New-York tribune., 1911-11-29

and Tennis Club. Turf and Field club. city
Lunch Club city Midday Club, Downtown
Association. Transportation club. Railroad
Club of New York, Riding Club. Brook
Club. Tuxedo Club, Country Club, Nor-
chester Polo Club Aero Club. Newport Golf
Club, Travellers Club OF Paris, Cocoa
Tree Club of London. Society Of Colonial
Wars. Chamber of Commerce, New YORK
Geological Society, New York Botanlcal
Garden Metropolitan Museum Of Art
American Museum OF Natural History,
New York Academy Of Sciences Military
order Of Foreign Wars and American Geo
graphical Society
Few men have been more scrupuousy
intent upon filing their obligations 10 So
ciety than Colonel John Jacob Astor, and
i'm all respects he has always been thor
oughly earnest and conscientious citizen
He has long taken an active interest in
politics, and while steadily refusing political
honors his name has many times been
mentioned In connection with some of the
most important governmental posts in the
state Of New York.
Colonel John Jacob Astor came by his
ambition 10 contribute materially to the
resources of his beloved commonwealth
naturally. For IT is certain that no citizens
of the country have been more effectively
patriotic or have done more toward the
upbuding Of the state than the members
Of the Astor family.
one is never tired Of reading OF the re-
markabe achievements OF the founder, and
in conspicuous line of descent of the de-
scendants OF this remarkable family Clean,
D tyb In f,,Io
spirited and charitable. the representatives
/ of the Astor family have attained the
/ honorable place they occupy I'm finance and
/ history by methods that built up private
! enterprises and contributed materially 20
/ the welfare Of the nation. while their own
fortune was in the making.
3 II was in the year l7S2 the same that
witnessed the evacuation by the British
troops OF New York. that John Jacob
Astor. the founder Of this iliustriOus line
landed here from his native town Of Wal
dorf Germany. Possessed with the effec-
tive capital of a scholarly education, re-
markahle force of character and a talent
FOR business that made him leader In the
I earliest commercial life in New York he dii
not need that of money: he was capable os
providing that The fur trade al that ,.ma
presented alluring possibilities, and ne
established az Astoria Oregon. the first
/ permanent American settlement on the
! Pacific Coast. During the War OF 1912 john
/ Jacob Astor was the largest individual sub
| scrbeg 10 the United States loans to ths
government thus inspiring the financial
world with confidence i'm the ultimate happy
issue of the conflict. The acute Judgment
that had so quickly made him a leader in
the financial and mercantile world led him
10 make the investments in real estate in
New York upon which the great Astor
fortune was buided. a policy 20 which
his descendants have steadfastly adhered
The Astor Library stands as a monument
to his practical munihcence.
The frs; John Jacob Aslors wife was
Sarah, daughter OF Adam Todd. Of New
York. Their son, William b. Astor, sue
ceeded TO the family csta;c lie married
Margaret Armstrong. the daughter Of Cen
cral John Armstrong. soldier. statesman,
author ana a Revolutionary patriot and
who married Alice Livingston daughter
of Judge Robert Il. Livingston Their son
was William Astor, father OF Colonel John
Jacob Astor the subject OF this sketch.
His wife and the mother OF Colonel Astor
was Caroline schermerhon. daughter OF
Abraham schermerhorn. a descendant from
Jacob Janse Schcrmerhorn, who settled I'm
New York in 1886
Besides his residences on Flhh avenue
and at Newport Colonel As;or maintains
and spends much of his time at Ferncfe.
at Rhinebeck- n-the- Hudson, the beautiful
estate where he was born