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Show WILLIAM W. ASTOE ABANDONED AMERICA TO GAIN SOCIAL FAME. Audi Now Finds Himself a Millionaire Without a Country, IlaTljig lleea Tabooed by the Prince of Wales' Set and Other English Nobles, The story of" William Waldorr Astor, who grossly offended Engl.sh society a short time ago by insulting Sir Archibald Milne, a particular friend of the Prince of Wales, and who is now ostracised by the smart Bet, which basks In the prince's favor, Js that of a man without a country. He began life with unlimited wealth Started the Pall Mall Magazine, a!l ultra-Tory and catering to the smart set He bought from the Duke of Westminster, the richest man in England, Eng-land, the handsomest seat on the Thames Cliveden. Then Mr. Astor built a high wall around the park, s'n-tioned s'n-tioned guards, and warned the public to keep oft of his grounds. Such a thing is not usual with English country coun-try gentlemen and everybody bristled with indignation at the American snob, as they called him. Gradually Mr. Astor has become the "bete nolr" of pretty nearly all classes of English-I English-I men. He is 10,000 miles from a peerage, peer-age, and probably now fully as far from a royal drawing-room. His conspicuous con-spicuous use to-day is as a warning to Americans who will not keop in touch with their countrymen. I and boundless ambition. He still-has both, for the latter has never been satisfied. About twenty years ago a group of young men among the rich New Yorkers York-ers were starting out in life, all with some political ambition and all backed up by an old family and a big rent roll. J-.'one of them promised so much and jfailed so dismally as William Waldorf iAstor. He Intended to be President of the United, States. He is now a man without a country, disappointed, cynical, cyn-ical, with no future before him at 53. He was the son of John Jacob Astor III, the head of the great family who came from the little village of Waldorf, Wal-dorf, Germany, about 120 years ago, and started in life as butchers and fur traders. When William Waldorf icama Into the world the Astora owned mine per cent of the real estate in New iYork city, and had taken social precedence prece-dence over the old Knickerbocker families, fam-ilies, who once held themselves aloof ifrom a man who peddled furs on his back. Astor was educated at the law school of Columbia University. He Imagined himself a second Disraeli and began simultaneously a career in politics and In literature. He wa3 . elected State senator. He ran for Congress to succeed Levi P. Morton and was defeated by the late Roswell Flower. He was appointed minister to Italy by President Arthur. He distin- euisneu nimsen mere Dy scattering golden scudi with a lavish hand. Incidentally In-cidentally he got along with his ministerial minis-terial duties without discredt to the government Nothing came up to demand de-mand diplomacy, and Mr. Astor was equal to the situation. He returned home and threw himself into politics in New York State. Perhaps it would be more correct to say that he threw himself at politics. He worked very hard, and he was very much in earnest, earn-est, but his efforts came to nothing. He gave his money freely and he gave his time without stint. But he failed to connect with the people, and that is an essential element to success In American politics, as Mr. Astor found out. He wrote a novel called Valentino, Valen-tino, and followed It with another Italian romance called Sforza. In the judgment of critics they had consid- literary merit, mere was a lack of the two great things, power and imagination. There were polish and scholarly ability to a good degree. But here again Mr. Astor failed to connect con-nect with the people. To crown his political and literary disappointments a dispute arose as to whether Mrs. William Waldorf Astor or Mrs. John Jacob Astor was entitled to be called "Mrs. Astor." In short, was .Tnhn Tarnh A ctni. - until dorf Astor the head of the family? Society settled the question in favor of the popular i'ohn Jacob, and Will- r WILLIAM WALDORF ASTOR. liam Waldorf, in pique, built next door jto his cousin the big and fashionable hotel, the Waldorf -Astor House. Then he gathered up his household goods and moved to London. He disposed of as much of his property in America as "juiu ami invested nis money in England. He rented his residence and declared publicly and often that America was not his country. He became be-came a naturalized Englishman and for a couple of years was apparently an intimate friend of the Prince of Wales. It was rumored that he was to be given a peerage and marry a .daughter of the prince, for he is now a widower. Then gossip connected his . name with that of Lady Randolph j Churchill, and recently with that of Mrs. Ogden Goelet, of New York. All the time Mr. Astor has attempted attempt-ed to secure a firm footing in English society. He bought the Pall Mall Gazette Ga-zette and Pall Mall Budget, and |