Daily Republican., 1883-02-08
THE yANDERBILTs.
How they Live ana spend Money.

William II. Vanderbilt, the richest
man in the world may be seen driving
his mare Maud s., which rumor says he
is spelling by injudicious handling
almost any fine afternoon on Fifth
Avenue. Look for a large, heavy man,
with dark eyes, swathy skin and black
side whskers, and intently earnest, but
not over intelligent face, II the weather
| ia cold the owner of untold millions will
be wrapped up in a closel y fitting coat
of seal skin, and have over his knees a
robe of the same fur The superb horse
or horses that he happens TO be driving
do not seem to be going very last as
they dance along, but it will be noticed
that he goes faster than other people,
and the groups of sightseers who stop
for "A moment to gaze at the well-known
figure, wrapped up in his sealskliIs as
he fits by, get but brief glimpse OF
him.
Perhaps Jay Gould, looking out of his
library in the second story of his big
house on Forty seventh street and
Fifth avenue, wonders that a man with
such magnificent opportunities for
making more money does not devote
his DAYS and nights 10 it instead Of triti-
ing away his time driving fast horses
jay Gould never drives fast horses or
INDUCES in any kind Of sport except
money making From go to 40
every afternoon Vanderbilt drives his
horses. Then his horses 60 to their
stalls of mahogany trimmed with sill
yer, and Vanderbilt goes 10 his palace.
! He always passes his evenings at home,
! not having been to the theatre since
WalIack' 5 WAS open over year ago.
! When the Baron James de Ro'hs-
| child died in 1868 near Paris, his wealth
wa, estimated AT 200 ,OOO, 900 francs, and
| he was accounted the richest man III
the world at that time. At the present
time the distinction of being tn" richest
man in the world certainly belongs to
William II. Vanderbilt. With the SO,-
600, 900 that his father gave him he has
made twic> that sum and, moreover, put
his railroad property in such shape that
it produces an income Of at least per
cent At present he has an income of
$40 ,0o0, 900 year, or $40 second.
Thirty years ago he did not know
where TO find $1,000.
Vanderbilt has eight children and
eleven grandchildren. His four daugh-
tiers are married to New Workers, and
have been presented with small palaces
costing 100000 apiece, while he is
building houses for the other two at the
corner Of Fifth Avenue and Fifty-fonrth
street, adjoining st. Thomas Church.
The ground for the two buildings cost
$500, 600 last spring, and | suppose the
houses will cost double that.
His two eldest sons, Cornelius Van
derbilt, Jr., who seems destined to oc-
cnpy toward his father the same relation
that William II. held to the Commo-
dore, and William X. Vanderbilt, the
second son, are already millionaireS in
their own right, and are now finishing
palaces which even eclipse the new
house which Vanderbilt moved into
last year Cornelius Vanderbilt is the
tinancier among the sons, while William
X. is the aesthetic member of the family
having employed Richard NJ. Hunt to
build his white stone chateau at the cor
ncr of Fif'tv-seCOnd street and Fifth ave
nue., and having paid $3.50, 900 for the
carving alone on the inside of his house.
SOnlr OF the tapestries for his house
are now on exhibition at the Metropoli-
tan Museum, while the painters and
decorators are giving the last touches.
The house has been three years in build
ing, and has occupied the whole time OF
two architects, working under Hunt,
and six draughtsmcn. The design Tor
one of the lnantels alone required three
months work bV two men