Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-06-07
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
The vanderbiit Estnte--NVoo dhull md CIaflin--
Decoration Day-Fletcher Harper-Politicai---
Brains at Auctions Business.
THE VANDERBILT ESTATE.


THE VANDERBILT ESTATE.
The muddle increases. William j.
has gone off to Europe, no one knows
why, Mrs. Bau, one OF the daughte RS,
has commenced thecontest over the
will, and Cornelius has sued him for
a million. And to add to his uble,
Tennie Clafin and the Woodruff
como up and sue for money which
they claim the old Commodore
owed them for commissions when
theyCeTe brokers'. 1t is wei known
fact that the Commodore did fur
nish them with money on which to
d. their business, and that it was his
money that run that scan iaous
sheet, Woodruff and Clafin's week-
~, which precipitated the Beecher
scandal They now claim 100000
and have commenced suit for ii.
Cornelius is about the best abused
man ia America, just now. His af-
foetionate brothers. friends and a
man with hundred millions always
has plenty of them /: are spreading
stories that he is drnnkard,a spend
thrift, a gambler, and addicted to
women. Probably at one time of
his life this was partially true, but
for years he has been as correct as
any man in the world. He was in
his childhood struck with epilepsy,
and only recently recovered from it.
He did spend some money, and he
docs now owe the Greeley estate $l5.
600. which his father refused to pay
But he is kind, well meaning man,
and in spite of his long continued
ill-health, man of much more than
ordinary ability. Everybody hopes
he WI succeed, in getting what
would seem to be little enough out
OF so great fortune Speaking of
Woodruff and Claflin,
this is their first appearance for
some months. They lost their grip
upon the public about two years ago
and have never been able to regain
it. Once they were very rich, but
they did not know how TO keep
their money, and they went down,
down, till they are living now in abb
i6ct poverty. Woodruff makes spas
modic attempts to lecture, but the
public take no interest in her, and
Blood has deserted her, following his
notion of standing by an affinity on
~ as long as ii is pleasant to him, and
Tennie was always disagreeable
person without any point at all.
Thrown off from very nasty sur
face, they lived about as long as such
flies usually do, and have gone as
such flies always do. They have had
their very short summer.
Decoration Day
was generally observed in the city.
Business was entirely su pended, the
stores remained closed all day. The
procession was very fine, comprising
all the military, the police Depart
ment, ell the societies and vast
host Of citzens who took this way
Of testifyiog their respect for the
memory Of the fallen brave. 1t seems
but yesterday hat Lee surrendered,
and vet that years have flown was
shown 10 the aspect Of the orators
and survivors Of the war, who took
part in the exci cises. Men who
went into the war boys, and came
out young men, are now gray-halred
and the middle-aged soldiers OF 1860
now move very slowly in the pro-
cossi0n. The incrcas ID age OF those
who made orations was espeei-
ally noticeable One whom /
knew at the beginning of the war as
bright, quick, actiVo-moving man
of thirty five, who wore his shoulder
straps as proudly and gaily as q cav
alier. and who came out of the war
a rather portIy, but still active and
handsome hrigadier There was
more silver in his hair, and his fig
ure bad lost the clean symmetry of
youth, but he was still splendid
looking man Yesterday he read
poem at monument in
Brooklyn, an old, decrepit gray
haired man, who looked as
though be might be O veteran of
the war of 1912, instead of the Great
Rebellion. We have lived at q kill
ing pace for the last twenty years.
Fletcher Harper.
A great many years ago, four
brothers, sons of Long Island farm
er, came to New York and learned
the printing business. Getting thro'
their apprenticeship, they commenced
book printing in a small way, which,
as they were sober, industrious and
shrewd, soon got to be a very large
way. These boys were Joseph, James,
Wesley and Fletcher Harper. Fletch-
er, the last Of the brothers, died this
week, after a business career Of over
half century. The family was a re.
markable one in many respects. They
never had difference or quarrel
With business amounting to millions
per year, with the largest publishing
house in this country, and one of the
largest in the world, everything in it
went like clock work, each brother
managing the department he was
best fitted for without interference or
suggestion from the others IF one
had doubts as to the advisability of
movement, council was called, and
whatever the decision was it was car
ried out relentlessly, and failure or
success, il was all the same As sons
were born to them, they came into
the firm, all being literally born to the
business. Every male Harper was
educated first, and then compelled to
learn his trade If his taste run to
printing, he was put into the office
the same as any other apprentice, and
learned the trade side by side with
the humblcst boy from tile streets.
Some were thus disposed III, others
were put into the counting room, 9TH
ers into stereotyping, and others into
the warehouse; and so many are there
Of them now that each department
has Harpers, not only at the head ,but