Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-02-02

My wife has soft blu" eyes and
faint golden hair; and I have come
to the conclusion tina: Il delicate,
cream-colored lilly is much to be
preferred to gorgeous flame dash
ed-with-crimson leaved, brown-throat
ed gladiole.
Vanderbilt's Personal Habits.
Commodore Vanderbilt was in his
eighty-thiri year. e came of a
long-lived family, and had always,
until very recently, enjoyed the best
Of health, looking at eighty, save for
his silver hair, but half that age
He was tall, of magnificent physique
and carried himself like very dig.
nitary of the Church OF England,
which bearing, with his constant suit
Of black and white nccktie, probably
gave rise to the otten-made state
ment. "The Commodore looks like
an archbishop" Small gray side
whiskers fringed his hale and rosy
face. His eyes were dark, soft and
kindled at times, with a way Of grow
ing keen and steely on emergencies.
"When the Commodore puts on
his railroad look he means some
thing" his acquaintance used to say.
In disposition he was quiet, not dis.
posed to be aggressive, but, when
aroused, merciless. In the sense of
church attendance, he cannot be said
to have been religious man. He
had profound reverence for sacred
things. clad his early surroundings
and associations tended in that di.
rection," said n gentleman intimately
acquainted with the Commodore, che
would have made clergyman, and
successful one" He is said to
have been particularly tond of Bun.
yan's ''Pllgrim's Progress" carrying
it about with him wherever he went
The Commodore was most alb.
stemlous man, never taking wine
He was, however, an inveterate smok.
er, and, during his last illness, when
demonstrated with for continually
smoking, said: "When l have to
give up smoking, you may give me
up"
Business never appeared to trouble
Mr.. Vanderbilt much in late years.
His custom was to spend two or
three hours daily at his office back
of his house, and go home early
when there was no trot. He used tU
devote great deal of his evenings
to whist, of which he is said to have
been a superior player. AT any rate,
he respected the game heartily, and
was particularly careful observer
of the silence and concentration it
demands. An amusing incident H.
Illustrating this devotion is furnished
by testimony he gave before one OF
the Legislative investigating com.
mittees, which it was his fortune to
encounter. He was asked what he
had done when some import,nt news
was told him. 81 don't do any
thing," he said, II was playing whist
at the time, and | never allow any
thing to interrupt me when l am
playing whist" Up to year or
two ago, at any rate, he used to stop
IN summer at Congress Hall, in Sara.
loga, and under the ballroom, across
the street, was u little corner room
known to visitors as "Thc Commo-
dore's Card Room" This was a
plainly finished room, and here he
played with lretty much the same
party every evening, but occasional
ly with newcomers specially invited.
Great stories are told about high
play in this room, and il is said that
the Commodore thought nothing of
having $1,000 on the rubber. How
ever, whatever was on the table, ut
ten o'clock at night precisely, the
old gentleman stopped short and the
game ended.
Commodore Vanderbilt never
boasted Of his wealth, his power, his
gifts, or his superior abilities, But
one thing he did boast of, and that
was the manliness of that son of his
who was lost in the war Of the re-
belllon. He was also very proud of
his first wife, and used to say that
she was the finest woman of her age
in New York.
AS a business man, he was bold,
but none the less prudent. He used
to say that no man couldprevent him
keeping an engagement, when once
it was made. II he had bound him
self to pay Il million of dollars on
the lst of May, he would at once
provide for fulfilling his engagement
in such a manner that no failure on
the part Of others, or any eontIngen-
cy whatever, could prevent him do
ing IT. In other words, he would
have the money where he would be
sure to find it on the day.
He never was fond Of talking
Once he was at dinner in London,
and his health being given, he was
urged to respond in u speech All
that was got out of him, was the fol-
lowing. Rising he sa,i, "Gentle-
men, l have never made a fool of
myself in my life, and I am not go
ing to begin now. Here is friend
of.mine (pointing to his lawyer)
who can talk all day. He will do
my speaking" Still he knew how
to express himself with clearness,
force and brevity, and some of his
business letters were models OF that
kind Of composition. He also pos
sesse,l the more diffirIlt art, that of
not saying what he did not wish to
say.-N. Y. W,rM.