Until the year Eighteen Hundred, Astor lived over his store in
Water Street, but he then moved to the plain and modest house at
Two Hundred and Twenty-three Broadway, on the site of the old
Astor House. Here he lived for twenty-five years.

The fur business was simple and very profitable. Astor now was
confining himself mostly to beaver- skins. He fixed the price at
one dollar, to be paid to the Indians or trappers. It cost fifty
cents to prepare and transport the skin to London. There it
was sold at from five to ten dollars. All of the money received
for skins was then invested in English merchandise, which
was sold in New York at a profit. In Eighteen Hundred, Astor
owned three ships which he had bought so as to absolutely
control his trade. Ascertaining that London dealers were
reshipping furs to China, early in the century he dispatched
one of his ships directly to the Orient, loaded with furs, with
explicit written instructions to the captain as to what the
cargo should be sold for. The money was to be invested in teas
and silks.

The ship sailed away, and had been gone a year.

No tidings had come from her.

Suddenly a messenger came with news that the ship was in
the bay. We can imagine the interest of Mr. and Mrs. Astor
as they locked their store and ran to the Battery. Sure enough,
it was their ship, riding gently on the tide, snug, strong and
safe as when she had left.