The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-07-02

Fifty-dye years ago Commodore Wander
bilt, then young unknown man, made his
first bow TO the majesty of cur courts. On
the Both day Of June 1919, Cornelius Van
derbilt was arrested by the Sheriff of New
York ON an attachment as for contempt.
and brought before the awful presence of
the great Chancellor Kent, at Albany, TO
answer to the charge of violating an iniunc-
ton awarded in the case of John Il. liiv-
ingston agt. Aaron Ogden and Thomas
Gibbons, prohibiting Gibbons, his agents
and servants from navigating with any
boat or vessel propelled ysteam or fire the
waters in the Bay of New York or in the
Hudson River between Staten Island and
Powles Hook" 1t was alleged that
ONE CORNELIUS VANDERBILT
was master of the steamboat Belona. be-
longing to Gibbons, and that as the ''ser-
want" of Gibbons he had violated an in
junction previously served on him, by nav
igating such prohibited waters, etc. The
defense showed that IN 1893 the legislature
granted to Robert b. Livingston the eXclu-
siye privilege of
USING STEAMBOATS,
in ''all the creeks, rivers. bays and waters
whatsoever within the territory or iurisdc-
ton of this state" for fourteen years and
that in 1903 the legislature extended such
grant to Livingston and
ROBERT FULTON
for twenty years. That Daniel ID. Temp
kins had purchased such grant and rights
of the representatives of said Livingston
and Fulton deceased, and that the said
Tompkins had chartered the Bellona, and
Cornelius Vanderbilt was running the YES
sci as the "scrvant' of Tompkins, as he
had right to do under the said acts of the
Legislature.
THE CHANCELLOR HELD
that as Cornelius Vanderbilt was not in the
employment of Gibbons, and as Gibbons
had not been running the Bellona since the
injunction was served, and that as no col
fusion had been shown between Gibbons
and Tompkins Cornelius Vanderbilt must
be discharged from the attachment, with
costs"
And thus the future millionaire and Ma
poleor of the Rail walked out of court
with flying colors But we fear even at
that early day the Commodore was not a
practical Christian; for he testified that he
run luc DellOud On 'iSuUud1S only
Fifty-fiye years ago this day What
changes the stout old Commodore has seen
since he took that little journey in company
with the sheriff With what intense in
terest would the Chancellor, the lawyers
and spectators of the scene have looked at
that tall, erect, muscular, obscure and poor
young man, then doubtless scarcely motto
ed by them, if they could have lifted the
dense clouds of half century and beheld
him the lord of uncounted millions and the
railway king, welding his immense power
for much good and perhaps some i'll. Had
the resolute young man himself any idea,
at that time, of the wonderful success
awaiting him OF course we cannot say,
but we believe that even then, with his in
domitable energy, his powerful and active
brain, his keen foresight, though friendless
and poor, he had no thought of remaining
long the ''seryant" of Thomas Gibbons or
of Daniel d. Tompkins We wonder if
the Commodore, as he is flying along the
track OF the New York Central and lIud
son River railroad in his own private palace
car, on his way to Saratoga, ever thinks of
that tedious trip up the Hudson TO Albany
lifty-five years ago, with the sheriff for his
guide, philosopher and friend
We WONDER too, if he would be willing
his hard won millions and his vast power,
to be able to shake from his white locks
the intervening ffty-tivo years, and again
tread the narrow deck Of the Belona as
the servant of Gibbons or Tompkins, but
in all the glow and vigor of twentysX.
Would you now, Commodore?
How many great lawsuits he has won and
lost since this first one, when the Chancel-
lDr decided that " Cornelius Vanderbilt
must be discharged from the attachment,
with costs -. We don't know as the Com
mOdore has been arrested since that day.
but doubtless he ought to have been some
times during the half century, if only to
put him in mind of his first legal triumph.
All! how many struggles and victories, and
scenes of all sorts, the old man resolute
has passed through since then; and how
many events and changes in our political
history has he witnessed and been part
of, himself, since that Both day of June,
1919 OF the eighteen presidents who
have honOred or disgraced our country,
he has seen fourteen elevated tS that high
station. And he has beheld- metaphorical-
ly at least fifteen of them die. And all
since he made his first bow to the Chancel-
lor, tifty-live years ago! Well, the Chan
.cellor, the eminent lawyers engaged IN the
case Van Vechten, Henry Blocker and
Sedgwick, and the litigants, Livingston,
Ogden and Gibbons, and the sheriff who
made the arrest, have long ago passed from
earth, and Cornelius Vanderbilt still lives
on in octogenarian rlpeness. And we hope
the grand old commodore will continue &c
Al..