from his 0diouS
feIa tiveS. This single circumstance
may Indicate to What lengths the New
! port squabble must have gone. The
original cause may have been insig-
:! nificant compared with what followed.
\ PlutOcratic rage must be more intense,
! more engrossing, more abiding than
! non-plutocrats can imagine. 1t must
exceed conception. 1t would seem to
i be terrible
/ Coleman DraytOn was at the ODSe-
| quieS, doubtless, to manifest his SYM
! patty with Waldorf AStOr and his
! antipathy to Mrs. William Astor, to
whom he is violently opposed as his
mOther-in-law and his Wife'S vehement
\ advocate The two are reputed to be
at daggers drawn, at white heat OF
i fury. II IS singular, indeed, that the
i AstOrs, any vi them, should display
4 their anger in such fashion, having
had SO long social training, which
should prompt them to hide the un-
j pleasant, the unconventional, whatever
: the temptation to the contrary.
Waldorf Aston is regarded by those
intimate With him as a very amiable
4,Ie., andy, Well-bred man. He was
II devoted TO his wife, from all accounts
| I; ra4u-y sweet, unpretending, con
: scientiOuS, charitable woman, and ht
s. would be more than mortal if ht
! should not resent the studied neglec
: Of his relatives to her dear memory a.
| the closing scene. People III the slums
would scarcely behave SO. What, then
should be expected of the AStOrS, moi
| as they are perhaps, but as they as
/ sumo to be- VINO was the first of
| fender or offenders may not be told
but such rancOr, under such circum
81 stances, is beyond explanation. It-sre
) peIs the humanity we believe to bt
/ common to us all. There may be some
thing behind the watering place con
= IeSL COuCeELlIS q pOSLdl duuIc Du
only that appears on the surface.
Notwithstanding the fabulous an(
continually increasing wealth Of thu
Astor estate, there has never been any
outward denotement Of dissa tisfactior
about division Of property among the
= many heirs. How it will be in the
! future, with these acrid personal dis
: SenSions, no one can determine. Blu
it would surely seem that they must
! give rise to any number Of lawsuits il
: the fifth generation, unless family
harmony can be restored, and that ap,
: pears impossible. One of the first
: of John Jacob Astor's injunctions to
/ his heirs, on his dying bed, is under
! stood to have been to avoid all stnfes
; about property, with the assurance
/ that they should each receive strict
! financial justice. He hoped that such
4 policy would be continued. He had a
wholesome dread of lawyers, knowing
! how they could, in time, eat up the
biggest and richest estate. Thus far
his injunction has been scrupulOusly
l needed, fortunately for his descend
I ants.
Irs. Astor Cthe untimely death of
Mrs. Waldorf Aston has decided the
/ yeXed question as to whom the coveted
/ name belongs to, for the present, at
| leasO is about 60, and has two surviv-
i ing daughters and son, John Jacob