The New York herald., 1877-01-05

Brunswick.
~ am past eighty -thrce years DID,"
al am afraid Commodore Vanderbilt doel
full ago II he says he was born ~ late ~
my impression that lac my senior
sometimes for he quite friendly with
tended my wedding at Princeton, N. j., over
ago"
Judge Tcrhune then related that Vanderbilt
at the house where he boarded. to- & ke tea ~ 49,
Mrs Letson. The Lessons stage petss cs~Stct
ing with the bolt and John Letson, ono Of tne oloest
stage drivers in America was still living In the e4vF
rons OF New Brunswick tj~
"rhere was much competition for pnssengers." Re
Judge fcrhune. and Vanderbilt visited the LetsonAas
people mutually in the Gibbons interest He was ~
then married We regarded him as a One looking r.
liable promising man. but rough BY vocation ~
dress. We liked other. however, and when vs.
to be married Princeton, and invited vanderbtp ~
the wedding, the nrst revelation Of his gentiity W
made to me- He came up there elegantly dressed drx
ing two horses tandem and the young ladies looked
him with admiration" ~
AS the Gibbons family had started Vanderbilt 'in&
quired OF Judge Terhune TO their qualities He
said
~ went to school at Princeton with William Cibbon9
ana visited him at his home in the outskirts OF Ea.
beth CITY He educated and n lawyer, btr'
practised very little. He pory, and wore white
vcsf generally marked with tobacco juice At the trial
Of the celebrated OF Ogden Il Gibbons against
the steamboat monopoly William Gibbons made the
argument lie is buried think, at Elizabeth.
81 may add that there two g Gibbonsrbomas. tho
father and William, HIS Both In the trans
portaton business. Their homestead was at Bottle
Hin, now called Madison the place where Daniel Drew
hls established a theological seminary.
"Vanderbit was regarded here" said the Judge ''as
a rising mnn There was no waste about the family.
HIS wiic was universally called smart woman, and he
had the faculty at his business Of being ubiquitous,
n ~ md m ta bA n mOSnn n
out OF everybody, aud his proved rather
against the clements than in any encounters. Although
comoinatlons instead Of mere interiors We bad
captain here who used to bring his boat 10 the wharf
with much noise and buster OF comm mand. Wander
Bit would come in without loud word. perfectly
dcrstood by his crew. He commanded the passengers,
aud by capitalsts as an ugly customer never adj
mlrcd however, his habit OF starting opposition lines,
the latter part Of Commodorc's life was 10 thai
respect more credi,abe than the hrst. he came
ncr. He lott us because this lcld had become zoe
small Tor him. but here he got the experience which
vsrr ro MRS yAspxmurLr's ixs.
The Bcllona Hotel, called Bellona Hail." stood at
the lower or steamboat landing OF New Brunswick
part OF IL rs silii standing the old black sign having
Dccn painted out few years ago. and hre burned
end OF and scorched the cupola, the lat
ter has been taken down Bclona Hall or Hotel was
frame house. three stories high, built by Gibbons
accessory 10 HIS boats and stages Mrs Vanderbilt,
as bride. took voluntary Charge OF It. The
doorstep In front was down 10 tho Sidewalk;
III The rear u Tight OF long steps led TO the
back yard. Alter Mrs Vanderbilt ceased TO keep Is
her sister, Mrs Van Pelt, was the laDdlady In 1884
William DE Graw had 1t, and atterward, in order,
Peter Cherry, David Kanoss captain OF tho Antelope
Jarvis wunder and Captain ONclL River captains
have kept tins house for forty years Part Of II
tenement house. Next door remnant of its rival
the Raritan Hotel The Raritan Canal empties into
tho opposite the back Of this house, and the
vicinity is The resort Of mule drivers and bargemcn.
