The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-08-08
vANDERBILr GOING BLIND.

So It Is RumOred at Saratoga Natural
Anxiety of the Great siuiOnsire-How He
smUses Himself.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, Aug. This has been
the dullest season Saratoga has known since
the panic summer OF i73. The is bat one
month left for hotel men TO recoup them
selves; II they can not do it during August
their le6gers viii all show p pretty heavy en-
try on the wrong page. There never were so
few people here at this cate as now. Those
who do come hunt out the smaller hotels
end cheaper places. The great hotels, like
the United States, the Congress and the
Grand Union, are not one-fourth full, aud
the clerks and employees seem to have but
little to do.
Various reasons are assigned, but the most
potent one is undoubtedly the unsettled
condition Of things in Wall street. Saratoga
has always, Been the Wall street watering
place From Vanderbilt to Addison Cam
mack people OF Wall street proclivities have
Aocked here. This year they are staying
swsy. Vanderbilt is here, it is true, and
Maud S. and Early Rose and Aidine and
Lesnder and Lysander and all the rest of the
Vanderbilt pets, but the old man doesn't
talk stocks any more. be has no private
wire no operators sworn TO cipher and Sc
cIesy, no followers OF the Barton scnool-not
even q son or a sOn-in-law. He is "horsier"
than ever. Instead Of on the verande, his
time is spent in the stables At least five
bOurs day are put in on the road. Ips Maud
5. ard Aldine in the morning and some
other team in the afternoon. The only pas
time the other guests have is to 90 out and
see the old man and his whiskers go sailing
by. They have an alarming story here that
NsndeTbili's eyes are bad; that he has con-
suited oculists, and that he ismuch disturbed
at their diagnosis. Indeed. IL is freely said
that the millionaire is going blind. Open
air. peace end quiet, and freedom from bOres
and holesses are what ere prescribed. The
old man secures all these by getting into his
bi ggy and stsying there nearly all day.
When one tssm tires lie drives another.
Those who know him say that the oculists'
reports cause him more worry than ell his
possessions. He has mortal dread of physi-
cal weaknesses or incapscity of any kind. 1t
il said by some that il ne were actually 20 90
blind he would either go crazy or commit
suicide.
effect on the patronage OF the place. All the
Kings horses and all the Kings men can
not give life or attraction 20 the place. One
big hotel Yesterday mad go guests and 56O
employes to serve them. ALI OF them have
been losing money through July at fright
ful rate. end their managers are blae enough.
The politicians and statesmen" have not
yet come Nor are they likely to. for the
President, his Cabinet. and all he greater Of
ficials are spendidg the summer elsewhere.
There is, in fact, nothing TO draw a crowd
here now, and it has been getting more pro-
nOuncedlY so for several years.
There are too many other places newer,
more novel, AID with greater natural attrac-
tions to preserve the prestige of Saratoga.
The seashoTe and sea- bathing allures too
many people from the oldtime honored
spIlngs. The newer generation of summer
lCiieTers seek these new fields and turn Sars-
toea over to the country people, and the few
with whom big hotels, exorbitant rates, hot
weather, big nosquitoes and Congress water
have become fixed habits. No doubt the
failure of the season this year will cause 8
Tremendous effort TO have the Nation Con-
YentioDs held here next year by way OF help
ing the big landlords out. Something must
De done or the glory of the old place will