Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1883-01-08
His Proposed Donation of S5,-
100000 for an AIT Gallery,
Various Points of Interest Con.
cerning the Richest Man
in America.
What He is Doing with a Portion
tf His Immense Wealth.
His Intimates, His Peculisrities. ar d
HIS Personal Characterization.
Correspondence Chicago Tribune.

Vanderbilt family for many years, h,
gave me some interesting information
which / communicate:
Have you heard anything" said I
"about William Fl. Vanderbilt con
sidering the gift of an art gallery tc
New York Git, p
"Yes; 1t has not been put in th,
newspapers that have seen, but h,
has mentioned it TO few friends
Upper Fifth avenue has been yer,
beautifully built mp, and Mr.. Wander
bilt's new houses there became the
signal for the most remark able instan.
ces of private household construction
In the New World. This beautiful CA,
thedral in white marble, with the
shields of the United States and of
the city of New York act over its
portals, is, of course, the center of
this lavish private ornsmentation. In
the rear of this cathedral the cardinal
has built hts palace, also In white
marble; and there you see Mr.. Field =
great tquare house, with one with ex
tsriorly completed, sheltering itself
behind the cathedral. The Buckinp
ham hotel, yfsh it's elegant facade and
the statute of tho grand duke Of Buck
ingham ovP pr the portal, completes a
third side lof the cathedral. But ON
the fourth side is an ugly lot, COM
prising whole square, with a high
atone wall and an oslong brick build
ing, which is an injury tothe avenue
60 not 30 much to the residents there
as to the general brightness aad
beauty Of the city, whero Americans
present their best fronts to strangers.
"Mr. Vanderbilt lis not q profes.
sional philanthropist or present
maker. suppose that it was the ex-
istence of this eye.sore which sug.
gested to him mild aud agreeable
torn of benefaction He has said
that If this square, which belongs to
the city of New York, can bo trans
ferred by some action Of the city,
under some pleasant compromise with
the Catholic institution, he would
GIVE NEW York AN ART GALLERY
which would more than match the gift
of the Astor library by the Astor
family to this city. I think he has
said that he would spend az much az
So, 900, 900 to put up the building
and fit 1t with paintings worthy OF
the taste and wealth of New York
city. But / would not bs surprised il
the people would .her 10 "a spoil
this good intention by ilamediately
instituting a series of criticisms
and quarrsls about it. They will begin
to intimate that Mr.. Vanderbilt only
wants to improve his property. 1t is
so easy to say exasperatiDg thinge
about man with the crime of Van.
derbilts wealth that nearly every bod =
goes into training to get them off
You know very we'll that 1t is of slight
conseq ence to Mr.. Vanderbilt about
the mere value of the lot on which his
house stands. He is probably worth
$500, 900, 600, and the whole square
on which ha has built Is probably
worth not $2,000,00O. Our people
ought to give rich man like that d
chance to expand his good in
ciinations by furnishing a genial
and eppreciative atmosphere for them
to leaf and blossom in. The fact ID,
Mr.. Vanderbllt's wife objected t.
moving from the old home severa!
squares further down the street. Sae
said they had house enough, and it
was going to be more trouble and re-.
sponsibiity TO have q larger house.
She finally consented to let her hus-
band build if he would put up on the
same block home for her married
children. That Is why Vanderbilt did
not build in the middle Of the square,
and make really great residence, in.
stead of cutting up the square into
two houses, connected by colon
made"
"What has become of the hint Mr..
Vanderbilt gave in 1877, soon after his
fathers death, of erecung hospital
and
ASYLUM FOR DISABLED RAILROAD EN-
PLoYEs!"
"W by, that is going to be done. II
has never been out Of Nanderbilb.
MUD. Would not be surprised that thu
pending year would see the institution
built. l think IL will be a larger in
stitution than at first intended, sinc,
his railroad system is so much greater
His father had such an idea for O hos
pitsl for the New York Central, Hud
son River and Harlem railroads
Since that time w. Ii. Vanderbilt ha
acquired property reaching to D.kot,
and Omaha. So / apprehend tina
some institution taking in the neces
sity of all these railroads viii
bs built. He has plenty O
money, but he can get MAJ
when he is taunted. The people
ought to have the good sense to accep
a man with Vanderbilt's wealth wher
his mood is gentle. He. has tn,
greatest opportunities In this country
to confer benefits on his neighbo ora
Like all mon OF old Dutch stock witt
a little Scotch in him--he is thrift,
and close. Yet 1t is we'll to give hiu
the credit for ideas like these.
great deal OF the caricature Of Mr.
Vanderbilt in the illustrated papers i
too hard, and some of it, in one pape
at least, is paid for by rival spocuA
tor, and comes pretty close to tho hea
of blaokmsil." "
"What are Mr.. Vanderbilt's plan
for the PRESENT.
"He sails for Havana on the q h O
January, and probably remains ava
three or four weeks, ue takes wit
him his uncle, Jake Vanderbilt, an