The rvcr with eight feet OF water ut low tide, st
shows in the vista the hulk Of the old steamer Now
YORK; with which Vanderbilt attempted to build up tho
port of Little Washington further down tho Raritan
The between Beiona Hall and the cliffs
OF the shore was literally quarred out, and cleft
rocks, whore il Is cool. Vanderbilt had shed 70
shelter the produce Of farmers until his passengers
| top oil tho hill 3E,
At this spot the picture Of the brothers
inaw Vanderbilt and Van Pcit bringing in their little
steamers. tho BcIona the Thistle Their wlves
busy hurryng up tho supper for hungry passengers.
aud rival agents Of stages are believing tho advan.asss
OF their route On deck s the COOL trlm footed
skipper, one day to DO tho greatest master Of trans
ROMANCE oY EARLY srxAxsoArxa.
A few words about tho early contest between VAN
derbilts employer, dibbons and Livingston may exs
PLAN The foregoing.
In the ycar I75s the Legislature OF New York had
granted Robert X. Livingston the exclusive privilege
Of navigating the waters OF Now York by steam tor
fourteen years Twentyons years aierward Cornelius
or contempt OF an !pjunction seeking 70 break up The
Livingston monopoly. The OF tue INJUNCTION was
Gibbons, aud these were the patrons Of young Wander
bt IL is stated that Governor TompKins recon.
|
boldcst young man be found 70 light the monopoly
rne lrst erryboat Vanderbilt probably saw from the
followed by the Sea Horse. These, oeing refused al.
mission TO the waters OF New York, hal sransef
soy City. rne from Jersey CITY 70 Eilabelnpon
WAS Tour shilings Ogden owned thc vessels In 1874
Eizabelh.own Point 70 Jersey CITY isre twelve ana
hall cents hcr Nag bore the inscription, "New Jer'
derbt formed tho principle 0f opposition cstab.
llshed monopolies, which made ham long appear
narpy OF tho deep. white. in reality, tho victim Of
older monopolies. he was u captain Of tho BelIona,
ana married at Elizabethtown his wife, Sophie John.
sou, at tho hotel there IL is SAID The hudson River
prome Court OF the United ststoa Vanderbilt waa
thirty y-one years old before the Erie Canal
pieted, aud thrty.ve before the Delaware and Hud.
son was opened he thirteen years old when Full.
toni nrst steamer, the Clcrnont, appeared
BY 1910 four steamboats, OF FuIt0ns patent used
on tho Hudson, one On the Delaware, QUO tue ST.
Lawrence and one on Lake Chanplan There wnA
New Orleans Tho introduclion OF the steamboat to
America was tho work Of Chanceilor Livingston who
nna NE. hooer. fulton 10 France while Livingston
strong maj red mis- daughter " William Is. Astor, who
died in 1870 Thus two Of the rich men Of New York
were IN a manner grouped around Livingston. II
was not until 1888 that Vanderbts waters thu
Kills around Staten Island, opened by IRON
Amboy ana canal IRON New Brunswick to the Della.
ware. Tho Stevens family had meantime built a
fcrryboat and an staamcr and the stockton tam
companies. The city oil New Brunswick, founded
by Long Islanders and by Albany Dutch, was
called ''fhe River" ior many years, and WIS
bridgcd with tho northern shore early 1isj
While Gibbons, Vanderbilt aud Ogden forgot Living
ston's monopoly side, they run opposition 10
Stevens on the other. Robert L. stevens Wander
bit encountered each other not only the Rartan,
but on the sound, wherc'thcy competed TO Providence
as lao as lS45. Vanderbilt SAID Of The Stevonscs:
They were the grca. est projectors OF their day with
more iath Than Fulton Or Lavings,on or any Of u.s.
They projected the New Jersey Railroad aud canal,
which nobody believed would pay dividend"
go, xoMEScLArunE or vASnEnslLr's vEssELs
"Pcopc WONDER" said an old brunswick
tain 70 me- "why the Commodore had Albert do Groot
TO make his statue or the freight depot Now ork
Why, sir, Albert dc Groots father Freeman root
commanded tho CEdcrciIa on Vanderblt's line. Tho
Commodore wanted TO encourage his old friends son.
why did Vanderbilt want 10 keep that little Kills
ferry 7" asked.