Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
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  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
Life of John Jacob Astor

Life of John Jacob Astor

Parton, James

Paperback

Biographies General

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ISBN10: 1151457655
ISBN13: 9781151457653
Publisher: General Books
Pages: 72
Weight: 0.26
Height: 0.17 Width: 9.01 Depth: 5.98
Language: English
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1865 Excerpt: ...great wealth, who lived next door to Mr. Astor's residence, was extremely indisposed to remove, and held out long against every offer of the millionaire. His house was worth thirty thousand dollars. Astor offered him that sum; but the offer was very positively declined, and the old gentleman declared it to be his intention to spend the remainder of his days in the house. Mr. Astor offered forty thousand without effect. At length the indomitable projector revealed his purpose to his neighbor. Mr. Coster, said he, I want to build a hotel. I have got all the other lots; now name your own price. To which Coster replied by confessing the real obstacle to the sale. The fact is, said he, I can't sell unless Mrs. Coster consents. If she is willing, I'll sell for sixty thousand, and you can call to-morrow morning and ask her. Mr. Astor presented himself at the time named. Well, Mr. Astor, said the lady in the tone of one who was conferring a very great favor for nothing, we are such old friends that I am willing for your sake. So the house was bought, and with the proceeds Mr. Coster built the spacious granite mansion a mile up Broadway, which is now known as the Chinese Building. Mr. Astor used to relate this story with great glee. He was particularly amused at the simplicity of the old lady in considering it a great favor to him to sell her house at twice its value. It was at this time that he removed to a wide, two-story brick house opposite Niblo's, the front door of which bore a large silver plate, exhibiting to awestruck passers-by the words: mb. Astob. Soon after the hotel was finished, he made a present of it to his eldest son, or, in legal language, he sold it to him for the...

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