The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-01
UNCLE JOHN VANDERBILT.
ONE OF THB COIMODORE'S COUSINS
WANTS NONE or ms MONEY,
And win be Happy NJ Long ~ Catnsh Void
Out In Denmark r"nd-An Odd Member Of
Family Marked for Its Pccuiinritie>

DOVER. n. j., Nov. 26.-,Iohn Vanderbilt has |
immurcd himself far back IN the mountains Of |
Morris County and. with the exception OF an
occasional descent with back lopd Of drcssod |
catfish upon this or some neighluring town. no |
II lost completely to the outside world.
Seven miles from this place, among tho |
sterile mountains thut cover n large portion ~ |
the northern part Of this county. is n locality |
known M Denmark. which derived its nnmc |
from the fact that ubout century Hgo party |
OF Danes located there aud established char-
coal ircn forge. which became known as tho
Denmark forge. The ore was obtained from
the outcroppings Of the iron veins which seam
these mountains. the working Of which Is now
the principal industry OF this section Of tho
County Of Morris. The overflow from mHs-
sive stone dam at tho mouth Of agorcc through
which a stream ran, drove u wheel ut the forge
lust below. Tho wheel and the forgo buildings
arc now dismnntlod. and an air Of dcsolaton
broods over the place where once thrvod tho
little colony OF Dnuos. Tho pond n long. low.
murky sheet Of water. surrounded By noun
t.ins whose sides are 80 thickly studded with
bouldrrs us to allow but n scanty growth of
timber. stll remains. but the only practical use
1t Ia now put to seems to be the propagation Of
catfish for tho benefit OF John Vanderbilt who
Ia termed Uncle John" by some Of tho people
OF thu region. aud by others 81 Old Belt"
more dceolato place would be hard to find
among the mountain Businesses OF northern
New Jersey.
Leaving the dl4mantcd Denmark forge YOU
enter "a mountain road. tho roughncss of which
incrensos until YOU find It dotted with largo
bou1ers. and the carriage In imminent danger
OF being wrecked Aftor carefully picking your
way for "a quarter OF mile you come to the
home OF John Vanderbilt. a cabin located on "A
lnrge knoll. from which the wood has boen but
recently cleared. aud il now smoking in charcoal
pits few yards from the door. The cabin that
shelters this branch OF tho noted Vanderbilt
family ia about fourteen feet square. and con-
Mius two roOms-one below and ono above.
IT. this rude structure lives John Vanderbilt,
his wife, and about a half dozen children and
grandchildren. As II these were not enough
niShed for a hoarder." After letting down
pair Of bars In front OF the door. ia response TO
Obeying YOU End yourself IN "A little. low apart
ment. which serves the purpose Of sitting room.
kitchen. dining room. and bed chamher. The
occupants ARE nm Old lady OF about seventy
years and two sturdy looking girls. the wife
and granddHught.rs OF John Vanderbilt. The
appointments " the room consist of M old
fashioned cooking stow. bod. table. three or
nhovn Unon the stove Yesterday was e'pwng
q large pot Of potatoes about the size of hickory
nuts. u lorciblo Illustration oi tho steriiiy OF
she has pursued for yrar--.'lraning cat fish.
Every morning In fho suitahl" sons 'ns John Van.
derbilt draws hle notthrough Denmark pondnnd
then starts on loot To The towns from Tour TO
seven miles distant 10 sell the catch of the pre-
Nlous day. Will" his wife tuk's M tue task
81 cleaning thoar he hns tuken that morn
ing. Tho rnpidity with which -ho cleans
them aud talks the while. is something mnr-
Neii0us. Near her Is pan filed with the
lutie fish. and further away II a large basket
containing "A husiel or more II them. Az she
begins a sentence she picks a catfish from the
t Il 81 IA aNtH D. L.. -
fingers 81 on hand drity ABOUT the horns oi
Tn" ilsh aud with the other hand She sticks the
knifr boa the mock. strips down the skin % an in
stant. ANA ~ 70" lilr me s'hth', lS 'ohclulrl
The dressed fish. still quheriug ~ tho ngonir- Il
death. drOu- into crock ht side her. For years
she has pursued tins task. ana untold thousands
OF FISH have PASSED between her nimbir fingers.
After remark NJ that John had gone 90 Rg'k-
away on loot g DISPOSE VI a lot OF nsh, Mt1.
