The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-10-26
HE KNEW HIM WELL.
What nm Old Chum of Vanderbilt has to
Say Of the Comm odore's Early Days.

What mn Old Chum oil Nanderbilt has TO
Say Of the Comm odore's Early Days.
"I know Cornelius Vanderbilt and
he's O mighty good man, and you know
them kind amt 80 plentiful asthey used
to be- The speaker, Jonathan Gree,
was little, dried up old man, whose
thin silvery hair was combed neatly
back over venerable bald head, his
hands giving evidence OF life OF trial
and exposure. He was seated on n rude
wooden chair in his room in the Union
county IN. J.) poorhouse. "Do know
himi l should say did. Let me see.
1 guess I'm about four or five years
older than he is, and according to that
Cornell must be in his eighty-fourth
year. Long, long ago, when 1 was but
a STRIPPING, used to run on the sound
with him, and many's the oyster and
Flash when they used to come up Eliza
beth creek and unload at the old land
ing where the stone bridge stands on |
Broad street, Elizabeth. That was be-
twixt fifty and sixty years ago, and you |
ought to have seen him in those days. |
Tall and straight as an arrow and sun
putpu llh0 hu lhuluhy hC WOutu Oolii-
mand attention anywhere. The Dart
! right, were the first two sloops he ever
owned. With these two boats he did
good trade, carrying oysters, fish, and
clans to the different markets. He was
worker, tell you, and what is more,
he never sold stale fish. He always
told straight story to everybody, and
| ,,oA,,1n ,ra,,1J xraA fnr his
boats rather than buy from others. He
was close bargainer, was rough and
ready, would fight if provoked, but no
one ever said in them times that Cornell
willfully took advantage of any one in
a trade or otherwise. I've sailed with
him to the quarantine many time, and
it made no difference, hot or cold, rain
or shine, he would never touch drop OF
liquor. He wasn't, neither, what you
might call mean man in that way-one
that would always cry down drinking
men and take it himself when alone.
On the he'contrary, havo often been with
him and others at the old Indian Queen
inn, kept by Sam Smith, sowewheres
near where the Sheridan House now
stands in Elizabeth, where he'd set up
the drinks for us boatmen, but wouldn't
touch any himself. He said he enjoyed
it just as we'll.
"The sound was as familiar to him MS
the East river is to old pilots, and he was
the best sailor I knew of in them times.
Always on the lookout for something to
do, he consequently had his hands full
of work when others were idle. [ re
member one morning when was about
thirty that seen Cornell walking up
from the dock in town with little bag
in his hand. was on the opposite side
of the street, not thinking of anything
in particular, when turned around upon
hearing my name called. It was Wander
bilt, who had stopped and was looking
at me. WAS that You that called me 2
said 1. Yes" he replied, then raising
up the shot bag he jingled it 30 that l
could hear the gold and silver rattle,
and said Jonathan, you-look at this.
laughed aud he laughed, and then he
went up to the old bank on Broad
street and deposited it. He always kept
his earnings in that bank, and expect
if they've got any of the old books left
you can find his name in them. By the
old bank, mean the one that is now
called the State National bank, on Broad
street, down in the city (Elizabeth). He
5 didn't, in them days, care much for
clothes, but for all that he looked wei
in anything he wore, and the gals on the
sound and up Elizabeth creek Were
. greatly ia en- with him. He was good
r dancer, too, and the way he could cut
the pigeon wing and give the double
, shuttle was a caution to a good many o.
) us. L couldn't dance because my knee
has been crippled from white swelling
2 since was boy.
GAS for story telling, Cornelius
/, couldn't be beat. After quitting the fisl
= and oyster business, he went into the
lightering business, and 1 sort of los
7 track of him, and there's q good deal
I could say, but my memory fails me.
next met Cornell when he was captain o
Q collector on Aaron Ogden's ferry line
which run betwixt what is called tn
u, New Point. on Staten Island sound, jus
y above Elizabethport, and New York
This was when steam was first invented d
4 and the boats were visited by peopl
z from far and near. We used to put cat
tie in the hole in the middle of the boa
by taking them by the horns and LETTING
them drop down; and we had time t
TO get 'em out again. The boats the
8 made one trip day. ..... ..
n cit was on one Of them that Cornei
nearly lost his life. 1t happened in thi
70 way : In them early times there used t.
: be stage line from Philadelphia to Ne'
10 York, and they used to stop at the stag
- house, which stood at the corner c
10 Jersey and BROAD streets, Elizabeth
7 which was kept by Lewis Rivers. A
y the SoutherEers from Maryland, parts c
II Virginia, and people from Pennsylvani
aud further west came by this route
3s New York. When the st steamboats, star
ed some would get off at Elizabeth an
go the rest Of the trip by water, an
22 others would go on to Jersey City q
~ Paulus Hook. Well, one day Souther
Cs gentleman with colored servant got O
the stage and took the boat for Ne
York at New Point. 1t was pretty we
. filled, and suppose Cornell felt goot
is for he danced around while collectin
rv the fares, and l expect he wanted
show off a little, for it was big thin
them days to be captain or collectc
al on ferryboat. When he got round
3. the Southerner he asked for his fare. III
60 gentleman pulled out his wallet an
ooSS handed Vanderbilt ten dollar ban
:. note. Cornell glanced at it and said
SS5 Haven't you anything smallers
" can't change such large bill for {
"a small sum- The Southerner simpl
~ said: very well, I've got nothin
q smaller and replaced it in his pocke