The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1874-10-24

to make, or keep friends. For half 4
century he has toiled unremittingly to
swell his income; and to-day, he is 4
magnificent'y prosperous isolation.
Lonely old man! There are in this
great city, I venture to affirm, dozens
upon dozens Of homeless wretches,
with no idea where they will get their
next meal, who are no further removed
than he from sterling resentment. His
case is anomalous. question if there
be another man in America, or any
other country, in possession Of colossal
wealth who is SO disconnected from his
kind by every tie Of blood. If to be a
self-made man is to be like Alexander
T. Stewart, sclfmAking would be shorn
Of most of its enticements.
CORNELIUS VANDERBILT,
far more selfish than Stewart has ever
been accused Of being, is even more Of
a spontaneous combustion. Unlike
Stewart, he was never educated, hav.
ing grown up wild on small farm on
Staten Island. A descendant of tho
early Dutch settlers hereabouts, he was
so Industrious and thrifty that when
his father died. leaving to the family
only small patch of ground,
and an old pirogue "a pirogue is
narrow ferry boat, carrying two
masts and = lee board). Cornelius.
then sixteen, took charge Of the vessel,
and carried passengers and vessels from
the'island to the city. This he did in
his mothers interest, prospecting to
such an extent, as the story goes, he
built rival pirogue, and entering into
active competition with tho maternal
craft, ran the old lady off the line.
That touching instance of filial deyo.
ton is declared to be singularly char.
acteristic of Vanderbilt, who is so full
Of the milk Of human kindness that he
never fails to benefit himself at the
expense Of his fellows, even though
they be near relatives.
The Staten Island ferry rendered
him pecuniarily independent. After
he had had it few years he put a
steam engine into it, in defiance Of the
exclusive right that had been granted
to Fulton aud his heirs to navigate the
waters hereabout with steam. In SUBJ
sequent steamboat enterprises he was
arrested again and again for violation
Of law, but he always gave bail and
continued tho violations, contesting
each case in court, until tho Fulton
monopoly was overthrow.
A GIFTED GoID.sEEKER.
In l840, Vanderbilt was worth $780,
600, all Of which, backed by ample
credit, he invested in vessels in the Cal.
ifornia trade; the gold fever having
broken out in that year. At that time,
he was dubbed Commodore, and
made great deal Of money in his ma.
rine enterprise. It was not long before
he disposed Of his interests, and trans.
forred his capital to railways. He oper.
ated extensively in Harlem stock, then
very low, and rcckoned altogether rs
fancy; and he was so active buyer
that a corner was COTTON up in it, and
the great bulk thrown on his hands.
In place Of being ruined, as it was gen.
orally thought he would be, he began
improving the road, Of which he was the
virtual owner, and finally brought its
value up to par. The great rival of the
Harlem Yves the Hudson River. He
soon got possession of the latter after.
ward ousted Dean Richmond and his
adherents from the New York Central,
and became the master Of that road
likewise. Everything he has tried to
do he has done. individuals, courts,
corporations, have been SO unable to re,
slst him that it is not strange that 4
member Of Congress not long APO
thanked God that the term Of human
LITE is limited to hundred years; for,
it it were not, men like Vanderbilt
would own the whole world.
RAPID ACCUMULATION OF RICHES.
During the last IA or Is years his
wealth has wonderfully increased. In
1861 he was not, in all probability.
worth more than $4,000, 600; At the
close Of 1874 he is estimated to be
worth more than eig hit times that
amount.
The commodore's eulogy is com.
pressed into three words, ID old
hog" and the truth Of the eulogy is
Endorsed by nearly all his acquaint.
ances. He cares for nothing; he never
has cared for anything but money.
He is
AN INCARNATION OF sELF1suNEss;
he seems to be perfectly Indifferent to
public odium or private disestesm. He
is not morose nor disagreeable by con-
stitution, but unrelenting, overbearing,
hcartless in the prosecution of his pr.
vate schemes and personal ends.
The more money he has
the more he wants. I eravelv
question the truth Of the rumor, now
current, that he intends to retire next
month to private life. Northumberland
ing his 80 years, he is hale, elastic, Wig.
orous; moves rs supply and walks as
erectly as man of 40. While he is
in such condition Of health, it is i'm.
possible to believe that he can surren.
der the one. object of his existence
gold'clutching-and 60 into seclusion.
4 FINANCIAL SURPRISE.
Hardly any millionaire in tho whole
republic has so rarely opened his purse
in behalf Of patriotism or philanthropy.
During the rebellion he presented the
steamer Vanderbilt" which cost
$500, 0O0.to the United States navy,
and the gift was officially recognized BY
Congress. Nobody dreamed Of his do
ing any such thing-it was in direct
contradiction Of his antecedents-and
the sole motive that could be imagined
Tor his act was his desire to astonish
people. He aston1shed them. He is
very fond Of creating surprises, 81.
though his :ondnsss rarely goes to the
extent Of parting with money. -.
ENFORCED GENEROSITY,
On another occasion he was com.
pellsd to be liberal. r..
j, While the sanitary fair Vas in bro.