The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1879-04-17
GREELEY'S DAUGHTERS

Some fifteen years ago Cornelius j.
Vanderbilt was in disfavor with his tath,
er, Commodore Vanderbilt, on account
of his reckless habits and extravaganza.
''Young Cornell managed to ingratiate
himself in the favor of the late Horace
Greeley. The commodore had cut down
Cornelius's financial resources to mere
living allowance, and was memorable as
to all further appeals on that subject.
In the course of the mountaineering
and intimacy which resulted between
Cornelius and Mr.. Greeley, the latter
was induced to advance or lend consider
able sums of money to the young man,
but upon what representations, expecta-
tons, or security is not now very gener-
ally known. The total of these loans
b as been stated at $4,000 Cornelius J.
gave Mr.. Greeley his notes for the
amount. He has never since been in a
condition TO iquidate the debt, although
he was doubtless disposed to do so. The
commodore and Mr.. Greeley never IN
dertook any settlement Of the affair. al
though they understood TO have had
brief debate on the subject on one occa-
sion. Since the close of the Vanderbilt
will trial, negotiations have been COM
pleted by which these long overdue notes
have at last been taken up and paid by
Mr.. William H. Vanderbilt in behalf of
his brother, and partly, no doubt under
a sense of equitable justice to the heirs
of Mr.. Greeley. The matter was finally
closed at the Hoffman House, in con-
ference held yesterday, when Mr.. W. II.
Vanderbilt caused TO be paid to Mrs. Ida
Greeley Smith and Miss Gabrielle Gree
ley, Mr.. Greeley's surviving daughters,
the sum of S28, 800 each, being the
principal of the notes, with accrued
compound interest. There was no legal
liability whatever against the estate of
Commodore Vanderbilt on account of
this debt, and its prompt and generous
settlement reflects credit upon the exc
cutors, and will no doubt prove accepta-
BILE to the recipients
In connection with this debt a story is
! told, that when the Commodore heard
'fCorneel" had been borrowing large
! sums OF money from Mr.. Greeley, he
became very angry, and assuming that
Mr.. Greeley had loaned the money
mainly in the belief that he, the Commo-
dore, would repay it, determined not to
pay it as warning to others not to lend
money to his hayward son. After think
| ing over it, he set off in high gudgeon to
! see Mr.. Greeley, and ''give him piece
Of his mind about it," Mr.. Greeley was
very busy when the commodore came,
putting and indignant into his Office. In
| his usual bluff, impetuous way the Com
modore said: ''Mr. Greeley, [ under
stand you've been lending my son Cor
| neeP money!" Mr.. Greeley, looking up
! quickly, and then almost instantly re-
Stunning his work, replied, in his usual
drawing way. Eyes, Commodore, I've
let him have some money" ''You have,
p blufred in the Commodore, "you
have-well, [ want you to understand
that | amt responsible for it and shan t
pay you cent of it," Mr.. Greeley ran
his spectacles up on his brows, stopped
writing for a moment, and, turning a
full face on the Commodore, fairly yelled
out, ''you won't, eh2 Well, who the
devil asked you to pay it 1 didn't, did
II" Greeley dropped his glasses over
his eyes and bent again to his work
The Commodore, nonplussed and boiling
over with fury, steamed out of the Office
and it was matter of rumor that the
two men were never afterward on rs
good terms as they had previously been.