Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-06-01
Seleete0 miseelIanu.
VANDERBILT.

kANDERBILIs
Interesting Gossip about the Old Com
modore-How He Treats His Friends
The Business Advantages of Sons
and SOns-fn-Law.
Prom the Men and Mysteries of Wall Street
The newspaper belief that Vanderbilt
never ''goes back on his friends is not
generally assumed as true by brokers.
There is tradition that in years gone by.
when the Commodore used to ride down to
the old homestead on Staten Island, he
would now and then meet man who court
eously offered to hold his horse. Some
thing in the appearance of the stranger
struck Vanderbilt, and he inquired into his
history. He had been, it seemed, broker
in s'the street." and having failed badly,
had decided to follow Horace Greeley's
recommendation, and take to country lie.
eff you will come to the city will start
you again, said the king of the Central.
Nobody could be more grateful than the
Staten Islander He returned to Broad St,
acted upon the Commodore's hints, and in
due time began to prosper. Brokers soon
had faith in this tJrotege of the great man.
They watched his movements at the board,
and bought or sold in accordance.
One day the Commodore was planning a
large operation. In came BLANK, seeking
for point. 'Tm buying" said the railway
lord.
Blank buys bravely-the street follows
Presently down slips the stock, and the
Staten Islander is henceforth ''lame
duck" "One of the Commodore's stool
pigeons" is what the irate brokers chose to
name him.
Similar incidents, trustworthy or other
wise. are narrated by the dozen.
Horace Clark, Vanderbilt;s son-in-law.
Il
gentleman. The current gossip about his
marriage is not lacking IN amusement.
Clark was high-spirited, even when poor.
Having decided to wed the young lady, he
called upon his future father-in law, and,
without preliminary, began:
Commodore, wish your daughter in
marriage" 'Hey?" quoted the money
king.
Clark repeated his words.
f'You mean you want my money" growl-
ed Vanderbilt, from his chair.
s'You and your daughter be id, famed
out the young lawyer, as he clenched his
hat in his hand, and turned to leave the
room.
s.Hold on, young man, said Vanderbilt
Strengthening himself on his feet and look
ing wonderfully sauve and paternal-'' -''hold
on. I rather like you. | didn't say you
should not have my daughter You may
have her. | rather like you, young man"
But Clark never did get much of the
Commodore's money, except in indirect
ways, He had shares in speculations, and
was always we'll supplied with points.
Once Vanderbilt determined to s'use" him.
CLARK lost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
He boldly told his father what he thought
of it, and after time the losses were made
good. This habit of utilizing everybody
has been exercised if we may trust rumor,
on nearly every memher Of the family.
William Vanderbilt is credited with having
been favored this way. One day his father
came to him and suggested that he had
better sell Hudson; 10 was too high.
'sThank you, said the son.
Nevertheless, William concluded to look
about him first. The stock kept steady.
with ups and downs of fractions of one per
cent. by peculiar ways 1t was discovered
That the elderYhnderbilt was buying quietly.
William determined to follow suit. y
jumped the stock to 1877 1t was clear 26
per cent. in pocket
When the operation was concluded, the
Commodore rode round to the sons Office,
'Wen, William, how much did you
loseT
s1 went in at 10 on 10, 900 shares. That
ought to make me $3.50, 000-"
Every bad luck, William" quoth the
father, trying to look extremely troubled,
-''very bad luck this time"
"But then [ bought, and so made"
,'Hey /" What sent you doing that sir p
''Oh, heard that was in your line, and
so concluded that you meant long instead
of Short.
f'Ahem y croaked Vanderbilt pere, as he.
buttoned up lis fur overcoat, and stalked
out of IL door. He has always had high
opinion of William since that event.
1t is hard to put faith in the Staten Island
story, in view of some unquestioned facts.
That Vanderbilt should occasionally mislead
here and there O member of his patriarchal
household seems not at all improbable, as
in such cases he can always make amends,
and tie policy may be very naturally sine
qua ron in the succ' SIS of his schemes. But
there are hot few examples OF his stead
FAST an undertaking friendship toward men
who in some way happened to attract him.
John NJ. Tobip belongs to this class. He
was curbstone operator before 1861;
rather unlucky in speoulations, and
with only two or three thousand
dollars capital. Taking the Commodore as
a guiding star, he began to purchase heav-
ilF Immediately upon the first greenback
issue Stocks wentup. Hecleared $500,
900. Then he began to extend himself
His favorite style was to bid Seller 3 or sci,
Ter so. His imitatars followed IN the same
line. The bears grew dubious and covered.
If he changed his mind about the prospects
of the stock, the rise thus effected by his
tactics enabled him to sell to advantage.
He foresaw the crash of '64 and unloaded
the last of March. Hehabitually ''bullied
stocks and CLEARED" gold. He shone in
the Harlem corners, and cannot have
made much less than 100000. In the
first corner he was cunning as fox. He
wandered through Wall street looking pale
snd thin and weary. His friends whisper
ed that he was broken down by anxiety on
account of the immense amount of the
stock he was carrying The street was de-
Iuded and sold short. In faro he is report
ed to have won $50, 1000 of Morrissey in one
night. The game continued, and the gladi
}.torial member of Congress recovered al
his losses and much more besides. Tobir
refused to pay the balance, and Morrissey
never alIudes to the circumstance withou
finding the English language unequal to hi
Indignation.
THE BEST AND ORIGINAL TONIC OF Iron
Phosphorus and Calisaya, known as GasWeI