The New York herald., 1869-10-03
CORNELIUS VANDERBILT T.
Life and Career of the Great Steamboat
and Railroad King-Early Experiences
as Boatman-Patrlotism and Pluck
in the War of Thirteen Years
as a Steamboat Captain-Rail-
road Operations and How
He Came to be Railroad
King-The Great Bronze
Statue Personal Life.

No more memorable example OF what can be
| accomplished by the simple force OF rugged will,
| allied TO boldly venturesome spirit which no
obstacles dsmay. but which, on the contrary Is
| impelled to more reckless daring as the obstacles
difficult to surmount, is presented than IN
the life and career OF Cornelius Vanderbilt. He is
| self-made man. lie Is the art1cer OF his own for
tunes The genius OF industry, enterprise, pluck
| is In him strikingly exempded lie Is the embodi-
ment OF peculiar American activity, that unceasing
restlessness OF temperament, that all absorb
ing energy OF will and determination carrying every
| thing before them by Storm that vauting ambition
| that laughs TO scom lmpedments and makes
| everything subserve its own purposes bril-
| liancy OF triumph over early hardships and
| struggles and crowning success OF wealth
| and power without precedent In this country
| Immortal the principles controlling his life
will be the influence and the glory OF his example,
bright and imperisnable example to the youths of
future generations OF what be achieved by good
habits labor, perseverance, unnlnching honesty and
| unyielding inlexibility OF purpose.
| BIRTHPLACE AND EARLY LIFE
On May 27, 1894 at the old farm house OF his
\ father, on Staten Island, the old Quarantine
/ ground, Cornelius Vanderbilt born. He was
| the eldest OF nine children and named after his
| father. HIS father was farmer and hard working
/
| always successful. His mother was woman of
| singular energy and prudence. Once, when through
ner husbands indiscreet speculations the farm
very being sold for debt OF 49, 000 she counted
| out from her unexpected savings the whole sum
1 IN gold peces. She lived to be eightyseven years OF
! age. Her iustrious son always held her in the
highest al regard and has been often heard TO say
that whatever he has been and is he owes mainly to
the precepts and judicious control OF his mother.
Cornelius had no very great predictions for study
or books and, as it was very slight opportunities
presented themselves for gratifying literary tastes
| or ambition. He went to the common shoo for
| while, and very common schools they were. The
intellectual acquisitions OF common school teachers
| in those days were grievously limited. Through
| corporeal infections OF ferue or heavy birch or
birchen CAD these brief acquisitions were impaired
| HIS early scholastic attainments, though, were
| summed up in learning how 10 read, write and
cipher the latter very little exceeding the rudimen
HIS culture was limited to the culture OF his
sail hts father's boat, break, ride and drive hts
| fathers horses. His accomplishments were swim
which be exceiied ali his companions From infancy
he was fearless rider, and his love OF fine horse
Wan an ee Was on six Years Old Ills eredom
| nent passion, however was fondness for boatlng
The child was father OF the man The ruling pas
strong OF his subsequent life developed them
selves even then. He showed also IN boy hood those
characteristics which have most distinguished him
since-the determination not to be outdone by any
| body-the power OF accomplishing what he set out to
do in spite of difficulty and opposition. His father
used TO carry the vegetable products OF 1s farm IN
a saboat to New York. going over in the morning
and returning at night, II the wind and tide per
mltted. lie made this profitable by taking over
vegetables and fish for his neighbors also. OFTEN
H oo 20 Ys oa S s sals AID r s5S 6Se
became famous for his skill In handing SAIL boat.
tween staten Island and thus city Where tue Staten
| Island ferry house now stanos was then the beach
OF wnich the boats landed. This was aso the gen
4 AR
| ambition was to possess boat OF his own. He had
fully determined on becoming boatman; INT The
This was on the LIST OF May, lelo-an Important day
| In his history.
boat - he SAID to her, coming directly ana bunty to
the point as was ais custom then and has been ever
| since.
Cant think OF such thing,u she replied, with
equal buntness, though more Yielding as tie result
but must have boat" persisted the son.
| "Can't think OF giving 1t up"
| "Well, then. II you must have boat you must do
something to paw for It," said the mother.
what can dOan he eagerly asked.
that time you have poughed narrowed and planted
with corn that feldn pointing to field OF eight
acres, very rough, tough and stony, an give you
"It's bargain. III do it,
mo boat, mind, II you don't do IT,
II understand; 1t shall be DONE" said young Van
"Mother thought she had the best OF me on that
eight acre Otn is the Conmodore's present pleasant
way OF telling this remlnlscence OF his boyhood
davs, "but got some boys TO help me, and we did
the work, and 1t was well DONE too, for mother
| would not allow any half way OF doing 1t. on my
birthday claimed my money, got IL, hurried on
bought boat, hoisted sail and was the happest boy
| In the world.n
MASTER OF sAILBoAT.
We have now reached the starting point OF Mr..
| Vanderblt's career. lie now owner and
| master OF a sailboat running between staten Island
and New YORK.. lie was sixteen years OF age. tail
and gracefully formed. agile athletic and strikingy
handsome, physical characteristics for which he has
always been conspicuousY noted. This sixty
ltrn NnuT Xnrk xEu a nffu nf ,Ia
Staten island was, for all practical purposes. as
remote from our growing metropolis as are now the
| far away regions OF the Pacific Slope. Staten Island
| was only inhabited by farmers ana fishermen. No
elegant villas or picturesque country seats crowned
It's submits ana hsldes. Pleasure parties OCCASION
ally visiting the island considered themselves the
light OF bold adventnrers. Mr.. Vanderbilts father
was the first one To run q boat regularly between
| here and there. He wus the founder OF the Staten
Island ferry. His was the one who made 1t what
II is OF the most profitable ferries IN the
world, carrying often from fifteen TO twenty thou
sand passengers IN day. There ls only
one thing IN >, common NOR between the Ferry Terry
same place then they do now. Young as the subject
OF our sketch then was, there was that IN his face
and bearing which inspired confluence in him and
gave assurance that he was abundantly competent
Tor his work. lie was always prompt az his post.
| He always accomplished what he undertook His |
boat would carry twenty passengers He was fear
| less OF wind aud weather. From the first he was |
successful. Often he worked all night but he was
never absent from his post. lie saved $1,000 each
summer for the first three years. besides giving all
his day earnings and half his night earnings 10 his
parents. AT that time 1t was the habit OF young
men to give their earnings TO their parents until
they OF age, but at the end OF three years |
he was released from this obligation. He had some
forty competitors, including the boating business OF
New York harbor, who, being all grown men, could
dispose OF their earnings to suit themselves. OF all
tins number he alone has risen TO prosperity and dis
| tinction The reason s obvious He came TO be |
known the best boatman in the port he attended
to mis- business regularly and strictly he had no
vices Others spent at night what they earned by |
day. Not so Young Vanderbilt he made faithful |
returns to his parents Of their snare OF his |
earnings and saved the balance. During |
| those years he added not only materially TO |
the family's stock OF wealth ana saved up |
snug for himself, but achieved four essen
tia things OF allhablts OF industry, selfcontrol,
honesty and frugality Herein lay foundation OF
| his future success-a foundation deep and broad, |
and whose superintendent structure stands to-day
| nrm and immovable as granite.