New-York tribune., 1920-03-10
al AstOr Lots
Auctioned for
$5,159,O75
. and 45th Street
Parcel Brings $780, 600;
R;;o1 and MorOscO Thea
! : ,er Sites Fetch $35O,OOO
Heirs Watch Sale
5. Small Holding Worth
!. More Than First Cost of
Entire Eden Farm Tract

,...u.e Henry Astor married girl
Ms father, William Backhouse
~ and the other members of the
~ II. aid not like, fifty or sixty per-
sy 8 slated to Henry by blood or mar
81 L had to sit around yesterday wait
.nxiously to see whether they
~ have 100000, S6,000.0o0 or
h "a 400 to split as result Of an
H., sale of Uncle Henry's" real
ryss on the West Side. Latest re-
a. indicate that every one of the
r will be able to stand slight
=. in his rent next fall, for. on
f0y xl;rr the bids on the 141 pieces of
rsrty. it was found that specu-
y a investors. householders. theater
A.. builders and business men had
= - or agreed to pay s5,159,075.
Sf.r If Henry Astor had done things
*. regular way he would have said
/. S;s folks before he died: Here.
y |gfw Roosevelt Robinson, you are
.,xc to receive nice block of fats
ssfEest Forty-ffth and Forty
..ssts And you, Mary Van Allen
-.smpson. you get a lot OF fine corners
'.E;ghth Avenue, from. Forty-ffth to
s,.tv.siyth Street William Astor
s.slev. you have been good boy, so
- ,sn have the sites of the Astor
Ia Msrosco and Bijou theaters."
Roll Call of Astor Heirs
Ind so he would have gone on
..Aurh the list of James Roosevelt
|s,I;nson jr., Charlotte Augusta Haig,
r,,aliue Schermerhorn Wilson, Will
i Vincent Astor. Alice Muriel Astor,
I'm Jacob Astor, James Laurens
sjan, Sarah Steward Collier, Hubert
i S,uers. Margaret Stuers OberndortF,
{ssis ZvorowsI,i, Arthur Astor Carey,
Winthrop Astor Chanler, Louis Stuy-
,srnt Chanler, Robert Winthrop
cEsnler John Armstrong Chaloner,
Elisabeth Winthrop Chapman, Margaret
lr;ugston Aldrich, Aida Beekman
Tnnst and ever so many more.
Few If any of them, however, knew
.racle Henry" who lived in seclusion
m n; estate at West Copake, Column
IA County, \. Y, from the time he
s.rried Melvina Dinehart ffty-fve
s.rs ago, until his death in June,
ls.s Few, indeed, had ever seen him.
I'D he had no children of his own to
lem to leave his property, so when
/. died there was nothing to do but
sl It and divide the proceeds among
hose who have sprung from the Astor
family tree.
Tbs. is why yesterday more than
800 persons crowded into the great
all room at the Hotel Astor to hurl
Ids at Joseph P. Day ard j. Clarence
lsvies, agents and auctioneers, for
gus Of the finest real estate that ever
"a; been placed on the auction block.
llcs it was the Eden farm-much like
PRESENT day Long Island cottage patches
but now it is in the heart Of New
Jerks theater and hotel section, and
as lot, as the bidding showed, is worth
ss'e than the SIS, 900 which the orig
Il. John Jacob Astor gave for the
v.'le tract from Broadway, Forty-hfth
70 Forty-seventh Street, extending
i'r'hwest to the Hudson River. 1t was
lit Just an ordinary crowd of "rent
''ah'eers' who went to the sale. but
s.hsE an earnest group, who had in
alnd to build great, handsome struc-
a'es on the land if they could get it;
ane who thought they might buy the
md on which stands the buildings
icy occupy as homes or business
saces. Then, too, there were the specu-
aNrs, ever eager to grasp a bargain.
'A bargains were rare.
Pums fer City Investing Company
Robert F.. Dowling obtained for his
ag Investing Company two of the
-ss'' he was successful bidder for
i.ss ground on which stand the Astor,
ne aorosco and the Bijou theaters.
.se Astor IS at the northwest corner
y broadway and Forty fifth Street,
= si,e is valued conservatively by the
a1 department at 100000, but Mr..
.'Sllng paid only S79O,0OO for it. For
dc Two other theaters sites adjoining
" fof'y-hfth Street, taxed on valu-
,. sgh OF s455. 1000, Mr.. Dowling paid
SSguOO ,ssy' Perhaps the fact that the
,a.olAgs are not included in the sale
.a ~, mat there are long leases on the
'ad [aused bidders to hold off. Just
D the sale.
now eager theatrical interests are for
ss was shown by spirited contests
sfsssh samuel Z. Stone, Edward Mar
,s ana Nr. Stern, representing the
SoI SI'ygi's, pi., and syndicate composed OF
srsl D.oom and several associates. Sew
gor.r | ames sa.s their bidding for plots in
s.., s.s-,h and Forty streets.
a =. =. q d broadway, sent prices soaring
sr.s.. No. agh as $4,000 a lot-a most un-
,b,sse bs.'se hgure. The Bloom syndicate
n sa Waa. one splendid site at 239 to