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Astor, John Jacob (Third of the name soldier)

third of the name, soldier, capitalist, was born June 10, 1823, in New York city, and was a son of William B. Astor. At the outbreak of the civil war Mr. Astor enlisted as a volunteer, and served with credit on the staff of General McClellan. After the war he remained in business with his father. After his father's death in 1875, Mr. Astor increased his inheritance by continuing the purchase and improvement of real estate. At his death he was the largest owner of real estate in New York city, aside from the Trinity Church corporation. His estate was estimated variously between $75,000,000 and $100,- 000,000, the bulk of it going to his son, William Waldorf Astor, now the head of the family. He gave legacies of $400,000 to The Astor library, $100,000 each to St.

Luke's and the Cancer hospitals, and other sums to kindred public objects. He died Feb. 22, 1890, in New York city.