Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-03-27
THE COMMODORE'S YAGARIES,
More of the Interior Life of the Most Re-
markable of MilIiOnaires.
New York sun.

In the Vanderbilt will case, yesterday
MIR. j. }. Van Pelt testified that in q
conversation at about the time Of the
commodore's trip with his family to
Europe in the steamship North Star
the commodore said, GIVE eleven mil,
lions Of money better than any other
eleven millions in the United States.
It's out on loan bringing me in twenty
five per cent and no risk on it. The
witness continued:
In 1868 | said to him, Commodore
what are you going to do with your
property in case anything should hap
pen to your" He didn't like to hear
anybody say anything about dying, and
that is why | put it that way. He said,
'Well, all my family will, all Of them,
have plenty as long as they live"
Another time, about 1865, we had a
conversation that ended with his saying,
speaking of his property, 81 suppose it
will go faster than ever | made it after
Pm gone" In 1868, when I used to
ride with him a good deal, he said to
me, "Im friend of your'n, and [ want
you to consider me SO. [ intend that
you should have 100000 and a house
and lot" Isaid "No, commodore, you
don't mean it! eyes, | do mean it,"
he said. Says /, "When am I to have
it?" "Wel," he said, latter Pm gone
it's time enough for you to have it..
There will be enough there for all, then.
You've done several things for me that
[ wouldn't have trusted anybody else to
do, and you have done them right, too.
[ said [ was glad he was satisfied, and
he said yes, he was. Four months after
he talked about it again. "You recol-
lect," says he, what | said about the
house and lot and the hundred thou
sand dollars ~ and | says eyes, sup
pose you give me the house and lot, and
let the 100000 stand. He said, "No,
I'll take care of it until 60" "Wel,"
[ SAID, "let me have the 100000, and
let the house and lot stand" He said
" No, it'll be time enough after Pm
gone, and you'll appreciate it more
then" 1t was spoken of between us
several times in the same way The
last time was about 1864 or 1865, when
he said, you shall have the house and
lot and 100000, and that will be enough
for you" l said yes, that would be
enough when | got it. l haven't got it
yet
On cross-examination the witness said ::
The commodore was always very
kind to me, loaning me money, some
times taking a note and sometimes not
He never refused me. One time he
loaned me $50, 1000 at once, without a
note, and there wasn't a soul knew
anything about it but him and me and
my bookkeeper. | said to him, ''Hadn't
you ought to have something to show
for it ? if anything was to happen to
you and was to be a rogue, your fam
lily would lose a good bit of money"
He said Yes, that's so, and then he
studied minute or so, and then he
said, eff | die and you owe me hun
dred thousand dollars, you just keep it,
and don't say damn word to anybody
about it." Says /, "Do you mean it 2"
Says he, eyes, do; therell be enough
for ALL "Well, says /, II wouldn't
wish your death, commodore, for all the
money you've got, but | hopeI will
owe you hundred thousand dollars
when you die" When he did die, he
owed me 500. Inever gave him any
thing but handsome mare. He want
ed to buy her from her, and | asked
$1,000 more than he would give. |
went to his house one morning very
early, and says he, "Hello! you're after
something, Or you wouldn't be here SO
early" I said, eyes" [ wanted $21 900.
He gave me a check for the money,
and then spoke about the mare, and he
said, YOU'D better give me the mare. y
The next day sent him the mare, and
be sent me a check for $4,000, the
amount | asked for her. I sent it back,
When I met him, he asked me why /
hadn't kept the check. 1 said because
[ had made a better bargain. [ had
given her to him, as he asked me to,
and said I, "You told me if / ever GOT
the best of bargain [ must keep it,
and never let up on it, and I'm agoing
to in this instance" He made me
enough after that to buy half dozen
mares. -.
THE AMERICAN NAVY.