The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-09-02
GREAT DEAL OF
JEFFERSON LEVY
The Virgnian Offers to Purchase the
Astor Estate.
HUNDRED AND FIFTY MILLIONS.
The Holdings OF MIR. William Waldorf
Astor Estimated at About That
Figure-British Syndicate
Is ia IL.
HUNDRED AND FIFTY MILLIONS

jefferson NJ. Levy has submitted an Of
fer 10 william Waldorf Aston TO buy al
the latters real estate in New York city.
This property good judges estimate to be
worth anywhere nom 100000 to $780,
10000.
Mr. Levy, VINO will represent the Ihir-
teenth district of this CITY in the next
Congress, is a large owner and opera
TOR in real estate. lie IS now in Lon
don. whence the information Of his offer
for the William Waldorf Aston holdings
comes in a private cable dispatch MT
Levy will sail for New York next week
and his friends here hope that he viii
bring with him definite reply from MI
AstOr.
n is not known under exactly what cir
cuuistances Mr. Levy has made his oiier.
lie is himself a millionaire, nut most OF
his wealth is already invested In real
propertv on Manhattan Island. AT any
rate even with considerable financial ala
from other rich New Workers, the hand
ling here Of the stupenduous W. W.
Astor holdings would DE practically OUT Oh
the question.
ENGLISH SYNDICATE. PERHAPS.
IL is therefore presumed that great
English syndicate has been organized by
Mr.. Levy with the dea % buying inc W.
W. Ast0r real estate and floating IL IN
shares. British capital has been success
fully invested IN land and buildings Ia
this city on a small soale heretofore. and
similar investments through the medium
OF "a great company would DO feasible.
One of Mr. Levy's friends told me yes
terday that he had long been IN favor OF
Offering income producing New York real
estate 70 British capital and that ne had
insisted that a better return "ouu oe
paid on such capital than was now paid
on English purchases OF American rail-
road stocks and bonds.
IF. however Mr.. Levy has Organized
an English syndicate che fact Is unknown
here He has been in London for two
months and little or nothing has been
heard from him by his business associates.
Even the offer made 20 Mr. Aston Is
known only to- q few of them.
Nothing could be learned about the
offer from persons I'm this city associated
with William Waldorf Ast0r's interests,
but gentleman who is IN position
to know made an interesting statement
concerning the affairs of the biggest land
lord ion America. lie said.
SAYS HE WILL NOT SELL.
"1Tr. Astor has no intention OF selling
an, or any. of his property. That can
be asserted positively. Far from dis
posing of bis holdings here. he is con-
stanuy adding TO them I'm the way Of I'M
proyements These include new build
ing in Fifth avenue. leased for long
term Of years. and also a big new build
ar. .H Of g old
Star Theatre. AT Broadway and Ihlr-
teenth street. not TO mention many minor
Improvements made recently, and con-
templatcd
NO Mr.. Astor IS not going to dispose
OF his real esteate I'm New York City
even though he has been uniuslly treated
by the authorities I'm the matter Of taxa
ton. as 1 believe. IL would be an easy
matter TO name scores Of properties. es-
pecially office buildings. owned by Mr..
Aston. that have been valued By the
Tax Commissioners at more than ther
would sell for to-day. Atr. Astor has
paid his taxes. based on these excessive
valuations without protest. and l he
lieye he will continue to pay them.
ANY other man would have fought
the assessments In the courts. and I
believe he would have had them mate
rally reduced Why Mr.. Aston has not
taken such action I do not know, but
I am sure that the generalization OF his
property viii not induce him 20 sell out
IMMENSE ASTOR HOLDINGS
50 far as Is known. there are only two
lists of William Waldorf Astor's real
estate I'm this city. one Of them MI
Astor has. and the other IS In the Astor
Office I'm west Twonty-sixth street II Is
safe TO say that If the W W. Astor
holdings were marked in black on map
Of Manhattan and the Bronx IL would be
a very black looking map indeed.
Take Broadway between Chambers
and Fourteenth streets. Not a block tn
that stretch but shows an Aston holding
and from Fourteenth to F'orty-second
street, where w. W. Astor owns two
Broadway corners, the great thorough
fare IS dotted with Astor buildings.
In the financial district Mr.. Aston owns
half a dozen big office buildings. and thu
hotels that pay rent to him includes the
waldorf. the Netherland and half of the
Aston House. Blocks OF dwelling houses
and squares Of vacant lots in Manhattan
Island belong to him. and in the Bronx
be holds vast tracts OF land which will
probably not be improved until popula-
ton moves up 10 and surrounds them