The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-01-17
The Young Vanderbilts.

A correspond, Mt of the Capital writes
from New York: A younger brother of
VIM. II. aud Cornelius, George Wander
bilt, who graduated ut West Point and
was appointed to the Ninth Infantry,wa
afflicted similarity, though in less de-
gree than Cornelius. The young Lieu
tenant, stationed with his regiment in
Oregon, absented himself for u time just
about the beginning of the war, on pro-
tracted spree in San Francisco, where he
spent thousands in wine, women and
cards, acting generally like sailor
ashore after three years cruise. The
Commodore, hard, flintv, remorseless to
every one else-his wife, friend, or EN-
ploy e-paid the sons deHts, and when II
court-martial cashiered him for desertion,
and the proceedings were forwarded to
Washington for approval, the Commo-
dore gave the steamship Vanderbilt to
the Government as gift outright. The
sentence was RENTED, and Lieutenant
Vanderbilt given leave of absence for
ill-tealth, with permission to go beyond
the seas. George Vanderbilt, after a
voyage to China, died in Havre about the
third year of the war. He was the only
one of the Vanderbilts with an education
and manners of gentleman. At that
time the Commodore, and all who were
brought into contact with the family
looked on William as lout and Cor
nelius as an imbecile.
If William developed in brains and
sasoiy fare, so may have Cornelius, nj
least enough SO to fairly hope for more
than the interest on $500 900 out of the
one hundred million rolled up by the
hard, bad old man, who had begotten
him. Justice to the living is better than
false tenderness to the dead, and it is
only fair now TO print what always has
been common gossip in New York, that
with such an example before them, it is
wonder that the Vanderbilt children
did not grow up gang of horse jockeys,
harlots and misers. The Commodore
saw the sius of his youth reflected in his
son Cornelius, and therefore could not
bear him in his sight. Mrs. Lebau, the
sister who appears rs the nominal plain
tiff against the elder brother, William, is
not the wife of Smith Barker, Esq. II
was another sister who got divorce, and
she married Mr. Lebau. A niece of the
Commodore, daughter of old Captain
Jake" Vanderbilt, married one Sparrow
Pundy, and finding him u tritling, drunk
en-, incapable sort of person, divorced
him from bed and--what was more i'm
portant to pauper ADVENTURE board
She, too, married again; this time q
German baron. The touching incidents
related of William Vanderbilt's brushing
away tear when counsel speaks feel
ingly of his father are simply bosh. He
would AS soon think of writing sonnet.
to ladies' eyebrows AS shedding tears.
Contests over wills are the most de-
plorable and unseemly of all contests
and exhibit human nature in one of its
worst aspects. 1t is not easy to believe
that Commodore Vanderbilt did MOI
know what he was doing when he made
his will, but his heir might have much
better sacrificed his million necessary to
have stilled the clamor of the discordani
daughter, who stands like 1.-THE horse
leech's daughter, crying, Give! Give!
He is rs guilty in holding on to all the
money as Cornelius and Mrs. Lebau are
in d,ti.ing the nest in which they were
hatcbed Without reference to the mer-
its OF the case, both sides, in permitting
such an exhibition of hdeous revelation
for money, are contemplate. Mrs. Lee
bau did not attend the wedding of heI
niece last night, although Cornelius liz
ured to tue extent OF silver bow
among the bridal presents. Mrs. Lebau
has applied to the court for an allowance
OF SEQ, 900 from the estate to pay her ca
penses in contesting the will.