Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-06-02
vanderbilt's Early I.af..

George Alfred Townsend. writing % I'm.
New York Graphic from staten isla az. says
Secoo Vanderbilt 1.-THE Commoiores only
railroad president. but resembles him. he
fas Iron gray side whiskerr an erecf cs,,S
Tiage, and drives a fast horse. jacob Van
ceroilt Is worth only about $3.50, 600, and IA A
more popular man than the Commodore Al
though the Vanderbilt family is NOT held IN
esteem by the masses OF folks on the Island.
nroSe, are 100 de,storisl aud hold too much
mark; "Cornesl Vanderbilt might haye
mace staten Island the garden OF America.
ee,t Isss cityi out he has no reverence or af-
with constable" property nere
The granite monument 70 the e.r,,v A,
s sre , hewdorp cnuIchy yard cost $40 Zoo; IL Is
inscribed marble tablets on the sides. Ana
over the great door the single word aVan-
semais a F which Is NE size ngnre OF
10 no graveyard In all America so nobly
SITUATED; In sight Of the ocean and the high
isnas OF Neversink.
hlled at this court house. II is . short doc
ument, made June 6, lSs2, aud proved by
surrogate Richard Crocheron, by Phebe
samuel p. Smith and Mary Johnson. Toe
commodores wife was name Sophia John.
SOD, and she was his cousin. Tnis extraor-
Ter kon-lived down 10 the close OF the ci vii
war, surviving her husband about thirty
nve years She was OF great energy, with
spsIkilng eyes; commanding will, and her
son attributed his success 10 her fmplanted
vigor and virtue In his nature.
ihe whole family OF the elder Vanderbilt
are PROBABLY named In the Will, as follows:
Sornelius Vanderbilt, jr., NOW the commo-
dore), Jacob II. Vanderbilt, Charles Simon-
son aud Mary, bis wife. Charlotte De For
eel; DsnIei =. Nanduzer and Eleanor, his
Messrs. Simonson and Nanduzer married
Commodore Nanderbilt's sisters.
yANDERBILT's own FAMILY.
am indebted 10 Mr.. Putnam, deputy sur
fogate, for view OF this brief and not very
explicit will. IL does not relate the amount
OF properly in the possession ofthe ties tator
been a rather ordinary person. As Rooeri
Morris was poor emigrant boy, Girard an
orphan, Henry Keep shoeblack, Jacob Bar
aer an GRAND runner. and John Jacob Astor
oealer In coon skins, 80 IL is charged on
Staten Island that Mrs. Sophia Vanderbilt,
the deceased wife OF the Commodore kent n
hotel both at New Brunswick and on the
DOCK al Staten Island. She is said 10 have
come from the Clustering place OF Port Rich
mond, where i to-day visited the room In
which Aaron Burr died, and 10 have mar
rled Vanderbilt At hotel where she was
boarding al EliZabethport The couple had
Is children, whom can only partly enumer-
ate. The boys were William, George, and
have been the ablest OF the trio, q splepdid-
looking martial man. He graduated al West
Point, and died OF exposure during the war
educated and is superior writer. NOBODY
In the range OF the English language" said q
relative OF the Nanderbilts 70 me, 'can
write better than young Corneal." He Is
erratlc, however, and subject 10 nervous
attacks. William Vanderbilt Is the rich
son and the railroad spirit. He is portly
attentive, experienced business man. IL is
related on Staten Island that his father has
transferred TO him every piece OF real estate
he owned on the island, except only the
Phoebe Vanderbilt cottage at Stapieton,
Vanderbilt mas siOO 900 OF bonds In the staten
Island railroad and ferry. The Vanderbilt
girls are eight In number. Eliza, who is the
eldest child, 1 think, Mrs. Horace Clarke,
Cross, and daughter who lives In Wander
oiGs former mansion at Stapleton In care
OF Captain White.
vANDERBILr's START.
The nrst strong quality shown by Wander
bllt was pluck. They called him a ''dare
devil'' al the age OF sixteen, but he was
never known TO be a fighting man. He car
ried his point without blows, using law,
money. and allies. He was originally a
DECK. hand on boat owned by his father,
W % New ca Yls Truck marketing TO The city
Island and New Jersey. A Jerseyman
named Gibbons, who ran opposition steam
beats IRON New York City up the Raritan
his first Introduction TO the larger world OF
affairs. He became, henceforward a "buck-
er" against all established lines OF steam
Raritan line, the North River line, and ulti-
mately against the Pacific Mail, against
the Collins line, and against the French
American line. In these years he was
a verltable harpy, often losing large
sums OF money In these unnecessary
material ventures, which he made no
by bearing the stocks of the lines he on.
posed and covering his heavy lines OF shorts
he added nothing TO the naval architecture
OF the age, and such steamers as the Wander
bllt, OF which he relieved himself by present
government mo Ira
OF expense, devouring fuel. Nanderbilts
steamship life was the least worthy part OF
his long career. Bis land labor on the Gen.
trail railroad has been admirable in both
thrift and enterprise. His best years have
been those nearest our own period. As q con-
tractor for the United States government.
particularly the navy, he early recommend
cd himself by carrying dispatches one
stormy night across the bay when no other
man ever would venture out He is NOT
worth the money OF the Astor estate.