carefully and elegantly
executed, and embracing the boundaries of an enormous estate. Seated by
the table may generally be seen a stout-built man with large and
unattractive features, and upon the whole an ordinary face. He is
plainly dressed, and has a somewhat care-worn look, and appears to be
fifty or sixty years of age. One naturally feels (that is, if he be a
poor man) that it is quite a rare thing to address a capitalist, and
especially when that capitalist is the representative, say of
twenty-five millions of dollars. Such, at least, was our experience at
our first interview with William B. Astor.

Mr. Astor occupies an imposing mansion in Lafayette Place, and
immediately adjoining is the magnificent library to which we have
referred, and which should commemorate the name of the son as well as
that of the father. At this house he spends that small portion of his
time which is not occupied by his duties in Prince street, where he does
a full day's work (Sundays excepted) every day in the week. Thus the
daily routine of the richest man in America is a walk to and from home,
of a half-mile or so, and close attention to business.

The care of Mr. Astor's estate is a vast burden. His tenements of all
grades number several hundreds, ranging from the dwelling at three
hundred dollars per annum to the magnificent warehouse or hotel at
thirty thousand dollars. To relieve himself from the more vexatious
features of his business, he has committed his real estate collections
to an agent who does the work well, and who is, no doubt, largely paid.
He, with his clerks, collects rents, and makes returns of a rent-roll,
whose very recital would be wearisome. As a matter of course, such a man
must employ a small army of painters, carpenters, and other mechanics,
in order to keep up suitable repairs. As Mr. Astor pays no insurance,
the work of rebuilding after fires is in itself a large item.

A large part of Mr. Astor's property consists of vacant lots, which are
in continual demand, and which he generally prefers to hold rather than
sell; hence he is much employed with architects and master-builders, and
always has several blocks in course of erection. This is a very heavy
burden, and were it not for the help derived from his family, would, we
believe, crush him. However, his son, John Jacob, is quite a business
man, and bears his share of the load. This young gentleman has shown his
patriotism by serving in the army for the U