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

| III
O'Clock this morning.
For the last few DAYS Commodore Van.
derbiit's physicians i,ave neen hourly
expecting his death. He died ialmost
without struggle. The change for the
worse in his condition took place about
o'clock this morning, and he expressed
desire to see Rev. Dr. Deems, his spiri.
tual adviser. The latter was soon pres.
ent, and the Commodore said to him. "I
think ] 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 IT, make his last moments
peaceful. The funeral takes place Sun.
day morning.
Vanherbilts securities have present
market value of S85, 900 900, and Of this
total fully $55, ,00O, 900 consisted Of stocks
and bonds Of the New York Central and
HudsOn. II is underst0ml that the bulk
OF this vast property is 70 be kept t,geth.
er, and that provision has been made tor
reinvesting the accruing interest on il in
bis favOritc securities
, SKETCH OF His LIFE
Cornelius Vanderbilt, or Conitnodore
Vanderbilt, as he was known throughout
the United States, was born Nav 27
1884, in substantial frame dwelling.
house which is still standing Mt Stapletoll.
Staten Island. His father, Cornelius
Vanderbilt, Sr., was a weil-to-dO farmer.
and died in lo32, leaving two soDs, Cor.
ne'ius and Jacob H., aud four daughters.
Cornelius Vanderbilt soon showed the
spirit of enterprise which has ever
characterized him, and engaged on his
own account while u boy in the business
OF ferrying the people and produce Of
Staten bland to aud from the City of
Ne~ York, di$santi 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
Inand Of boat himself, and drove "A brisk
business in carrying passengers across
the bay ut eighteen cents apiece. He
followed this business until he arrived at
the age Of twenty -onc, when lie entered
into partnership with Captain DeForest,
who had married his sister Charlotte,
and bought the fast sailing schooner
Charlotte, with which the brothers.i' law
pursued the coasting trnde 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 Mi. Sophia Johnson, mis-
COUSIN, and some opponents of consan-
quineous marriage find in this fact the
explanation of certain epiletic and cratic
traits which have appeared among his
ten being now living.
Vanderbilt had in life was given him by
Thomas Gibbons, who in 1917 WAS run
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 at New Brunswick,
| WHICH was principally managed by his
wife, and which did profitable business
IN entertaining the passengers from Van
derbilts boat. He led this life for twelve
years, and in 1929 he had nade and
saved enough to build the steamer Caro-
line, which was aiterward lost bv being
carried over Niagara Falls.
/ This was the first OF an immense fleet
OF steam vessels in which he engaged i'm
the business Of coast and inland irans-
Pnrtation, and which gave him the title
Of Commodore half in banter and half in
courtesy. The gold fever OF l849 and the
lew subsequent years gave o wondrria.
impetus to bis fortune, through the pat
ronage it brought to mis- Nicaragua line
sfsteamship and rail communication with
Calinrnil, which was established in 1851
anu uecahie the iofeTunHeT ri the nduiniu
Mail Steamship Company. Som after
this ne turned his attention almost ex.
ciusiveiy {" railroad transportation, and
hser,f nm >l. l.
and the controlling spirit in the Huriem,
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 6l cents when
| he first took hold of it, and now it has q
permanent place in the quotations at
about I30. Almost az wonderful a
change hes taken place il. the e,ccks of
| the other roads mentioned, which, With
Western Union, form the group known
IN Woli street as the Vanderbilt stocks.
In his stock operations Commodore Van
derbilt was never exactly q speculator,
although ne " always bull operator,
and frequently ought large blocks of his
Hpecialties on falling market, in appa-
rent defiance of the laws of trade, and by
this meanc he was generally enabled to
keep HIN o7n stocks up to their normal
price, quietly unloading in small lots
after his object was accomplished. Dur.
inS th5Faas ttes yeaT5 the active Business
OF hia poaifion has been performed by
his con, William HI. Vanderbilt, who is
also @ millionaire, and who has the Yepp
ts;ioi; % being s::ss ss s!:e ah!eat .a!l.ead
men os the day. His other cons were
George and Cofnelins, Jr., of whom only
the latter, il now living, the former hav-
Ing died an officer 69 the Northern army
duriEg the late war. HIS living daugh-
ters.,ase eight in numbef-Miss Eliza
Vanderbilt, Mrs. Horace Clarke. Mrs.
liOsSood, Mira. Walter r. Thorne, Mrs.
A.lea,. MEa.. Jams ii. Cross and Miss
Phoebe Vanderbilt. 80 =
+ During the war Commodore Wander.
bils preseltea% the Government with a
eteanier OF flvc thousand tons and valued
% SS00.000. which was named after
/ him--the Vanderbilt-nud this gift has
bean Sracefully balanced, eiuce The war
by the foundation, two years ago, of the
Vanderbilt University at Nashville, Ten.
nessse. Commodore Vanderbiit's iirst
wife died several years ago, and in 1870
he was married again tn y young ladv
from tho South. In person, Commodore
i,Vandesbilt was o tsilJ we'll formed and
eturdy specimen of manhood, with q rosy
face framed in silvery white hair and
side whiskeJs. His dress was invariably
or black bro"' 9th, neatly, bus LOOSELY
woen,. and Completed by poit white
necktie, which was always mussed. His
i face WSs a fenini ono and penernllv vrora