, 1877-01-07
VANDERBILT.


city the better will 1t be ior tie community.
| ---Z2~-
/ VANDERBILT.
| 1he tom1nodore's Personal Habits, Charac
terltttcs. and Business Methods.
! Aeao 1ork Sun, Jan, s.
| ihe childhood Of Vanderbilt was spent ami
scenes OF toll, frueality. and rigid simplicity
And SO, when at 16 years OF age he yoluu
far1ly took upon himself to be man, he wa
prepared for the application and labor of man
| hood. Thencrforward for twenty years be raw
himself no hisure when there was work to b.
! done Neither on Sundays nor holidays, no
al night more than in daytime, did he ALLOW
| himself respite. Places OF amusement wcr.
UNKNOWN to him. This portion of his life wa
simply continual round Of hard work. As ;
Young man he could enjoy glass OF grog, couli
smoke his pipe with satisfaction, and could ea
hls oaaly rations OF pork and cabbage with :
hearty appetite. But he courted no society
assumed no style, aud seemed to care for moth
Ing beyond money-making. He was serretiye t.
an extreme, never permitting his plans to be-
come known until they were made public b,
Their operation He was combative, and, being
endowed with a powerful frame, never feared tc
test bis muscle with any one who was bold
enough to submit dispute to such arbitration
And it is but fair to say that be was seldom, Il
ever Forsted in personal encounter.
As an employer be was exacting and parsi.
nonious; insisted that his orders should be re.
speeted without questioning; violent in his
manner and language, and yet withal he inYari-
ably attached those he employed to him SO
strongly that they seldom sought other service
when they could remain with him. The ,1,Ian-
lmous verdict OF these men is that lie was hard
master. hut a just one, Kind to his men. but
always careful to make al the money he could
out OF them. During, the first period Of his
active life, covering the years OF his applica-
dren, thirteen in all, were all born. These were
committed to the care Of their mother, and were
trained by her to habits Of frugality and inde-
pendence- The Commodore bad no time, II he
had the inclination, to devote to these domestic
cares. But be faithfully seconded all his wlfe's
plans regarding the children, and furnished her,
without stint, with whatever money she required
to provide for them
HIS IDEAS EXPANDING.
In the second period Of this remarkable mans
indnlged moro in the comforts and enloyments
Of life. He built him fine house, furnished it
handsomely, and began to live like man of
means rather than as laborer. i carriage was
placed at the disposal Of his wife and daughters,
while an ambitious trottiIg horse occasionally
ministered pleasure to the millionaire after a
hard days work. And finally, towards the epd
OF this period, the Commodore was inveigled
into club life snd enticcd to spend an evening
at whist With those lcsirous OF getting por-
tion of his money from him at the rate Of So
corner.
But with all these enjoyments he never neg
1cctcd business He had no imposing array Of
bookkeepers cashiers, and clerks. His Office,
even when his business was most extended,
comprised but two rooms, and three clerks did
all the work, under his Immediate supervision.
He knew nothing of bookkeeping himself, and
when it became necessary. that his vast opera
tions should be recorded in some form, he em-
ploycd man who was good ct figures, and could
never owed any floating debts, and never allowed
ANYBODY to be indebted to him unless he had
eo1laterals to show for it; and these transac-
tions be considered required no booking. AS
consulting anybody. As time passed along aud
his means increased, rendering larger opera
rions necessary for the employment Of his capi-
tal+ and stock companies more convenient Or
desirable for The management Of these grander
enterprises, he had a numerous company Of
sons-iulaw from among whom to select officers
and directors. Thus he contrivcd to manage all
his affairs himself, or at least with the aid only
Of members of his own family.
THE DIVERSIONS OF A RAILROAD HING.
There came third period-the grand period
In which he became the giant stock operator
and the railroad king of his age. During this
period he iululgcd himself in leisure and
pleasure more than at any former time. In the
rear of his house on Washington place he built
comn,odious stable for his horses, with con-
yeniences for Their exercise and treatment;
bought costly stock; provided himself with
team OF matched trotters which were marvels
OF speed; drove daily through tho park and on
the road, priding himself on bis ability to pass
to be seen at the opera or theatre;
dined regularly at the Manhattan Club, and
speut his evenings there al the whist table until
he married his second wife, and seemed really
to enjoy 1ifc- , ,.,.
iu business When he gare up navigation he
his office to building adjoining his
stables on Fourth street, and here, as late as
1870, he could always be found from 3 i1 the
morning until 5 in the afternoon. Alter lcav-
jng his Office in the afternoon he made it rule
to refuse all business calls except those OF q
confidential nature. His aim was to leave MS
business at his office, retire to his residence anu
enjoy short nap, tlcn take drive on the ROAD
with his trotters ana rcsn1n 10 nus 4b1oeS
the evening. This routinue continued up to the
tin1o Of his second marriage.
MS GIGANTIC STOCK OPERATIONS.
His operations in stock we're on scaie OF
s,,cl, uoenifccnce that lis persona! appearance
!" Waii or Broad street was out OF the question.
Secrecy was essential to success in these opera
f;nns. and to be seen in the market was to ex-
nose his hand. And his immediate family con
sous and sons-ln-law-weFe aiso
ion we'll Known 10 0E 1HLIlotCA "!tlA LIZ A
tiou OF these colossal transactions Ihls dlHl-
rnlty neccssitated the employment OF men
whom he could trust implicitly, and VINO
we're habitucs Of the stock markets, as vel as
mcn Of acknowledged shrewdness and gooo
Judgment NIL, Au
SIch men he found in the MessFs- schell, Au-
,71stus, and Richard, the late Mr.. Henry keep,
Sfr. James Il. Banker. late of the Bank OF Ne"
York. Mr. Oliver Charlicls, and one or t"9
3thers These gentlemen usually man1pulatea
he market, giving the orders they had received
rom the Commodore to trusty brokers OF theE
,wn selection, who never knew whom tncy "clo
.ea1ly operating for, whatever they m1snt sus-
,rrt. Thus thousands OF shares OF partlcuiat
.tocl might be bought or sold on 'annernIs
count. and the street remain Ignorant o. lne
art that he was operating at all whne Il tnas
:act had been known il would have cfcateu
nanic in the stock dealt IN. In fact, hls deal
mrs were never known until scttllns tilne callc3
NJ; then it was common to sec long lacss' anu
- tesr the exclamation. Old vanderbilt Lbs
cooncd the street agaiu!"
:71s DOMESTIC LIPB-
1+hos {ren seen that when Jet put 1au
-ouno Vanderbilt Withdrew himself IRON ~!
tai control. He never stems to have mani
ested much regard for his father, bnt 19r nls
nnther. who lived to good old age, he alWass
i;sniayed the most so1icitons Affection anu Re-
1ert- Hcr influence was always more potent
~, him than any other. Even she never sue
f'".- r., her EnnsS breast A0F 2fR4k