New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-02
1t Is Expected Wedding viii
Take Place in Fall at New
port or Bar Ha Dor.
BRIDE-T0-BE IN HER TEENS
Formal Announcement by Her
Parents Follows Rumors Long
in Circulation of a Prob
able Match.

Force. of No. 1S West 31th street. Of the
engagement Of heir daughter Miss
Madeleine Talmagc Force. to Colonel
John Jacob Astor. The news was not
unexpected. as the probability Of a
match between tho two had been ru-
mored for some time Indeed. it is as
serted that tho couple have been af-
fanced since the spring
Miss Force is nineteen years old and
was educated in Europe. at Miss Ely's
School al Greenwich. Conn and At
Miss spence's School in this city, from
which she was recently graduated. She
was introduced TO society last winter.
! She first met Colonel Astor at Bar Har-
| Dor last summer. and during the winter
was. with her mother and her elder sis
/ ter. Miss Katharine Force. a frequent
occupant Of Colonel Astor's box at the
Metropolitan Opera House. Colonel
Astor was Likewise in attendance on
Mrs Force and her daughter at some of
/ the big football games and also at the
Vanderbilt Cup race last fall 1t was
/ his frequent appearance in her company
and his manifest devotion that gave rise
to the rumors 10 the effect that an en-
/ engagement existed between him and
4 Miss Madeleine Force.
Father Hurried Announcement.
/ Mr.. Force explained the announce
ment of the engagement yesterday by
saying that unpleasant talk might arise.
Therefore l insisted on making the
formal announcer t. Mr.. Force con-
tinued. Il called Colonel Astor on tho
telephone to-day and We discussed the
matter. For reasons Of his own he had
not desired so early an announcement.
but he accepted my point Of view, and 1t
was agreed between ms that [ should
make the announcement
NO date has been set yet for the mar
riage. All Of that will come later. My
daughter is with her mother and sister,
at No. Is West 37th street"
/ Colonel Astor is considerably the senior
Of his fancee, the difference between
their ages being more than a quarter Of
century Regarded as the head Of the
] house of Astor In America since the self
expatriatiou Of his cousin. William
Waldorf Astor. now an English subject
/ he is the only son of the late William
Astor and Of his wife. Caroline Scher-
merhorn. is a grandson Of William p. AS
tor and great grandson Of John Jacob
/ Astor
Married Miss Willing in 1891.
/ After being graduated from Harvard
/ and spending some time in foreign
travel he married Miss Ava willing, "a
daughter Of Edward : Willing, Of Phil
adelphia. in 1891. Two children were
born to this union-uamely, William Vim
cent Astor. who is now In his twentieth
year and Ava Alice Muriel Astor, born
| in July. 1902
Mrs. Astor divorced her husband In
1909 in the New York courts, the decree
signed by Supreme Court Justice Mills
Of Mount Vernon being filed on NGvem-
! ber 10 1909. in the office Of the Duchess
J County Clerk at Poughkeepsie. Judge
! Mills ordered that the papers should be
sealed. The daughter remains with her
mother. who is now living in England
The boy is his fathers constant COM
panion and lives with him, but frequent
| ly visits his mother
Colonel Astor served ON the staff Of
Levi F. Morton when Mr.. Morton was
/ Governor Of this state. and on the out
break of the war with Spain. in 1898 he
received a commission as lieutenant
colonel OF United States volunteers,
serving as such under General Shafter
in she Cuban campaign. Later on he
organized and equipped at his own eX-
pense a mounted battery, which served
throughout the Philippine operations.
An Inventor and an Author.
Colonel Astor has achieved some note
as an inventor Of number Of mechani-
cal devices. also Of turbine engine and
likewise Of a pneumatic machine 10 re-
move worn-out material from roads be-
fore the new stone is laid. This last
named invention received a first prize
AZ the Chicago Worlds Fair In 1898.
Moreover. he has tried his hand at writ
ing fiction and is the author of "A Ro-
nance Of the Future" and of a Journey
Through other Worlds
His club list includes the Union. the
Knickerbocker. the Metropolitan. the
Army and Navy. the City the New York
Yacht. the Turf and Field, the Down
town. the Brook ang about fifteen others.
His sisters are the widowed Mrs.
George Ogilvy Haig. who makes her
home in England. and Mrs. VI. Orme
Wilson. who has assisted him at the
entertainments which he has given since
his divorce. He gave one Of the largest
and most brilliant balls of the season
early this year.
Mr. and Mrs. Force and their daugh
ters are now at their city home. Mr..
Force said yesterday that no date had
been set for the wedding. II will prob
ably take place in the fan at Newport
or Bar Harbor
Miss Forces father was educated I'm
Duchess County Academy at Pough
keepsle. y Y. and has been active In
the business life Of New York since 1873.
He is head OF the shipping and forward
ing firm Of William II. Force & CO.. No.
~ Front street He is director Of the
Staten Island Rapid Transit Company
and the United Casualty Company
member of the New York Board Of Trade
and Transportation, the New York
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