The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1877-12-14
The vanderhilts.

| Never before in the history of the civil
lied world has there been contest at Law
regarding an estate that involves ove
$100,000,000. The fight of the Vanderbilt
family is the all-absorbing topic at the
clubs, and is nightly alluded to, directly OF
indirectly, at the places of amusement il
New York. 1t promises to be of tiresome
length. Here we have the spectacle of q
man refusing to divide any portion Of $685..
100000 with his brothers and sisters, and
thus in turn digging up their fathers mem
ory because he did not share equally. II
seems, at this distance, as if William Fl.
Vanderbilt will retain his 800, 100000 but
| that ever after this trial his character will
be much smutched by the damaging evi-
dence adduced. The worst feature is the
| placing Of the old mother (who really built
| up the foundation of this colossal fortune)
in an insane ASYLUM for ten years, and con-
niving at the presence of a disreputable
woman in his parents house. If this tes-
timony is not contradicted the money he
has will never be able to wash out the uu-
favorable opinions of the public. 1t is well
enough to say that a man with such wealth
need not care; but they are really the men
who are most thin-skinned as to public
opinion regarding themselves. The Rev.
DIR. Talmage made this will-case the sub
ject of his last lecture. He said that he
should as soon think that the handful of
gold in brokers' office ON Wall street
would succe ed in voting California out of
the Union as that the slighted heirs of the
Vanderbilt estate could make any impress
sion on the $95, 100000 He further peril
nently remarked:
''Out Of the 800, 0,OOo,o 900 of Mr.. Wander
bilt's estate, how much was given to relig-
lous objects The amount is so small, &C M
paratively, that l can not recollect. New
York and the world groaning, bleeding,
starving, agonizing for help. and yet what
miserable pittance. In this nineteenth
century of woebegone suffering, I de-
clare, in the name of the Almighty God, no
man has right to be worth 500, 600, 900.
(Applause.) All the money man has God
gives to him as steward. Would Joseph
have right to keep the corn-cribs of Egypt
shut while the nation was dying for bread ?
Oh, you say, Mr.. Vanderbilt sung in his
last hours, Come, you sinners, poor and
(laughter)- he did not change
his will. If he had done SO, and then sung
that hymn, it would have made better mu-
sic, and the want, hunger, ignorance and
woe of New York would have joined in the
chorus. Compared with the infinite stin-
giness of that death bed, look at George
Peabody giving $500, 600 for the educa-
tion of the people of the South in this coun-
try. Look at the Others who have been
their own executors, not waiting till their
death to give away that which they could
not keep any longer, but in the days of
their health building their monument in q |
nations honor and the chnrchs triumph. |
charge you in the name of Christ when
you make your will give something, if pos |
sible to the blind and lame and ignorant, |
and Coy the reformation of the lost. 1t viii |
giAe an easier swing to the gate OF heaven
opening to your ransomed SOUL Washing
ton Republican.