Nv husband has lived here 'or about thirty
yenr-. - .ioru he came here h"owuei n-niug
sloou IN NV York hufhor H. know CounlD-
dorr Nuudrrhl. very " %. aud lthiuk o. you
could poe him ho would tall Jpu q great 'l,nl
about him. John used n go nni -ce tho Com
moiurc.u nd since his Death hg w'ni o. 500 the
C'mmodore's son. william, We had heard
TINT tho Commodore bad lrit some money
for the distant relations. and John Thought hr
would go and see about IT, But William didn't
XIV" him any satisfaction whether there WIS
any money or not. hl'p9sh ID" ana give MN
go. Tue last ttmr that John went To see the old
Commodore hc told him that II hc wuul 4 come
down again ~ the spring he would htip hun;
but John neglected 10 =, ia the spring. and the
next thing we heard was that tho Commodore
Before We came here We lived In Hudson
Clty. Johns father owned lnrg property. and
when me- died john be'am" well N. But Co., took
to drinking. and us | had T. ks living in this
noighborhOod got him 20 come out here ia the
mountains AMI settle down. W. have eight
mostly 10y catching and selling h~n. We have
] three SONS mud two daughters. bIe son -. "
at HON" and helps us. and as W" Keep three
| cows aud kill our own pork we manage TO get
john vanderbilt himself was found in Hiber-
! MIA. a noted mining centre. Although b" has
passed the three score and ten years allotted TO
man. he n still the hcartcst and jollicSt Of mem
aud in every respect the qunintest Character
| medium stature, n little bent with nge
and the ELECTS Of persistent dissipation. hut he
! l. -till strong man. and his massive chest aud
| shoulders and ponderous arms ana hands bear
| witness To tue hercucan strength which hr
| possessed when young ana siill retains ia no
small measure. He threads with ease the dliil-
! cult mountain paths 10 and from his home.
! and bears without einrt his burdens OF ii,h
| Over the long; rough mil's - the towns In this
] vicinity He Is always IN tho best OF humOr. and
har such n keen. Vanderbilt sense ol seli-lnlrr-
ct TINT no one WAS ever known 70 gct the better
! that when hr FIRST cume 10 this section hc had
| plenty of money and was very generous with it,
/ several times 10 the winter seasons he las been
/ showed up in tue mountain roads hrtwrcn
/ lilhcrnla and his home, ana was with difficulty
| eNtflcntri on one occasion he was showed IN
! WIN YOKE OF Oxen nnd remained blocknded
! in the drifts so long TINT had 1t not been for
/ his great physical endurance he would have
! persisted before he was reached by the party
| that wont IN search OF him.
! l. fore the death 81 tho Commodore. John
/ made Cccas ional visits to New York 10 see
| him.. and il WAS always noticed when he
came back from these excursions that he
| WIS cad IN nov raimont and had money
! In his purse. Perhaps II is In remembrance
| Of these kindnesseS that he always speaks
/ IN terms Of highest praise Of the Com
! modore and his family.
90 W. want 90 know euthin' bout tho Wander
! bit family. do Xew John answered. his face
! Frightening Well the fust two Naulerhilts
| that como 20 this country was Jake and John;
! thoy was Dutch, l think. and wore brothers.
/ john was my, grandfather and WAS named
! after him. an Jake WIS the Commodore grand
/ tather. ! kin rrkllert Ole Jake very well. lie
] Was "a shoemaker an John WIS a blacks nitl.
! They both settled on Staten Island, near what
WAS th % called fond II NJ. an each OF 'cm owned
/ q lullc huuse an 'bOutn aero OF land. john
! vanderbilt had a son Aaron. who WAS my lnthcr.
/ au Jake had Hson Cornelius, who was the father
! oi tho Commodore.
Well, alter while tho ole man John died.
/ and nay father. thHrs Aaron. was loit alone. and
| purity poor oM But ole Jake. his uncle WIS a
| kind Ole iuli.r, an took him Ina an used him
| lost as we'll IS me- did his own children His
| wife, though, made II purity hard hyin' for
! iul lcr, maxim him DO all sorts oi hard work.
! Uu eat what mo r'et left. But the ole man
| WIS tough, an uyol through il, an alr.r
"A while lt bran slul ont fI4r himself ifn lllu4