went to California as an assistant in the state
geological survey under Prof. Josiah D. Whitney.
from 1862 till 1883. in the practice of his profession, he was constantly travelling throughout
the mining districts of "the United States and
Mexico, his journeys sometimes extending to South
America and Asia. Prom 1864 till 1880 he was a
state commissioner to manage the Vosemite valley
and the Jlariposa grove. In 1874 he was appointed
professor of mining in the University of California, but his professional engagements not permitting him to fully discharge his duties, he was in
1876 made honorary professor. In 1880 he became
a regent of the university. He was also a trustee
of the California school of mechanical arts, and of
the Leland Stanford, Jr., university. Prof. Ashburner was a trustee of the California academy of
sciences, president of the Microscopical society, a
member of the Historical and Geographical societies of the same state, und a founder of the Harvard club of San Francisco.
ASHHURST, John, surgeon, b. in Philadelphia,
Pa., 23 Aug., 1839. He was graduated at the University of Pennsylvania in 1857, and at the medical department in 1860. and from 1862 till 1865 he
served as active assistant surgeon in the U. S. army.
Since 1877 he has been professor of clinical surgery
in the University of Pennsylvania, and he has been
connected with several hospitals. He is the author
of "Injuries of the Spine" (Philadelphia. 1867) and
"Principles and Practice of Surgery" (1871), and
the editor of "Transactions of the International
Medical Congress" (1877) and the "International
Kncyclopaedia of Surgery" (6 vols., New York,
1881-6; 2d ed., 1888).
ASPIROL, Manuel de, Mexican minister, b. in
Puebla, 9 June, 1836. He was educated in his native city, and adopted the profession of law. He
served in the army from 1862 to 1866, attaining
the rank of lieutenant-colonel, and twice filled the
office of under-secretary of state. For two years
he was the Mexican consul at San Francisco, and
in 1875 was elected to the senate. For three years
he was treasurer of the state of Puebla, and from
1883 to 1890 professor of municipal law in the
College of Puebla. In March, 1899, he was received by President McKinley as ambassador from
Mexico. He is a member of various learned societies and the author of "Causa de Fernando
Maximiliano de Hapsburgo, que se hatitulado Emperadorde Mexico, y de sus genorales Miguel Mira-
mon y Tomas Mejia" (Mexico, 1807); "Codigo de
Extranjeria de los Estados Unidos Mexieanos"
(1876); Los Derechos del Hombre" (periodical)
(1878-'80); and "La Libertad civil como base del
Dereeho internacional privado" (1896).
ASTIÉ, Jean Frédéric (ahs-te-ay), French clergyman, b. in Nerae, department of Lot-et-Garonne, in 1822. He was pastor of the French Protestant church in New York from 1849 till 1855, when he returned to Europe and was appointed professor of philosophy in the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, which post he still retains. His works include "Le Ueveil religieux des Etats-Unis" (2 vols., Lausaime, 1857-8); "Les deux theologies nouvelles dans le protestantisme Frangais" (1862): "Histoire de la Kepublique des Etats-Unis, de 1620 k 1860 " (2 vols., 1865); and "Theologie Allemaiide contemporaine" (1874).
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ASTOR, John Jacob, capitalist, b. in New York city, 10 June, 1822; d. there, 22 Feb., 1890. He was graduated at Columbia, studied at Göttingen university, Germany, and afterward took the full course at Harvard law-school. After one year's practice he undertook, in 1847, to aid in the man- agement of the Astor estate, which occupied most of his future life. He served in Virginia on the staff of Gen. McClellan with the rank of colonel, and later was brevetted brigadier-general of volunteers. He took an active interest in the Astor library, was treasurer of its board of trustees, and in 1879 deeded to it the three lots on which the northern wing of the present building was afterward erected by him. He also gave liberally to the library, and presented his collection of early books and rare manuscripts. To Trinity church, of which he was a member, he and his brother presented as a memorial to their father a sculptured reredos and altar costing $80,000. Mr. Astor also gave freely to the Cancer hospital, the Woman's hospital, and the Children's aid society, and in 1887 he presented to the Metropolitan museum of art his wife's collection of costly laces. He left bequests to St. Luke's hospital of $100,000, to the Metropolitan museum $50,000, to the Cancer hospital $100,000, and to the Astor library $450,000, bringing the family benefactions to the institution up to about to $1,500,000. By his father's will he received one half of the Astor estate, variously estimated to be worth from $100,000,000 to $150,000,000, and this share, with its large accumulations, he in turn bequeathed to his only son, William Waldorf Astor, who thus became the head of the family, and who has resided in England for several years. See address on “Mr. J. J. Astor and his American Ancestry,” by the Rev. Morgan Dix, S. T. D., in “The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record ” for July, 1891. — His wife, Charlotte Augusta, b. in New York city, 27 Feb., 1825; d. there, 12 Dec., 1887, was the daughter of Thomas S. Gibbs, a southern merchant, who had removed to New York. She was married to Mr. Astor on 9 Dec., 1846. Mrs. Astor was an active friend of the Children's aid society, and gave $225,000 to found the Cancer hospital. For twenty years she supported a German industrial school, and from 1872 till her death she was a manager of the Woman's hospital, besides taking an active part in the Niobrara league to aid the Indians and in many other charities. She bequeathed $150,000 to charitable organizations. — His nephew, John Jacob, b. in Rhinebeck, N. Y., 13 July, 1864, was graduated at Harvard in 1888, and in 1894-'6 served on the staff of Gov. Levi P. Morton with the rank of colonel. He is a member of numerous social and scientific organizations, and a director of various commercial and financial institutions. In 1897 he completed on Fifth avenue, New York, one of the largest, and probably the most costly hotel in the world, which he named the Astoria, after the settlement established at the mouth of the Columbia river by his great-grandfather in 1811 (q. v.) It is erected on the site of the residence of his father, William Astor (1830-'92), and adjoining the Waldorf hotel, erected by his cousin, William Waldorf, now a British subject, residing in London. Col. Astor served as a staff officer in
