Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1878-11-15
THE COMMODORE's MILLIONS.
His Talk with Mrs. Augusta Evans
Wilson About the Disposal Of Them.

New York World
In the Vanderbilt will case yesterday,
by consent, Mrs. Augusta Evans Will
son, the author, testified for the pro-
ponent that she became acquainted
with Commodore Vanderbilt through
his wife, whom she had known twenty
two years. She spent week III his
house, beginning June u, 1875. lie
drove her to the park-on Wednesday
she thought. They had q talk, which
she stated AZ follows:
After driving through the park and
up Harlem lane, he took me round TO
show me II villa he had given TO Miss
Hawley, on account Of an engagement
which he said existed between Miss
Hawley and his son George. On show
ing me the villa he spoke Of his child
rem and the sorrow he had bad with
some of them. He said he had had
great deal Of trouble with his son Cor
nelius, and that the only one Of his
children who had always been a source
Of pride and comfort to him was Will
liam II !, and that great many years
before, when his son Cornelius had
contracted n matrimonial engagement,
he visited the young lady for the pur-
pose of dissuading her from marrying
him, because he thought her object
might be- TO marry him in the hope of
obtaining u fortune, and he told her he
had never intended to give him Tor
tune, because the more money he had
TO spend the more harm he would do.
He said that A fortune in the hands Of
bad man WIS only al engine Of mis-
chief, and that while he intended that
Cornelius should always be comfort
able; he had resolved that ut his (the
commodore's death he should have no
fortune To spend. He said that III his
death he expected that William II. and
his two sons would perpetuatc his
name and the honor Of the family: that
he had especially tested young Cornelius
had placed him in u position where he
would be tried, md where no favor
would be shown him, and whore he
could ascertain what sort ofstulf he was
made Of he called him "Billy's Cor
nell" two boys would perpetuate his
hume; Cornelius j., he said, had given
him u great deal Of sorrow, but he had
compassion for him, for he scarcely
considered him responsible; he said the
greatest comfort and happiness and
peace Of his life had been derived from
his second marriage that his
wife had, since her en-
trance into his family, been
u pacilicator, and especially mediator
between Cornelius and himself; that
when he refused To receive letters from
Cornell, and Ind returned them I'M
read, Cornell often prevailed on Mrs.
Vanderbilt to read tho letters and re-
pent their contents TO tho commodore;
she would sometimes stand behind his
chair and rend portions of his sons let
ters before he WINS aware of her inten-
tions, but no told her that she did not
know Cornell, remember especially
TINT he spoke Of the beautiful Consis-
tency of his wife's Christian character,
which he said had done more to draw
him 10 religion than MI the churches he
had ovor heard dcliyered no said he
had watched her CONSTANT Christian
homo life day by day, md that while
no was very fond of Dr. Deems, and
liked TO see him around, yet his wifes
upright and beautiful consistency had
made him more Of II Christian than any
other influence; that in the course Of
long and oyontful career, which involved
knowledge Of great many different
characters, he had found her the purcst,
nobest woman that he had ever en-
countered; that she had commanded
his reverence as no other human being
huI IIa al un,I l,.N xu.x,,1I l,,I
sorry 10 see Cornelius married to any
worthy woman, because his habits were
such that he would reduce any woman
to penury.
Mr.. Samuel Teneyck, Of Denver,
Col, testified ti,at he once told the COM
modorO no had been to SEQ Shade, the
medium, and TINT the commodore said,
My son, ! thought you had more
brains than To believe any such damned
nonsense "Sueh y. added the wit
moss, twas my awe md reverence for
the man TINT ! did not say word
further. After that told him Of
another visit To Slnde, and lie told me
that il ! could not find anything better
than that to talk about no should for
bid mo to come To sec him." On one
occasion, tho witness testified, the Com
modore told him not to talk Of his son
Cornelius, rs he didn't amount to any
thing. !" | asked him the question Iii
rect once, said the Witness, what he
was going to do with his enormous
estate, and ho told me lie did not know;
that il he left il to his relations il would
bo scattered, and that the only one Of
his children that would keep il together
was William Ii.