River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1910-03-03

whole Pacific frontage unconnected with excepting BY
ties of blood and nterest-and enjoying, like
us, the rights of selfgoverment."
company formed and two expeditions set out
for the mouth of the Columbia river, by land and
the other by
The land expedition barely got through alve-it was
perous undertaking. with accidents by flood and held
But the route by the water feasible.
The town founded and soon became a center or
commercial activity. Had Astor been the ground to
take personal charge city like Seattle would have
bloomed and bossomed the Pacific SO years ago.
There grand grab at Astoria and it was each
himself and the devil take the hndermost; it was
stampede. System and order went by the board. The
strongest stole the most usual but all got Httle
And England's gain in citizens our loss.
Astor lost million dollars by the venture He smiled
calmly and said, The plan was right, but my men were
weak; that is ALL The gateway to China will be from
the northwest My plans right. Time will Vndi
cate my reasoning
When the block Broadway bounded by Vesey and
Barclay streets cleared of its plain twostory
houses preparatory to building the Astor house. wise
shook their heads and said Its too far up town.
But the bus that met all boats solved the diff
Guilty and gave the to hotel all over the world
Astor worth ten Million but he took personal de-
light in sitting in the lobby of the Astor house and
watching the dollars roll into this palace that his brain
had planned
Aston was TALL thin and commanding in appearance
He had only halucinaton and that was that hd
spoke the Egsh language The accent he possessed at
80 with him in all it's pristine effugence at IS. mo
pody would know I a Cherman-aindt it?" he used
to say Yet John Jacob wrote English with
out flaw
In all of his dealings he uniquely honorable and
upright He paid and he made others pay. His word
his bond He not charitable in the sense OF
ndiscrminate giving ITO give something for nothing
the giver" OF his favorite sayings
That this attitude protected misery spirit it Is easy
to say but it is not wholly true his years he
carried with him book containing record of his
possessions would visit certain piece of property
then his book and what it had cost him
ten twenty years before. To realize that his pro-
phec vision had been correct to him great source
of satisfaction.
His habits were of the best He went to bed at
o'clock and up before six. At he at his
office He enough eat sparingly and to walk
he sick. Milonaires, rule are woefully
ignorant. UP a certain sum, they with their
acquisitions Then they begin wither at the heart
The of fortune is penalty advise the gentle
reader think twice before accommodating ten millions.
John Jacob Astor exceptional in his combined
love Of money and love Of books. FitzGreen Halleck
was his private secretary hired basis of literary
friendship. Washington Irving close friend, too
Astor died, aged &c. 1t natural DEATH tEing
that very seldom The machinery all ran down
at
William B. Astor, the of John Jacob, was brought
up the financial way he should 60 He was studious
methodcal conservative and had the good sense to
wishes of his father His John Jacob
Astor was very much like him, only of more neutral
tint time is ripe for another genius in the
family. If William B. Astor lacked the courage
and initiative of his parent he had more culture and
spoke English without accent. The son of John
Jacob Aston, second, is William Waldorf Aston, who
speaks English with English accent, you know
John Jacob Astor besides having the first store for
the sale of musical instruments in America, organized
first orchestra of IL players He brought
leader Germany and did much to foster the love
of music in the New World
Every worthy Maecaenas imagines that he is a great
painter writer sculptor musician side tracked by
thrust upon him by unkind fate John Jacob AS
tor told Washington Irving that it only bus
responsibility that prevented his being novelist;
at other times he declared his intent to take
music profession he had gotten all OF
his securities properly tied And whether he worked
his dreams not there is doubt but that they
added to his peace happiness and length days Happy
the who the critics by leaving his liter
airy masterpiece in the ink.