El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-04-29
VINCENT BsTOR TAKES 1 lively
INTEREST IN EPISCOPAL AFFAIRS
Is Expected to Continue Lberaity Toward the Church
Which His Father Practiced For Years Baptist
Foreign Mission Board Debt Is Increased;
Plans Are Perfected For the Texas
Sunday Schoo Convention.

William Vincent Astor. now head OF
J the American branch of the AstOr fam.
/ ny, ana coming into control of $780,
100000, is not get OF age. He takes a
keen interest. il is said by his rector,
, In Christian work and has done 50 for
some years Often of late years his
/ father. c. John Jacob Aston who
Went down with the Titanic, attended
church on Sundays through the in
Iuence Of his son Vincent The father
was vestryman Of the Church OF the
Messiah, Rhinebeck-On Hudson, q
church which he built almost entire
Eincents grandmother, the late Mrs.
Astor, owned pew in St. Thomas Epis-
copal church, New York, and Col. Astor
retained it. He also owned a pew in
Trinity church, New York
Col Aston was for some years
trustee Of the Cathedral Of st. John
the Divine, New York and gave $780,
600 toward its building fund of $500
600. He is now declared to have given
much more money to charities. even 70
missions than was generally supposed,
and his fellOw-Vestrymen in Rhinebeck
speak in much higher terms Of him
socially than have men Of New York
In late years with whom he has had
business dealings. It is said the for
mer really knew the man. the latter
did not.
1t is fact not generally known that
after Cornelius Vanderbilt died, and
Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt came to be
the head OF the family, with nearly the
same amount of money in control as
now has Vincent Astor, some Christian
men Of New York, ministers and lay
men, sought an interview with him,
and obtained 1t. They reminded young
Valderbih that the Vanderbilt name
demanded that q reasonable number OF
memberships on missionary, charitable
and perhaps church boards be held. and
that regular II not always large gifts
ought TO be made. They reminded the
young man also that they spoke not so
much for gifts, as they did TO be OF real
assistance in helping him TO maintain
the traditions of a wealthy and hon
Orable family name.
Nothing 10 speak Of came Of the in
terVieW and the offer Alfred Gwynne
Vanderbilt is not known to have given
Christian causes, II some gifts to Yale
are excepted, and he has not taken
time to serve on any mission boards 4
as his father did
Vincent AstOr promises rather more. +
The AstOrs are EpiscOpalians for gen
eratiOns. although the original Aston .
was German, and Vincent is dOubly I
reinforced in Christian ancestry, and /
Episcopal as well. through his mother. D
The vikings Of Philadelphia were long F
active and liberal EpiscOpalians. Vim /.
cent Aston has been confirmed, and IS T
reported to go, when at home in Rhine t
beck. to celebrations Of the holy COM .
muniOn with regularity. He has had .
little or no church life in New York .
city having lived most OF each year
at Newport or Rhinebeck, but he is
said at Cambridge to have entered to Z
some extent into the life which cen
ters in Phillips Brooks house, the re- {
ugious headquarters Of Harvard uni I
versity. Older men viii make, at the I.
proper time, the same offer to Astor T.
that they made to Vanderbilt, and with .
the same helpful intention behind it