Worcester daily spy., 1872-08-13
Hon. J. H. Clifford.
Vanderbilt and Stewart.

Yonder is Vanderbilt, with an income of S12,-
900 "a day, as one of his family admitted to me-
He refuses all telegraph dispatches; will see none
of his subordinates on business; plays five
handed euchre twice day, for two hours and a
half at each stretch; takes one carriage ride with
his wife and Mrs. Crawford, his mother-n-law,
who is about young enough to be his grand
daughter; and talks with his cronies. He is
seventy-eight years old, and, if he should en-
deavor to realize cash for his personal railway
stocks, bonds and mortgages, tomorrow, there
would be a financial panic. There is nothing
suggestive about Vanderbilt, except his wealth,
which, to any hghthinking man, is the super
tuous and vulgar burden of a long-eXtended
life of y-seeking-useess to bin, useless TO
his fellow men, and useless to his childrcn-eX
cept that he demonstrates in his life how faith
can grow richer than fear. He was born bull,
in the stock sense; that is, one who bet that
whatever he bought would win Every railway
security he ever touched seemed to grow buoy
ant from contact with his grim Mohamme1an
will and predeStnating confidence. All that he
ever did with the property represented by such
stocks was to give orders TO manage il as meanly
as possible so that il should cost the least for
the most return; but to the stocks themselves,
he was the uplifting bull, tossing them aloft,
aud representing broader religious faith than
he ever knew, in the surety of his country's ju-
dicious enterprises. No bear in the history of
the world, ever touched his mark of prosperity;
and it would seem that the materialist who bets
systematically that all things must lose, had no
better luck than the skeptic who sometimes grows
rich in wisdom by pursuing his doubts, but at
last, with all his wisdom, doubts himself. Van
derblt's life at seventv-eight, though always
and essentially gambling life, selfish and SIN
gle to his own interests, is still what one might
expect of such bull. He is never out of spir-
its; he is never above spirits; he is Cornelius
Vanderbilt, the bull. "All is clear gain above
10, he says to visitors. My life is eight years
ahead" And he says it in the cool tone
of the man who would take his own age,
even now, though prolonged eight years be-
yond the dispensatiou Of God to other men, aud
over-issue stock upon it, and build it up to be
security. Ii is curiosity. The stocks of his
railways will show it, when death, the great
bear, gets Vanderbilt down. Those motley and
dlssimilar people whom, by freaks and spells, he
takes under his caprcious protection are
guarded while his contract lasts; but what man
of such riches ever picked such friendSp The
best of them are successful materialistS like
himself all kinder and more ponderabe than
himself, and recommended to him by their mas
culine qualities, heavy health and gross snceri-
ty. They all admire him; he knows it, and en-
joys the consciousness of it without thankful
ness or egotism. John Morrissey, who keeps
the clubhouse around the corner, can get money
from him, with the understanding that 1t is to
be gambling capital, certain to win by the per-
centage in favor OF the player-captast, and to
be repaid at that rate of profit, as if Vanderbilt
himself were a proprietor of the house. He
igation, Over-ssue, injunction, seizure, ale
human processes to be availed of. He does pay
his stockholders, and make his roads pay their
interest. His son, William Vanderbilt, as
sisted by one of the ablest corps of actual rail-
road leaders in the country, makes these divi-
dends by handling the railways, while Wander
bt watches people who bother his stock, and,
now and then, descending upon the street, like
u dog upon weasel, he bites the backs in twain
OF hundreds of little people who would get his
tipgf From prOha lu M Evit
| man has sent deserved beggary TO mere game.
| sterS than this old chap. He wears light
breeches and black coat and a standing col
lar. He is tall and straight, and white whis-
kered. The firmness of his mouth is giving way,
and he sleeps great deal. His wife is less than
half his age, and she is agreeable and as indi-
Vidual as himself
"May ask which Mrs. Vanderbilt l am ad-
dressngP said gentleman soon after being
introduced,
"Od Mrs. Vanderbiltp she said naively.
One of the commodore's sons is a Eighty fel-
low, though perhaps this means that he has no
mind for laying up treasure where moths cor
rupt and thieves break through and steal. At
any rate the old man and himself see little of
each other. The commodore has several mar
red daughters and grandchildren, and one liv-
ing brother He was born in Washington's ad-
ministratiOn, can remember Jefierson's s. and was
a voter in Madison's. Greater than himself or
his treasures are the patriotic wonders surround
six millions and fifteen states to be what it is,
aud this mans private property is probably
greater than the value OF all the highway i'm
provemens and vehicles of transportation in
America at the time he was born. II is the re-
public that can make one man most unequaly
prosperous. There probably exists nothing of
note which Vanderbilt created unless it be his
new station and the two Albany bridges. The
ship Vanderbilt is rotting at Mare island, and
he owns no steamboat stock whatever. He is
the monarch Of a realm left 10 him; ten thou
sand forgotten men built his whole railway sys-
| TEN, and he won il by gambling half century
| in certificates. He has still some Of the homage
aud comfort Of kings; his private car Che never
| travels now by night) will carry him to the Buf-
| fal0 races. Horses locomotives, things which
| beat other things and do not think,-these are
| Vanderbllts gods, and he does not worship even
| these. Of what good are these supcrfuous pos
sessions to himself, whose habits are abstemious,
| and whose delights are coarse and quiet? Per-
| haps they illustrate the limited arena of man.
| and that employment is at last longevity and
| solace to the longest age and IN itself comes
nearest to religion 10 satisfy human needs.
4. T. STEWART
| 81 want 10 live long enough TO see Stewart
1 die to find out what will become of his enor-
NOUS businessp said an irreyerent man to me
| Can anybody else, or any distributed directory
| manage his afiarsP Mr.. Stewart is the first
merchant in the world, as Vanderbilt is the first
| Speculation. He is stopping at the hotel he
DWlis- lUG Dtot plNit VI HuNlUltI HOi6l property
in the world-the Grand Union Of Saratoga, for
which he gave S550000 Ii can pay 100000 a
year, and contains S24 rooms. Hotel property
in America next TO active commerce, seems
best vindcated in this wealthy merchants eyes.
The house here is controlled by young man as
remarkable as himself, considering the differ
enee in their ages-Breslin, one Of the numerous
| hotel clerks constituting great class, who will
| keep the chief inns for US as long as we live.
| Breslin was a hotel clerk in this village for many
| years, aud is now the lessee Of the Gilsey house,
New York, Of which the proprietor, Peter Gil
| sey, German tobaccOnist, is a third remarKa-
| Dle exhibit OF the growth Of small beginnings.
Gllsey IS now worth millions, and he has put
his sons of ut the Carrollton, In Baltimore, TO
learn TINS art aud grow up with IT, There is no
need IN TINS country TO illustrate such careers;
| they are the census OF the country There Is
Stewart, across the street from Vanderbilt, talk.
| ing u his set, upon the pinzza of his inn lie
| Is different man IN every sense-a small bod.
| led, SLOPPY, inqnsltiye man, with a head and
eye full OF details, beginning with a curl of
| sleeps wool, and branching up throuch
/ lii a.