The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-07-26

mrnrt WtAltn 0U0 W niH R'to -
fair share OF political honor.
Now he has been driven out In disgust
by the people he IN so anxious To please.
His name is byword on two continents.
On the other hand. most people will re-
greet that Mr.. Astor, has been snubbed by
the Prince f,,Wales. When a man has
loaned another man pocket money these
things come with bad grace.
The story OF William Waldorf Astor Is
the history OF q man who has money and
tremendos ambition-ambition too. over
reaching for the power behind II.
When a man I'm a free country has
gigantic ambition. united TO moderate
ability, he is bound TO come TO grief. He
viii be disappointed and his money will
case with William Waldorf Astor.
To begin with, he IL thin-skinned, sem
sitive, somewhat literary in his tastes.
and with none or the od-fellowship In
his nature that characterizes his cousin,
John Jacob Astor. for example. or the
Belmont brothers. or. more conspicuously,
Theodore Roosevelt.
HIS CAREER IN NEW YORK.
About twenty years ago group of
young men among the rich New Workers
were starting out i'm life. all with some
political ambition and all backed up by
an old family and big rent roll None
of them promised so much and failed so
dismally as young William Waldorf As
tor.
lie intended to be president OF the
United States. He IL now man without
"a country. disappointed, cynical, with no
future before him at 80. He was the son
OF John Jacob Astor III. the head OF the
great family who came from the little
village of Waldorf, Germany. about l2o
years ago, and started In life as butchers
and fur traders.
When William Waldorf came into the
world the Astors owned . per cent OF the
real estate OF New York city, and had
taken social precedence over the old
Knickerbocker families who once held
themselves aloof from man who peddled
furs on his back.
Astor was educated at the law school
OF Columbia university. He imagined HIM
self second pisraeli. and began stimuli
tapeously career In politics and I'm lit
erature. He was elected state senator. lie
ran for congress to succeed Levi II. Nor
ton and was defeated by the late Roswell
Flower
He was appointed minister to Italy by
President Arthur. He distinguished him.
self there by scattering golden scudi with
a lavish hand. incidentally he got along
with his ministerial duties without dis
credit to this government. Nothing came
up 10 uefnkuu ulpiofHdty, diu "Ah. NStoi
was equal to the situation.
He went back and threw himself into
politics in New York state. Perhaps IL
would be more correct to say that he
threw himself at politics. He worked very
hard, he was very much In earnest. but
his efforts came TO nothing. He gave his
money freely and he gave his time with
out stint
But he failed to connect with the people.
hat 10 al IN
cess I'm American politics, as Mr.. Astor
found out. He wrote novel called Val
entino," and followed II with another Ital-
ian romance called "Sforza." In the
judgment of critics they had consider
able literary merit. There was lack
OF two great things. power and imagina-
tion. There were polish and scholarly
ability TO a good degree.
But here Mr.. Astor failed to connect
with the people. "A few bought his books
because William Waldorf Astor. the mil
lionaire, had written them, missed the
essential, subtle note OF sympathy, and
voted him bore.
WHY HE LEFT AMERICA.
To crown his literary and political dis
appointments dispute arose as to
whether Mrs. William Waldorf Astor or
Mrs John Jacob Astor was entitled TO
be called Mrs. Astor." In short was
John Jacob Astor or William Waldorf
Astor the head of the family?
Society settled the question I'm favor
of the popular John Jacob. and William
Waldorf in pique. built next door to his
cousin the big and fashionable hotel the
Waldorf -Astor House Then he gathered
up his household goods and moved to
London. He disposed or as much of his
property i'm America as he could and in
vested his money In England.
He rented his residence and declared
publicly and often that American was
not his country. He became a natural
lied Englishman, and for couple OF
years was apparently an intimate friend
OF the Prince OF Wales. Ii was rumored
that he was to be given peerage and
marry a daughter of the prince, for he
is now a widower.
Then gossip connected his name with
that of Lady Randolph Churchill. and
recently with that of Mrs. Ogden Goelet
OF New York.
All the time Mr.. Astor has attempted
to secure firm footing I'm English So
ciety. He bought the Pail Mall Gazette
and Pail Mall Budget, and started the
Pail Mall Magazine, all utra-tony, and
catering TO the smart set. He bought
from the Duke of Westminster, the rich
est man I'm England. the handsomest seat
on the Thames--Cnveden.
Then Mr.. Astor built high wall around
the park. stationed guards, and warned
the public to keep OF OF his grounds.
Such a thing is not usual with English
country gentlemen and everybody bris-
tied with Indignation at the American
snob, as they called him.
Gradually Mr.. Astor hag bee ,me The
"bete noir' of pretty nearly all classes
of Englishmen. He Is ten thousand miles
from pecrage, and probably now fully
as far from "A royal drawing room. His
conspicuous use today is as a warniny IN