[Homer_J_Simpson]

[Continued from January 11 (reply #67).]

January 15, THURSDAY. . . . Tuesday afternoon I dined at John Astor’s *, with D’Oremieulx, George Anthon, Cornell, Lord, Henry Day, Porter of Niagara, Edward Bell (the Great Bell of Moscow, where he was last winter), and Dick Emmet; very splendid and quite pleasant. The lady’s elegance of manner was a little oppressive, but she improves on acquaintance I had the honor to take her in and sit next her, and gradually warmed up to the conviction that she was amiable and agreeable.

*John Jacob Astor (1822-1890), son of William B. Astor, had married Charlotte Gibbes of South Carolina. His career was mainly devoted to administering the Astor estate, which came into his hands on the death of his father in 1875, and to the promotion of the Astor Library.

The Diary of George Templeton Strong, Edited by Allan Nevins and Milton Halsey Thomas

John Jacob Astor III Wikipedia page

[Tax-chick]

Several of these attendees are listed as founding trustees of the Astor Library.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

[Continued from January 15 (reply #81).]

Forgot to chronicle Miss Betty Rhinelander’s engagement. The lucky man is William Edgar (Newbold Edgar’s brother, the “Commodore” of the Yacht Club), old, forty-five at least, and not handsome, but very respectable, rich, honest, well-connected, and manly, and to his intimate friends genial and generous. A good step on both sides.

The Diary of George Templeton Strong, Edited by Allan Nevins and Milton Halsey Thomas