Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1877-01-11
COMMODORE VANDERBILT.
Full and Fair Record of His Life from
Low to High Degree-His Struggles, Sue
cesses.
HIS BIRTH.

father was farmer, and, owning a iarg
sail-boat, acted as ferryman to transpor
the persons and produce of his neigh
bors to New York. The son, at the ag
of 16, purchasing large sail boat, ais
commenced the business of transporting
passengers and produce TO New York
When he was 10 he owned the larges
boat of the description in New Yorl
harbor, and had an interest in two O
three others. In 1917 he had capital o
SO, 900, and became Captain of steam
boat. For many years ne commanded
steamboats, owned by others; then en-
barking in enterprises on his own &C
count, building and running his boats OF
ths river and neighboring waters. Wher
gold was discovered in California, ht
sold out his steamboats, and commanded
an opposition line of steamships via
Nicaragua transit to California, conduct
ing this enterprise with great profit fol
several years. He built magnificent
ocean steamer, the North Star, in which
he made the tour of European seaports,
with his family. On his return he estak
ished, III 1858, a line of steamships be.
tween New York and Havre. This line
was profitable until the commencement
of the war, when it was relinquished.
In 1862 he presented to the Government
a steamer, the Vanderbilt, which he hsd
Just built at cost of $500, 900.
HIS ANCESTORS.
In the old graveyard at Port Rich
mond, Staten island, are buried most
of his relations. John Van Pelt, died
1880, aged IS; Harmanns Garrettsen,
died 1915, aged 81; Mrs. Capt. Come
ius Simonson, died 1910, aged 20;
Abraham Crocheron, died 1868, aged
78; jeremiah Simonson, died 1918, aged
81. All these people, besides countless
DeGroots, are of Vanderbilt's connec-
tions. His mother and first wife in early
life kept small stores and inns, and, il is
said, have been seen by living people
barefooted. Both Stewart and William
b. Astor were educated; Vanderbilt
scarcely had any schooling at all, and he
married at Is. His mother was of
Scotch stock, as is his second wife, Miss
Crawford, who has been married be-
fore. IA
HIS FIRST BUSINESS.
The steamboat was invented in the
SIGHT of Vanderbilt's birthplace, on
Staten island, and he saw and probably
knew Robert Fulton, as he certainly
knew and opposed Chancellor Living
stone, Stevens, Aaron, Ogden, and
others. Up to that time he had been q
mere waterman, huckster, sloop Cap
tain, and fiAhmonger, sailing no farther
than New Brunswick. on the Reritan, or
Shrewsbury, or Kingston. His knowl-
edge of the waters led him TO be en-
ployed by the steamboat rivals ~ Liv-
ings.one and Stevens as early as 1916.
HIS ISTRoDUCERs.
Vanderbilt's father had been a very
ordinary huckster and boat sailer /; his
mother was OF Covenant Scotch descent
from Scotch Plains, n. ia superior
woman. She had been woman hired
ont. His first wife and mother as well
kept taverns. He was bred among a
rough crew-oystermen, 'longshoremen
and their girls-and had no education
nor association Usher than passed
through his ferry and boat. But he
possessed the power of making women
feel his will and talent. Men disliked
and were afraid of him. He had no
manners, and mashed his way to for.
tune. Gibbons, tobacco-chewing
planter from Georgia, who was fighting
Aaron Ogden, first employed him. From
him Vanderbilt got the idea of opposi-
tion as standard principle and making
standard lines buy him of. His whsle
seafaring life was an heroic form of
lackmail-Ciaude Duval After fifty
years of this sort of work he concluded
to abandon the seas and take to railroad-
ing.
ESTIMATE OF VAN.
A severe critic of Vanderbilt, whose
means of knowledge of the man gave
his positive expressions more than pass
ing respect, said, as the old man was
supposed to be dying: I" He was not
creator of anything, like Fulton or a
he merely found place to
invest his money at late period in life.
de did have immense force of charac-
ter, like an kstila or any other con-
queror but think he was destitute of
both affection and principle. The pur-
suit of power had made him so supreme
ly selfish that he was jealous of his sue
cessful son. AS he cared for nobody,
cared for him. He will pass
out Of memory as thoroughly as his
famous excursion in the North Star"
The same authority added that he once
refused to I'LL an unlimited order to buy
Lake Shore for Commodore Vanderbilt
unless he would put it in writing. The
Commodore declined. "He would
have seen me ruined without twinge,
as he ruined men on purpose, APP pr,arent-
ly, to show his contempt of feeling. For
how could man have principles who
directed those who trusted HIM to make
investments which he instantly under
mined2"
VANDERBILT COLLINS-PACIFIC NAIL.
He never owned but two sailing YES
sells, and never was a sea Captain. He
was good steamboat Captain, but had
a poor taste for an ocean ships model,
and put to sea in great tubs with ex-
posed walking-beams. His naval archi-
tect was his kinsman, Simonson, who is
now a poor man and Government
steamboat inspe ctor. The Commodore's
whole steamboating life was making
raids ON other peoples lines. A greater
tilibuster than himself struck HIM in
Gen. William Walker, and broke up his
transit company.
HIS BIG NAMRsAKE.
As Vanderbilt had changed from sail
and row boats at the age of %, he con-
cluded to leave the sea altogether about
1858. But first he made the greatest
venture of his life in steamship build
ing-the Vanderbilt, an immense ship
with which he meant to break up the
Collins Line. This vessel was an awk-
ward and costly construction, modelled
on the plan of a river steamer, with two
great exposed walsing beams, fatal to the
vessel in case of war. She measured
$40 feet in lengtn, 80 feet beam, and 80
feet deep, with engines of 2, 500 horse
power, and her total tonnage was 5,2t6
tons-at that time the largest vessel
afoat, except the United States vessel
Niagara. The Vanderbilt was 1,26S
tons greater than the largest British war
vessel. 1t was designed to beat the
Cunarder Persia, and TO that end had
immense wheels, forty two feet in diam
eter. Her architect was j. SimonsoD,
one of Vanderbilt's connections, who
also built the North Star, Ariel, etc.
He sent the Vanderbilt to Washington
city to pay visit to Congress and carry
away the subsidies, and oysters and
ohio mpo 0Da ypara fraatv die, aoaad l,,,