The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-01-31
Mother Files General Ac-
counting of Expenditures
for Child.
TOYS AMOUNT TO $500
Physicians Bills for the Four
Years Of Boys Life Total
.S6,523.


Madeleine Force Astor. widow Of Col.
John Jacob Astor, filed yesterday in the
surrogate's Court her first general ac-
counti0g OF all proceedings affecting the
property OF her baby boy. John Jacob
Astor, who was born August II, 1919,
after his father had lost his life in the
sinking Of the Titanic in the preceding
April
! The accounting. which runs from No
vember 1s, 1912. when the mother was
appointed general guardian. until De-
cember 81, 1915. shows that sS6,034.21
was spent by her during that period to
maintain the child. as against ss0.s6o.o7
she received According to these figures
the average cost a day for the little
boys support during the three years was
S75.27.
! This was slightly below the daily ex-
pense for the year 1915. as set forth in
the mothers second annual accounting.
According to that compilation, filed on
April IS. 1916, the cost for the preceding
year was $3.50 a day
s3,OOO,0OO Trust F.na.
! The money for the child's upbringing
came from the $4,000 trust fund
which Col. Astor directed In his will
should be set aside for the care of any
children he might have following his
marriage with Miss Madeleine Force.
| Until her remarriage to Mr. Dick little
John Jacob Astor lived with his mother
,v,I Oh.
him one-third the expense OF conducting
the residence.
} From the time Of the boys birth until
the last date in her accounting Mrs. Dick
includes In this charg, an item OF
$5S.77S as one-third of the taxes on her
home. For the maintenance of the es-
tablishment Mrs Dick places his one third
At $S2.666.67. The income from the trust
find is set at $4,000.
throughout the whole Of his four
years the bilh for physicians for the boy
have amounted to s6,52s. Fees 20 attor-
neys and disbursements to Henry A.
! Gildersleeve. who filed the accounting,
tctalled s4,007.
! Not the least interesting side OF the
accounting-and a feature which has
never been included before-is the
amount spent for toys. Altogether the
devices bought to keep him amused cost
So,'5O. The vouchers reveal that as he
grew up his toys also grew In size and
Importance. For Christmas, 1918, when
he was a little over one year old, his
mother bought for him speaking book.
/ ffteen discs for a music box, three 'roly
polys' and two boxes of horns and balls
y $50 for u Go-cart.
I In June. 1914. $40 was expended for a
go-cart. and as he and his mother were
about to go to the seaside the little boy
was equipped with the following outfit
A pail. cprinkler. a sand SCOOP, a sand
sieve. book on animal land, a Mother
Goose, toy donkey and a toy railway
On his next Christmas he was able 10
SET up an elaborate menagerie with the
following toy animals: A camel, $50: a
lion. sl5 a goose, $3.50: a bear. s3.75
donkey. Sc; lamb. $3.50. and a duck
W. In August, 1915. he received five
"rollomobiles." SIS: three bears or
wheels. Sl2: five hoops. $40: a see-saw
50; soap bubble blower. 81; a magic
fsh pond and athletic slides. $50. In
that month also he appears to have had
party. Tor there Is an item of gif,
pie for twenty guests at a cost of SIS.
As for clothes perhaps the most i'm
portant date In that connection was
May, 1914. when he received his frs
set OF rompers. four in humber. at q
cost of 4.75. Before he was born hi,
clothing item had begun to mount up
since from June, 1912. until a month
before his birth list Of garments cost
ing $l,Ol1.5O all told is given
Furs I'm Wardrobe.
In December, 1912, he was presente,
with mink robe worth $3.50 and a,
ermine baby robe worth sls5. In Sen
tember, 1913, two pillows and n pillow
case were bought for him in Bangor
Me-, for 800. The next spring he had ;
coat. S45, and two hats costing se7 IN
all. On January 81. 1915. he received (
mink robe made from 200 skins. value,
at 5000, and mink mum worth $50
From the time of his birth down [,
the date of my marriage to Mr.. Dick.
his mother says, his residence wa,
with me at $40 Fifth avenue, and h,
has always been and now is under m,
, personal care and supervision. Unit
, the time Of my marriage to Mr.. Dicl
he and myself constituted the entir,
family and shared the homes accommo
dations, apartments and the service ther
provided. The establishment SO occuple,
, was maintained at great expense. On,
I have been advised by my counsel
Henry A. Gildersleeve, that Il is prone
and reasonable that there should h,
charged to the said infant one-third O
the cost OF maintenance and one-thir,
of the taxes"