The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-20
TO WED w. w. ASTOR.
Widow of Ogden GOelet Has Caught
the Seif-Expatriated American.

NEW YORK, July 19.--The Journal
prints the following story of the coming
union of two millionaire families: What has
been for some time verbally rumored in
New York and Newport society has at last
got into print-and that is that the hand
some and ambitious widow of the late Og-
den Goelet Is to become the wife of Will
liam Waldorf Aston, who was once an
American, but who now lives in England
and distributes there the surplus revenue Of
his immense American estates.
1t is little more than a year since Ogden
Goelet died on board the yacht White
Ladye, at that time lying in English waters.
Mrs. Goelet has since then been almost con-
stantly in England. Lately she has occupied
the fine Warwick mansion in Green Park,
and as the dark night of early widowhood
began to pale into the dawn of a renewed
interest in things not wholly funereal she
has received guests within her. hospitable
doors and given entertainments in sub
dued sort of way from time to time
And now comes the fiat-footed assertion
that she is to cast aside the widows
weeds entirely and to emerge as the bril-
liant mistress of Cliveden and the wife of
Mr.. Aston. If this be true, then it may be
the scene of many brilliant festivities, for
ambitious and between them have a tidy lit
tie income running somewhere up into the
millions.
Mrs. Goelet is the eldest daughter OF
Richard f. Wilson. The marriage took
place in the Wilson home, in Park avenue,
twenty-one years ago, ana was quite So.
cial event in its way. Pretty much all of
New York, viewed from the standpoint of
the late Ward McAllister, was there, and
the bride and groom, after honeymoon
trip TO Europe. returned here and occupied
conspicuous place in the McAlisterian
scheme of the universe. MIR. Goelers
health, however, was not of the best so
the entertainments of the Goelet mansion
We're rather more noted Tor their quiet ex-
clusiveness than their magnitude.
The Goelet home was at the southwest
corner of Fifth avenue and Forty ninth
street, and was one of the handsomest in
the CITY, The bronzes within its walls were
said to be the finest in the country, and
We're worth u princes ransom.
Mr.. and Mrs. Goelet began to spend much
of their time abroad some years ago. Their
last visit to this country was on the occa-
sion of the marriage OF Consuelo Wander
bilt to the Duke of Marlborough. Their
house was made ready for the season, but
Mr.. Goelets health was so bad that they
went abroad again. taking their daughter,
who was then to have been introduced to
New York society, with them. Miss Goelct
was presented at one of the Queens draw
ing rooms a year ago last spring.
BY the terms of Mr.. Goelets will Mrs.
the use of the New York and Newport
houses and their contents, the Goelet opera
box and horses and carriages for life with
the sum OF 100000 if she chose to give up
the town house. Mr.. Goelet left the bulk
of his fortune to his children direct. Miss
May Goelet has an Independent private for
tune of $2O.O00,000. She is reputed to be the
richest young spinSter in the world and is
withal very beautiful and accomplished. She
is nineteen years of age.
The fortune of William Waldorf Astor is
roughly estimated at $1,000 co., and his net
income at something like 100000 year.
He pays taxes in this city on s., 900 600. He
is a WidOWer of q few years longer date
than Mrs. Goelet's widowhood, his wife hav-
ing died shortly after his purchase of the
fine estate of CIiveden.
Mrs. Goelet is a sister of Mrs Michael
Henry Herbert, of England: of Mrs Cor
nelius Vanderbilt, jr., and of MIR. Orme Will
son, whose wife is the youngest daughter
of the late William Aston So she is re-
motely connected by marriage with William
Waldorf Astor.