Son of Seneca Austin and Julia Ann Burnet. Found several marriages listed on Ancestry.com. Married to Lovica Louise Bliss. Married to Mary Elizabeth Barbee on 23 Jun 1891 in Emporia, Lyon Co, KS. Married to Florence Hazel Gross. Married to Eula Wenonah Neal.
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The Emporia Gazette, 21 Nov 1903, Sat
WILLIAM AUSTIN DEAD
PASSED AWAY TODAY AFTER WEEKS OF SUFFERING
HE WAS ONCE A RICH MAN
He Gave Largely to Charity--Was Liberal in All His Dealings and Trusted Everybody--Lost a Quarter Million in a Few Years
After long weeks of pain and years of stress, the soul of Wm. Austin went out from its earthly habitation today from the hazy scapes of earth to clearer sweeps of space his soul unfleshed and freed, passed into the light beyond.
Mr. Austin was a resident of Emporia for nearly thirty years. He was born in Effingham, Ill. He was a carpenter by trade, but later worked selling gravestones.
In 1888 while engaged in this humble calling, Wm. Austin fell heir to a great fortune estimated at $267,000. He bought large holdings of land in the Neosho valley, built a splendid country place and became an importer of Percheron and English draught and carriage horses.
While engaged in this business he made to trips to Europe, visiting the great resorts and markets, and while there bought beautiful statuary, pictures and other works of art and fitted up his home sumptuously.
In 1891 he married Miss Mary Barber and five children were born to them, all of whom survive him.
In 1892 Mr. Austin became financially embarrassed, due largely to the amount of poor paper which he held and upon which he realized but little. From that time on his ventures were profitless and in a few years he sold his farm and moved to town. He engaged in several different branches of labor but his health failed rapidly and his work profited him little.
His struggle to earn daily bread for his little nest of fledglings has been the most pitiful story in the town's history. He bought a horse and wagon and went out into the country and bought vegetables and sold them door to door. From early morning until dark, broken in spirit and body, but asking no charity, he sought in honest trade to earn enough to feed his children and to clothe them for school. It was a forlorn hope, but he held out until his strength was all gone. He was stricken with paralysis, was helpless for a few weeks and today the end came, bringing surcease of pain and rest from fruitless longings and vain regrets.
It is hard to believe that a man who lived the life that Mr. Austin did could waste a quarter of million dollars in the brief space of four years. He was absolutely free from bad habits, vice being entirely foreign to his character. It is harder to believe that charitable as he was so large a fortune could be squandered in so brief a time, even as alms or gifts by him. In either case is was a clumsy thing to take advantage of a man whose ingenuousness in business matters or largeness in soul of higher ways made easy the approach to his inheritance.
One thing is sure, it was not in any way discreditable to his character that his fortune took wings, and it is equally true that it was not all wasted, for William Austin was the most generous giver to good causes that the town has ever had. There are those who say that the bread he cast on the waters never came back. He did give to many who proved unworthy, as some of the notes now outlawed and ignored most amply prove, but it may yet be seen that the bread he cast onto the waters will come back to his children in perhaps some better form.
The sympathy of all Emporia goes out to the brave wife, who through all his misfortunes was tireless in her helping and ceaseless in her ministrations. To her and to the five little children comfort to help and soothe will surely be forthcoming.
*********************************************
The Emporia Gazette, 21 Nov 1903, Sat
WILLIAM AUSTIN DEAD
PASSED AWAY TODAY AFTER WEEKS OF SUFFERING
HE WAS ONCE A RICH MAN
He Gave Largely to Charity--Was Liberal in All His Dealings and Trusted Everybody--Lost a Quarter Million in a Few Years
After long weeks of pain and years of stress, the soul of Wm. Austin went out from its earthly habitation today from the hazy scapes of earth to clearer sweeps of space his soul unfleshed and freed, passed into the light beyond.
Mr. Austin was a resident of Emporia for nearly thirty years. He was born in Effingham, Ill. He was a carpenter by trade, but later worked selling gravestones.
In 1888 while engaged in this humble calling, Wm. Austin fell heir to a great fortune estimated at $267,000. He bought large holdings of land in the Neosho valley, built a splendid country place and became an importer of Percheron and English draught and carriage horses.
