The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-01-11
Death of Commodore Vanderbilt.
NEW YORK, Jan. 4.

NEW YORK, Jan. 4.
Commodore Vanderbuilt died at II
o'clock this morning.
For the last few days commodore Van
derhilt's physicians have been hourly
4 expecting his death. He died .almost
without struggle. The change for the
worse in his condition took place about
4 o'clock this morning, and he expressed
a desire to see Rev. DR.. Deems, his spiri-
tual adviser, The latter was soon pres
ent, and the Commodore said to him, 81
think I am nearly gone, Doctor" DR..
Deems prayed, and the members OF the
family who were present, sang hymn.
His physicians were ut the dying mans
bedside, and did all that medical aid
could suggest to make his last moments
peaceful. The funeral takes place Sun
day morning.
Vanberbiit's securities have present
market value of $85, ,00O,UG0, and Of this
total fully S55, 100000 consisted of stocks
and bonds of the New York Central and
Hudson. It is understood that the bulk
of this vast property is to be kept togeth-
er, and that provision has been made tor
reinvesting the accruing interest on it in
his favorite securities.
SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.
Cornelius Vanderbilt, or Commodore
| Vanderbilt, as be was known throughout
the United States, was born May q,
1894, in substantial frame dwelling
| house which is still standing at Stapleton,
Staten Island. His father, Cornelius
Vanderbilt, Sr., was well-to-do farmer,
and died in 1882, leaving two sons, Cor
nelius and Jacob H., and four daughters.
Cornelius Vanderbilt soon showed the
spirit of enterprise which has ever
Characterized him, and engaged on his
own account while a boy in the business
of ferrying the people and produce of
Staten Island tosand from the City of
New York, distant eight miles. His
apprenticeship in this occupation had
been served by him as deck hand on a
boat owned and commanded by his father,
but at the age of sixteen he was in COM
mand of a boat himself, and drove brisk
business in carrying passengers across
| the bay at eighteen cents apiece. lie
| followed this business until he arrived at
the age of twenty-one, when he entered
into partnership with Captain DeForest,
who had married his sister Charlotte,
and bought the fast sailing schooner
Charlotte, with which the brothers-in-law
pursued the coasting trade between New
York and the South Atlantic ports as far
as Charleston and Savannah. About
this time he was married at Elizabeth.
port, N. j., to Miss Sophia Johnson, mis-
cousin, and some opponents of consan-
cuineous marriage find in this fact the
explanation of certain epiletic and erratic
traits which have appeared among his
children, of whom he has had thirteen,
ten being now living.
The first good start that Commodore
Vanderbilt had in life was given him by
Thomas Gibbons, who in 1917 WAS rum
ming an opposition line of steamboats,
from New York to Brunswick on the
Philadelphia line. Gibbons made young
Vanderbilt the captain. of one Of his
steamboats,, and Vanderbilt combined
with this the business of landlord,
establishing hotel ut New Brunswick,
which was principally managed by his
wife, and which did profitable business
in entertaining the passengers from Van
derbilt's boat, He led this life for twelve
years, and insj1S29 he had made and
saved enough to build the steamer Caro-
line, which was aiterward lost by being
carried over Niagara Falls.
This was the first of an immense fleet
of steam vessels in which he engaged in
the business of coast and inland trans
portalion, and which gave him the title
Of Commodore half in banter and half in
courtesy. The gold fever OF 1S49 and the
few subsequent years gave wonderful
impetus to his fortunes through the pat
ronage it brought to his Nicaragua line
sfsteamship and rail communication with
California, which WAS established in 1851,
and became thetorerunner of the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company. Soon after
this he turned his attention almost ex-
clusively to railroad transportation, and
became .successively the leading owner
and the controlling spirit in the Harlem,
the Hudson River, the New York Central,
and the Lake Shore and Michigan South
ern Railroads. The stock of the first
named road was quoted at 81 cents when
he first took hold of it, and now it has a
permanent place in the quotations at
about 130. Almost as wonderful a
change has taken place in the stocks of
the other roads mentioned, which, with
Western Union, form the group known
in Wall street as the Vanderbilt stocks.
In bis stock operations Commodore Van
derbilt was never exactly speculator,
although he was always bull operator,
and frequently bought large blocks of his
specialties on falling market, in appa-
rent defiance of the laws of trade, and by
this means he was generally enabled to
keep his own stocks up to their normal
price, quietly unloading in small lots
after his object was accomplished. Dur
ing thepast ten years the active business
Of his position has been performed by
his son, William II. Vanderbilt, who is
also millionaire, and who has the repu
tation of being one of the ablest railroad
men of the day. His other sons were
George and Cornelius, Jr., of whom only
the latter, is now living, the former hav-
ing died an officer of the Northern army
during the late war. His living daugh-
ters. are eight in number-Miss Eliza
Vanderbilt, Mrs. Horace Clarke, Mrs.
EOsgood, Mrs. Walter K. Thorne, Mrs.
Allen Mrs. james M. Cross and Miss
Phoebe Vanderbilt.
+ During the war Commodore Wander
bilt presented githe Government with
steamer Of FIVE thousand tons and valued
at 100000, which was named after
him-the Vanderbilt-and this gift has
been gracefully balanced, since the war,
By the foundation, two years ago, of the
Vanderbilt University at Nashville, Ten
nessee. Commodore Vanderbilt's first
wife died several years ago, and in 1870
he was married again IT, q young lady
from the South. In person, Commodore
Vanderbilt was a tall; well-formed and
sturdy specimen of manhood, with rosy
face framed in silvery white hair and
side whiskers. His dress was Invariably
of black broadcloth, neatly, but loosely
worn, and completed by soft white
necktie, which was always mussed. His