Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 July 1877 — A Very Little in Bank. [ARTICLE]

A Very Little in Bank.

Among the subscribers to Audubon’s magnificent work on ornithology was John Jacob Astor. He was always ready to encourage such works, and he put his name down upon Audubon’s book for one thousand dollars. During the progress of the work, which proved to be more expensive than had been at first anticipated, Mr. Audubon often found himself obliged to call upon his generous patrons for assistance ; but he did not call upon Mr. Astor until the letter-press and the plates had been delivered. When the final delivery had been made, however, he called upon the great merchant for his thousand dollars. . “ Ah, Mr. Audubon,” said the owner of millions, “ you come in a very bad time. Money is scarce and hard, anri I have everything snugly and tightly invested.” And so the ornithologist called, time after time, and was often put off. It was not because Mr. Astor did not wish to pay, but it was from the strong desire, growing stronger with his years, to keep his property intact, and see it increased. When he had paid away a hundred thousand dollars for a really benevolent purpose he felt good, as a man feels good who has got rid of an aching tooth. It was only the wrenching away of the money that hurt him. At length Audubon called the sixth time. Mr. Astor had commenced to bemoan the low-ebo condition of his cash in hand, when he caught a disapproving look from his son William, who happened to be present. “But,” said the old man, after a pause, “ I suppose you want your money, and, really, I should like to let you have it. I may have a very little in bank William, have we any money in bank?” Evidently John Jacob had expected his son only to answer a simple yes; and it may be that William B. thought his father wished to know something of the bank account. At any rate, he was just fresh from the cash-on-hand page of the ledger, and he answered: “ Yes—we have a little over a hundred thousand in the Bank of New York; eighty thousand in the City Bank; ninety thousand in the Merchants’; ninety-eight thousand four hundred in ” “ That’ll do, William! That’ll do! I guess, Mr. Audubon, William can give you a check for the money.”