The Washington times., 1918-06-08


home. II hand pumps were ruoF
enough for the other dwellers IA tie
countryside they were good enough
for him. The few hired men he en-
ployed did not fall In with this idea q
simplicity. There are innumerrbIs
beds Of ''p0sies'' about the sImoI.
white frame mansion. and they must
be <watered in dry weather. II g no
unusual thing 70 the two gardeners
who take care OF the lawns and
flower beds to carry a thousand pots
OF water to the thirsty plants In tie
course Of a day.
Another of Uncle Henry's erotcbet1
was to collect silver half-doiiars 81
ancient vintage. II Is common rutaor
m the village OF West Copaks that
ne had barrels OF them in HIS CELLAR
ana boxes and baskets OF thsm stuck
under beds and hidden away n the
garrett This ecesntrieity was 4 d.
Velopment Of only recent years. II
was a strange fancy for a man who's
income was more than 5000 a day.
For four decades Henry Aston hard
~ spent a weeks income In q year,
and his millions multiplied enormous
~. He owned more than one hundred
valuable parcels Of real estats IN New
York city, and wherever you happen
have an AstOr farm pointed out 70
you None OF these farms, howsver4
was held in his own name. As fast
as he acquired them be transferred
the title to hts wife. and the Dine
hart boys are in charge Of them
All the Dinehart boys own automo-
biles and one OF them Is president OF
q bank at Hudson. N. 7. But none Of
them ever takes his motor car int6
the Henry Astor grounds at West
copake. For Uncle Henry hated an
tomobiIes.
Some OF the Astor property from
which Uncle Henry Astor derived .
large rental will pass in fee simple
to his nsphews. Had any children
been born to him this would not b
the case. But as for the other prince
iy half OF his fortune. he took the
same pains to keep u away from his
blood kin as his brother, william
Aston. did, to prevent Uncle Henry
or his issue from inheriting q dollar
OF his estate. In the viii Of the late
William Aston there vas inserted this
clause:
at Is my win and intention that
neither my brother Henry nor his Is
sue shall as heirs-at-laW Of next %
kin receive any portion OF MY estate
and any such portion TO when he or
they would In any contingency be en-
titled / give to the trustees Of the
Astor Library for corporate purposes
Of the said Institution"
Knew Ne aIrs. AstoE.
Had Henry Astor been so inclined
he was advised BY his lawyers ne
could successfully have attacked this
clause in his kinsman's will The
hen Mrs. Coleman Drayton was re-
'eFred to in the same manner n
Astor's will. When Henry
Astor was informed OF this, he. said:
GAs for Mrs. DraytOn. do not know
Ter: never saw her In my life. As for
ny brothers will, I have absolutely
10 interest in It do not intend TO-
give it a thought"
Through the long years OF his litp
le accepted the excommunication vs.
ted upon him by his family In ne
anne spirit Of utter indifference FOR
many years, IL Is related, he request
d that all mention OF the Aston name
,e cut from the newspapers before
hey were served to him. During re-
ent years he never read a newspaper
II a magazine, getting all his reading
rom the favorite literature OF his
younger days and the pages OF several
e trCuituraI publications.
An eHorl was maze recenl iy 70 Que1-
ion Uncle Henry Astor concerning
is opinion OF the approaching mar
iage OF his nephew Col John Jacob
.stor, and twenty-one-year-ol Made
me Talmadge Force. The inter
fewer. however, failed to reach the
threshold OF the West Copake man
ion. He was held in a wedge OF
arm hands while OF the Aston garden
rs went up to the house TO tell Uncle
ienry that there was a plot on foot
; interview him. Uncle Henry said
lrtly: Wedge him out" and the
was wedged out
Notwithstanding the reports that
ave long been circulated about old
enry Astor's remarkable collection
Z half dollars, no effort has ever
cen, made 10 rob his house One or
lore OF the "Dinehart bays" always
as in the mansion, and any would'bS
arsuder who gets a look at one OF
le "Dinehart boys" suffers a sudden
-