Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1872-09-03
STEWART and VANDERBILT.
Graphic Portraits of the Two Men,
Comparison OF their Careers.
Vanderbilt AT rs.

VANDERBILT AT rs.
Yonder is Vanderbilt. with I'm income
OF SO 900 . day. rs one Of his family
admitted to me. He refuses all telegraph
dispatches; will sec none OF his subordi'
mates on business plays five handed eu.
chre twice day, Tor two hours Oh u
stretch; takes one carriage ride. with
his vile aud Mrs. Crawford, his mother
in.law. who is about young enough TO be
his grand daughter; and talks with his
crones. He is 7S years old; and il ho
should endcayor To realize cash for his
personal railway stocks, bonds and mort
cages 10 morrow. there would bea iinan
cial panic. There is nothing suggestive
about Vanderbilt except his wealth,
which 10 any highthinking man, is the
supul luous and vulgar burden OF long
, extended lite Of money seeking g-Ilscless
To him, useless TO his fellow men. and
useless 70 his childron-excopt that he
demonstrates in his lie how faith can
grow richcr than tear He WAS born II
bull in the stock sense; that is, one who
bet thai whatever he bought would win.
Every railway security he over touched
seemed to grow buoyant from contract
with his grim Mohammcdan will and
predesllnating confidence. All that he
ever did with the property represented
bS such stocks was to give orders to
manage il rs menny ~ possible 81 that
it should cost the least Tor tho mort re-
turu; bH; 10 the stocks themselves he
WAS the uplifting bull, tossing them aloft,
aud representing broader religious faith
thrn hu ever know, in the surety oi his
counIrN's udlcious enterprises. No
bear, IN the history of the word, ever
touched the mark oil his prosperity; and
! it would seem that the materialist who
bets Systematically that all things must
| lose, had 40 better luck than the sceptic
who sometimes grows rich in wisdom by
pursuing his doubts. but at last, with all
his wisdom doubts himself.
Vandcrbilt's lille at 7S, though always
and essentially gambling life. selfish
and single TO his own interests, is still
what one might expect OF such bull.
He is never out OF spirits; he is never
above spirits he is Cornelieus Wander.
bilt the bull. "All is clear gain above
70," he says to visitors. my Lille 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 beyond the dispensation of God to
other men, and over issue stock upon it,
and bull it up to be n security. 1t is a
security. The stocks ol his railways
will show ii, when death, the great bear,
gets Vanderbilt down. Those motley
and dis,miar people whom, by freaks
and spells, he takes under his capricious
protection, are guarded while his con-
tract lasts but what man of such riches
ever picked up iriends' The best of
them are successful materialists like
himself, all Kinder and moro ponderabe
than himself, and recommended TO him
by their mascline qualities, heavy health
and gross sincerity. They all admire
him; he knows it, and enjoys the con-
sciousness of it without thankfulness or
egotsm. John Morriisey, who keeps
! the club house around the corner, can
get money from him, with the UNDER
standing that il is to be gambling capital,
certain to win by the percentage in favor
Of the player capitalist, and to be repaid
at that rate OF profit, as if Vanderbilt
himself were proprietor oil the house.
He has no scruples about laws or appear
ances: litigation, over issue, injunction,
seizure are human processes TO be avail
sd of. He does pay his stockholders,
and makes his roads pay their interest
His son, William Vanderbilt, assisted by
one OF the ablcst corps OF actual railroad
leaders in the country, makes these div.
idends by handling the railways, while
Vanderbilt watches people who brother
his stock, and now and then descending
upon the street, like dog upon the
weasel, he bites the backs in twain OF
hundreds OF little people who would get
his securities from the roost Probably
no living man has sent deserved bcggary
to more gamesters than this old chap.
He wears light breoches, and black
coat, and standing collar. He is tall
and straight. and whiskered. The firm
ness of his mouth is giving away, and
he sleeps great deal. His wife is less