Omaha daily bee., 1899-09-10
ASTOR MAY TURN SPECULAToR
England Doubts, However, He Will
Sell His American Estate
What Astor's Life Is,

Copyright 1899, by Press Publishing Coz
LONDON, Sept. 9.-(New York World Ca
blegram-Special Telegram.)-The report OF
the negotiations OF the English syndicate to
purchase the New York estate OF william
Waldorf Astor ia generally discredited in
financial circles in London. Absolutely no
Information on the subject is to be got from
the employees Of Astor, who have been given
imperative orders to keep their mouths
closed. City men think Astor is too astute
to risk the loss which would certainly follow
the placing OF suoh huge sums OF money in
English securities, as the markets would
rule high the instant II became known that
the money from the sale OF Astor's American
realty was to be placed In English securities.
At present Astor is identified as the holder
OF a considerable amount OF English railway
stock which he has been buying for years,
but any attempt on his part to bear the
market so as to buy up larger interests
would be met by large demands for the stock
by the present holders. Great Northern pre-
ferred stock is one Of his pet securities. The
| industrial and commercial markets, espe-
| cially the light railway industry, will well
come Astors money In fact there is plenty
OF scope for Its investment In London,
where he has already made large purchases
{ OF freehold property from the duke OF Nor
folk and Lord Salisbury in the district run
ming from the Strand to the Thames en-
bankment. This property Astor has greatly
improved, building new houses at increased
rents. Upon it is the Astor estate, one OF the
/ most perfect pieces of medieval architecture
| in London.
/ Astor leads very solitary life when in
London. He goes down to his Office at
1880 each morning. there he attends to
his estate and newspaper business for
couple OF hours. as rule, and re-
mains In his office until after
O'Clock, not even leaving for luncheon
Lunch is cooked in the office, one part of
which is fitted up with perfect cuisine ar
rangements The chef comes from Carlton
House terrace for the purpose Astor usu-
ally lunches alone, except when he Is
Joined by his daughter, but he sometimes
invites Sir Douglas Straight, the editor of
the Pail Mall Gazette, Lord Frederick
Hamilton, the editor OF the Pail Mall Mag
| azine, or the business manager of the pa
| pers. After lunch, about q 80 o'clock, he
! gets the first edition of the Pail Mall Ga
| zette, which he goes over with his secre-
tary, making criticisms and suggestions.
! Then he sets to his literary work and 1t
Is believed by his encourage that he has
some big book OF "reminiscences or history
on hand, at which he works regularly, con-
sulting a large number OF books OF refer
museum, where he sees the books in the
private readers room, or consults scholars
engaged in special researches
When he Is living at Cllveden. his lovely
place on the Thames, which he bought from
the duke Of Westminster, he comes to town
just the same every day except on Satur-
day and Sunday. He seldom goes out to
dinner or entertainments OF any kind and
sees no Americans regularly with the ex-
ception Of Ambassador Choate and First
Secretary Henry White.
Astor Is morose and unpopular. and does
not receive many visitors; but on his re-
turn from his Scotch holiday next week
he will give O reception at Carlton House
terrace, where big preparations are now
being made. This Astor function Is some
what strange, as London at present is
and the man on the door at Carlton House
would call king Of men and be disap-
pointed when told the man was only Astor's
funky.
AT Cliveden a firm OF builders is always
in possession of some part Of the estate
and alterations and additions are constantly
being made During the last season the
house parties have been very few, and the
Astor family has not been seen 80 much
on the river in their steam launch. Astor
subscribes pretty largely to various clubs
and institutions in the Madenhead neigh
borhood but he has made It a rule not to
be vice president of any OF them, although
he has been frequently invited. His name
often appears in the Maidenhead Cottage
hospital report as the donor of fruit, poul-