While engaged in this business he made to trips to Europe, visiting the great resorts and markets, and while there bought beautiful statuary, pictures and other works of art and fitted up his home sumptuously.
In 1891 he married Miss Mary Barber and five children were born to them, all of whom survive him.
In 1892 Mr. Austin became financially embarrassed, due largely to the amount of poor paper which he held and upon which he realized but little. From that time on his ventures were profitless and in a few years he sold his farm and moved to town. He engaged in several different branches of labor but his health failed rapidly and his work profited him little.
His struggle to earn daily bread for his little nest of fledglings has been the most pitiful story in the town's history. He bought a horse and wagon and went out into the country and bought vegetables and sold them door to door. From early morning until dark, broken in spirit and body, but asking no charity, he sought in honest trade to earn enough to feed his children and to clothe them for school. It was a forlorn hope, but he held out until his strength was all gone. He was stricken with paralysis, was helpless for a few weeks and today the end came, bringing surcease of pain and rest from fruitless longings and vain regrets.
It is hard to believe that a man who lived the life that Mr. Austin did could waste a quarter of million dollars in the brief space of four years. He was absolutely free from bad habits, vice being entirely foreign to his character. It is harder to believe that charitable as he was so large a fortune could be squandered in so brief a time, even as alms or gifts by him. In either case is was a clumsy thing to take advantage of a man whose ingenuousness in business matters or largeness in soul of higher ways made easy the approach to his inheritance.
One thing is sure, it was not in any way discreditable to his character that his fortune took wings, and it is equally true that it was not all wasted, for William Austin was the most generous giver to good causes that the town has ever had. There are those who say that the bread he cast on the waters never came back. He did give to many who proved unworthy, as some of the notes now outlawed and ignored most amply prove, but it may yet be seen that the bread he cast onto the waters will come back to his children in perhaps some better form.
The sympathy of all Emporia goes out to the brave wife, who through all his misfortunes was tireless in her helping and ceaseless in her ministrations. To her and to the five little children comfort to help and soothe will surely be forthcoming.
Son of Seneca Austin and Julia Ann Burnet. Found several marriages listed on Ancestry.com. Married to Lovica Louise Bliss. Married to Mary Elizabeth Barbee on 23 Jun 1891 in Emporia, Lyon Co, KS. Married to Florence Hazel Gross. Married to Eula Wenonah Neal.
*********************************************
The Emporia Gazette, 21 Nov 1903, Sat
WILLIAM AUSTIN DEAD
PASSED AWAY TODAY AFTER WEEKS OF SUFFERING
HE WAS ONCE A RICH MAN
He Gave Largely to Charity--Was Liberal in All His Dealings and Trusted Everybody--Lost a Quarter Million in a Few Years
After long weeks of pain and years of stress, the soul of Wm. Austin went out from its earthly habitation today from the hazy scapes of earth to clearer sweeps of space his soul unfleshed and freed, passed into the light beyond.
Mr. Austin was a resident of Emporia for nearly thirty years. He was born in Effingham, Ill. He was a carpenter by trade, but later worked selling gravestones.
In 1888 while engaged in this humble calling, Wm. Austin fell heir to a great fortune estimated at $267,000. He bought large holdings of land in the Neosho valley, built a splendid country place and became an importer of Percheron and English draught and carriage horses.
While engaged in this business he made to trips to Europe, visiting the great resorts and markets, and while there bought beautiful statuary, pictures and other works of art and fitted up his home sumptuously.
In 1891 he married Miss Mary Barber and five children were born to them, all of whom survive him.
In 1892 Mr. Austin became financially embarrassed, due largely to the amount of poor paper which he held and upon which he realized but little. From that time on his ventures were profitless and in a few years he sold his farm and moved to town. He engaged in several different branches of labor but his health failed rapidly and his work profited him little.
His struggle to earn daily bread for his little nest of fledglings has been the most pitiful story in the town's history. He bought a horse and wagon and went out into the country and bought vegetables and sold them door to door. From early morning until dark, broken in spirit and body, but asking no charity, he sought in honest trade to earn enough to feed his children and to clothe them for school. It was a forlorn hope, but he held out until his strength was all gone. He was stricken with paralysis, was helpless for a few weeks and today the end came, bringing surcease of pain and rest from fruitless longings and vain regrets.
