Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-03-10
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
The Great Vanderbilt Cmse-PoIiticai--
Fire Proof hutidinEs frightened
CrOwds-JOe C0burn-Iiusiness.
THE GREAT VANDERBILT CAFE,

derbilt will Is to he attacked, that is
il VIM. II. Vanderbilt, whO,tO whom
was left the entire estate, does not
compromise and divide with his
brothers aud sisters. The mover
in the matter, primarily, is one of
the sisters; though Cornelius, the
only other son, stands nominally at
the head of the contestants. The
facts in the case are, as Cornelius
states them, about thus: The old
man never showed very much feel.
ing for any Of tho children hut Will.
liam. Cornelius was stricken with
epilepsy in his early youth, and has
been the victim of that disease I'm.
til within II few years past. He had
it for long time in its worst form,
and was actually unable to do bust.
ness. Later in life he recovered
from it, to very great degree. and
married, but, in the meantime, Will
liam had grown to mans estate, and
was being trained by his father in.
to the care of the rapidly growing
estate. Cornelius had no children.
and the old man paid bnt little more
to him than as if had not
been his son. Worth at the time
half a hundred millions, he allowed
his second son and his wife the mag
nifcent sum of $500 for their sup.
port, about half that any rcspccta
bic employee in his railroad enter
pliScS was receiving. The repreScn
tative of the Vanderbilt name could
not live upon this, as matter Of
course, and so he ran into debt.
Finally old age warned the great
railroad man that he had but short
time on earth, and he made his pre-
partitions for his departure. He
seeped to have but one idea and
that was to perpetuate the name OF
vanderbilt, and hold together in
one mass the money that gilded it
and made 1t all 1t was. His daush.
terS could not carry the name, be-
cause their children took the names
of their fathers, Cornelius, the sec
ond son, had no children, and Will
liam H.. the eldest son. had not ON.
ly children but they were boys. So
he left Cornelius. not 100000, but
the income from that amount. 10
the daughters he left similar in
comes, and all the balance he left to
William Ii. and his SONS. That is
to say, he left one hundred millions
Il olIars to the son fortunate enough
to have sons to carry the Wander
bilt name, providing that the in
come from about three millions of
it should be paid to his other chill
dren. The will is to he contested,
if it is contested at all, on the ground
that it is unnatural, and that the
old man was under undue influence
when he made it. Several of the
most celebrated lawyers in the coun-
try have been employed by the con
testants. On the other side it is
said that the old gentleman knew
exactly what lie was about. He
left Cornelius about 100000 year,
which he claims is enough for him,
and he left his daughters equally
well fixed, whicl, is enough for them.
He left the estate in the hands Of
William because he was the only
one capable of handling the vast
and that they might be
continued successfully. it was ncces-
Sary that the property should not
be divided. Public opinion is d.
vided, Some insist that the vast
estate should be divided because
,he possession Of so much money in
he hands of one man is dangerous,
and others want it kept as it is,
hat the grand conceptions Of the
lead financier may be carried out.
rhe fight will be a very pretty one,
md the lawyers will have fat
hing of it.
POLITICAL.
The Inauguration is over, and
Hayes is, as he should be, Presi-
lant Tillnn and MorriSSnv uloyn1 |