New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-05-30
About 500 Patrons OF Famous
Old Public Inn Sign an
Eleventh Hour Appeal
to Vincent Aston.
GUESTS FINAL FAREWELL
Reluctant to Go, Many Of the
"Oldtime" Patrons Linger
Within It's Walls Until st.
Paul's Clock Tolls the
Hour of Twelve.

hOuT Ol 1WelNS'
Shortly before the clock in the belfry
of ST. Paurs Church tolled out the
hour of II last night the old edifice
whispered softly to its neighbor across
Vesey street:
"Goodby. Astor House! shall miss
you"
Crouching against the south flank Of
the towering Woolworth Building, the
Aston House grimly awaited the end
only a few minutes more, Aston
House ST. Paul's said, as the gilt
hands on the clock crept toward the
summit Of the dial I'VE have stood
together these many years through
thick and thin. but sentiment has no
place in the foot Of Manhattan. The
clock is about to strike. Goodby,"
Closes as ST. Psurs Tolls II,
Twelve deep, solemn stokes Of the
bell vibrated from the belfry. When
their echo died away among the Gre
vases called streets among the sky
scrapers st. Pauls had tolled the knell
Of it's last old associate. The doors of
the Astor House had closed the hotel
had become one Of the city's traditions.
a few guests. reluctant TO leave,
fingered within its walls, but the last
Of the hotels viands. famous the coun-
try over among men in all walks Of life,
had been eaten and the final toast to
old "reminiscences had been drunk at
the carved walnut bar in the rotunda
A petition drafted to present TO Vim
cent Astor in an attempt TO preserve
the old landmark kindled but a faint
hope in the breasts of the odd timers"
AS a wind up to its existence the de-
partment Of the old hotel which catered
TO the inner man did one of the largest
days businesses in its career. Long
before noon visitors came in streams
and crowded about the circular lunch
counters in the rotunda.
The mixologists. on what O. Henry
called the sober side" OF the bar,
worked under tension throughout the
day and up to a late hour last night. so
many were the farewell toasts to be
drunk.
"oId Timers" in Silent Toasts.
Among the congestion Of patrons
were many gray haired men who had
eaten regularly at the lunch counters
for years-some since the days Of the
Civil War Charles F. Case, the dean
Of the Erie Railroad employees in the
New York office and one of the Astor
Houses odd timers" stood in the TO
tunda and watched the silent toasts to
the old hotels memory as they were
consumed.
Il remember when the house went
under the management of Allen q
DAM" he said. Il believe it was Sep
TENDER I, 1915. The popular toast that
day was. Here's TO Frank Allen. and
Dam his parner."
Alfred II Thurston. the proprietor OF
the Astor House. received yesterday Il
gold cigarette case. the gift of the
hotel employees. Throughout the day
he mingled with the throngs in the cor
ridors. greeting and listening to the re-
grets Of friends.
Appeal to Vincent Astor.
An eleventh hour attempt to save the
Aston House. for a few years. at least.
was launched at noon yesterday, fol-
lowing a conference between the hotel
management. some public spirited citi-
zens and representatives of surround
ing Office buildings who frown at the
thought of a skyscraper being erected
upon the site. All who passed into the
rotunda after II o'clock noon were re-
Quested TO sign petition addressed to
Vincent Aston asking him TO preserve
the Aston House as ii is to-day. 1t
seemed a forlorn hope at best, but all
seemed willing 10 sign. In three hours
about fifteen hundred names were ap-
pended to the following petition:
ITO Mr. Vincent Aston: The citizens Of
New York City recognizing not only the
historic value Of the Astor House but
the love for 81 transmitted by their fore
fathers. ask you. as a public spirited citi-
those things that bespeak pride Of pos
terity, 10 render your aid in the preserva-
ton OF this notable building IN our city
The Astor House is the centre Of the
city's activity; II is where men Of affairs
meet. and its elimination means the OBJ
liberation Of present and past associa-
tons
I'VE. therefore. ask you to submit some
proposition TO the present management
which will serve TO maintain the Aston
House as It Is to-day. and as our fore
bears knew It and the present generation
respects II"
At the Office Of the Astor estate it
was said last night that copy Of the
petition had not been received. and that
II was impossible to tell what action, If
any, Vincent Astor would take upon il.
No word regarding the ultimate dis
position of the building was forthcom-
ing.