It is hard to believe that a man who lived the life that Mr. Austin did could waste a quarter of million dollars in the brief space of four years. He was absolutely free from bad habits, vice being entirely foreign to his character. It is harder to believe that charitable as he was so large a fortune could be squandered in so brief a time, even as alms or gifts by him. In either case is was a clumsy thing to take advantage of a man whose ingenuousness in business matters or largeness in soul of higher ways made easy the approach to his inheritance.
One thing is sure, it was not in any way discreditable to his character that his fortune took wings, and it is equally true that it was not all wasted, for William Austin was the most generous giver to good causes that the town has ever had. There are those who say that the bread he cast on the waters never came back. He did give to many who proved unworthy, as some of the notes now outlawed and ignored most amply prove, but it may yet be seen that the bread he cast onto the waters will come back to his children in perhaps some better form.
The sympathy of all Emporia goes out to the brave wife, who through all his misfortunes was tireless in her helping and ceaseless in her ministrations. To her and to the five little children comfort to help and soothe will surely be forthcoming.
*********************************************
The Emporia Gazette, 21 Nov 1903, Sat
WILLIAM AUSTIN DEAD
PASSED AWAY TODAY AFTER WEEKS OF SUFFERING
HE WAS ONCE A RICH MAN
He Gave Largely to Charity--Was Liberal in All His Dealings and Trusted Everybody--Lost a Quarter Million in a Few Years
After long weeks of pain and years of stress, the soul of Wm. Austin went out from its earthly habitation today from the hazy scapes of earth to clearer sweeps of space his soul unfleshed and freed, passed into the light beyond.
Mr. Austin was a resident of Emporia for nearly thirty years. He was born in Effingham, Ill. He was a carpenter by trade, but later worked selling gravestones.
In 1888 while engaged in this humble calling, Wm. Austin fell heir to a great fortune estimated at $267,000. He bought large holdings of land in the Neosho valley, built a splendid country place and became an importer of Percheron and English draught and carriage horses.
While engaged in this business he made to trips to Europe, visiting the great resorts and markets, and while there bought beautiful statuary, pictures and other works of art and fitted up his home sumptuously.
In 1891 he married Miss Mary Barber and five children were born to them, all of whom survive him.
In 1892 Mr. Austin became financially embarrassed, due largely to the amount of poor paper which he held and upon which he realized but little. From that time on his ventures were profitless and in a few years he sold his farm and moved to town. He engaged in several different branches of labor but his health failed rapidly and his work profited him little.
His struggle to earn daily bread for his little nest of fledglings has been the most pitiful story in the town's history. He bought a horse and wagon and went out into the country and bought vegetables and sold them door to door. From early morning until dark, broken in spirit and body, but asking no charity, he sought in honest trade to earn enough to feed his children and to clothe them for school. It was a forlorn hope, but he held out until his strength was all gone. He was stricken with paralysis, was helpless for a few weeks and today the end came, bringing surcease of pain and rest from fruitless longings and vain regrets.
It is hard to believe that a man who lived the life that Mr. Austin did could waste a quarter of million dollars in the brief space of four years. He was absolutely free from bad habits, vice being entirely foreign to his character. It is harder to believe that charitable as he was so large a fortune could be squandered in so brief a time, even as alms or gifts by him. In either case is was a clumsy thing to take advantage of a man whose ingenuousness in business matters or largeness in soul of higher ways made easy the approach to his inheritance.
One thing is sure, it was not in any way discreditable to his character that his fortune took wings, and it is equally true that it was not all wasted, for William Austin was the most generous giver to good causes that the town has ever had. There are those who say that the bread he cast on the waters never came back. He did give to many who proved unworthy, as some of the notes now outlawed and ignored most amply prove, but it may yet be seen that the bread he cast onto the waters will come back to his children in perhaps some better form.
The sympathy of all Emporia goes out to the brave wife, who through all his misfortunes was tireless in her helping and ceaseless in her ministrations. To her and to the five little children comfort to help and soothe will surely be forthcoming.
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