Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1877-01-17

unchanged. About 4 o'clock yesterday
morning he was found TO be rapidly
sinking, and he expressed desire to
see the Rev. DR.. Deems, his spiritual
adviser. The latter arrived in few
minutes and Commodore Vanderbilt
said, 81 think am nearly gone, Doc.
tor" DIR. Deems prayed by the bed.
side of the dying man, and then some
members Of the family who were pres.
ent sang few hyms in low tones. The
music seemed to ssothe the sufferer. All
his family were sent for during the
night, and when he died they were by
his bedside His eldest son, William
ii. Vanderbilt, arrived soon after mid
night and remained to the end, which
occurred nine minutes before | | o'clock
All his daughters were present, and his
wife, who had been present by his bed
side during tho entire period OF his
sickness, was at her post, as usual.
Cornelius Vanderbilt was born at
Stapleton, Staten Island, on May 27th,
1894, and his death has thus occurred
after the completion of his eighty
second year. The house in which he
was born is still standing and is part
of his estate. AT the age of 10 he mar
ried Sophia Johnson, his second cousin,
who was just ayear younger, and who
has been dead eight years. She was II
business woman and was well adapted
to assist the career OF money-maker.
vanderbilt's indomitable energy,
when only 16 years of age, as the cap
tain of q sail boat, first brought him to
the attention of the farmers Of Staten
Island. A small steamer had been
carrying garden stuff to New York,
and as the weather grew stormy and
cold the freight tariff was increased to
such an extent that the farmers and
small gardeners could make no profits
on their produce. Young Vanderbilt
offered
TO RUN AN OPPOSITION,
and he carried vegetables and oysters
to New York, and actually beat the
steamer, as he run at all hours and in
all kinds of weather In 1910 he es-
tablishcd a ferry and carried passcn-
gers at eighteen cents each, and Van
derbits landing, at Staten Island, be
came almost as well known to New
Workers as Whitehall, from which
point the boats started
In 1915 he extended his operations,
and with his brother-in.law, Captain
de Forest, built a coasting vessel, n
beautiful model and noted for speed I;
he was successful in all his ventures,
and two years latter he commenced
stcamboating. He was offered by n
friend of his-Gibbons-command OF
a steamer plying between New York
and New Brunswick on the Phladel.
phia line. Mrs. Vanderbilt bad charge
of the hotel ut that place, where the
passengers passed the night. 1t had
never previously paid expenses, and
was given to Vanderbilt rent free
Under Mrs. Vanderblt's management
it soon became profitable.
1t may now be said that Captain
Vanderbilt in 1929 was in the food
tide of fortune. He was worth about
$4,000, and became formidable op-
ponent to the Stevens, of Hobokcn,
In 1851, so rapidly had his fortune ac.
cumulated, he established a line Ia
California, via Nicaragua. In 1862 he
presented new steamer OF 5000 tons,
costing sS00,000- the Vanderbilt--to
the United States, for which Congress
passed a resolution of thanks At the
time she was earning him $4,000 u day
The most memorable and exciting
scenes, however, of Commodore Van
derbilt's life were in connection with
the stock market, INTO the busy arena
of which he had to enter in order ia
control the great railroads and their
connections, succeeding in which has
since earned for him many of his mil
lions and the name of
AMERICAS RAILROAD KING.
The history of the Harlem corner
must be familiar TO all who have had
dealings in the stock market, and in
this, as in every other affair of the
business life, Vanderbilt showed his
sagacity as well as pluck. In the
'corner' of Harlem shares he had,
however for his assistant John Tobin,
u reckless stock speculator, who is still
living in New York. He was just the
man for the occasion. His means
were not supposed to be large and he
had the audacity and nerve required
Tobin was sent into the board to buy
all the Harlem shares offered. The
price rose rapidly, and the "bears
came upon the scene to hurl their
blocks of "short stock at the head OF
the cool ,blue-cyed man who was acting
for the doughty Commodore After the
adjournment Of the boards the Harlem
excitement was kept up in the street
in front of the Stock Exchange until
the blackness of night settled down
the fight was then renewed in the up
town hotels and night boursc. Tobin
was buying wildly of Harlem, and,
curjously enough, paying Tor it tor.
Morse, Jacob Little and some of the
larger spectators, who are now dead,
expected that Tobin would fail, and
they put out short contracts for thou.
sands of shares, which they expected
to take in at an immense profit when
Tobcn should fail. The stock was
easy to borrow, but day by day il
mounted up from thirty to fifty dollars
per share, until the fabulous price Of
5000 per share was bud for IL. The