The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1883-08-31
THE TWO CoMMoDoREs.
Cause of the Feud Between Garrison and
Vanderbilt. ID.
Washington Herald.


learn the long standing difference be.
tween the Vanderbilts and Garrsons has at
last been settled. The story of this feud and
its origin has never been before in print, 1t
commenced in 1S49. That year Captain,
now called Commodore, Garrison went from
the Mississippi river 10 New York, having
had difficulty In 1s4s which resulted in his
killing his antagonist. The dead man had
many friends, and VIM. c. Ralston, his clerk,
persuaded Garrison thai his life wou Id be
constantly in danger If he stayed there, and
therefore he bad better quit the Mississippi
river for good. Having quite afortune, Gar
rison took the advice, and went to New York
to begin anew. At that time Commodore
Vanderbilt owned line of sailing vessels
from New York to San Francisco. Garrison
proposed to buy out this line, and after some
negotiation price and terms we're agreed
upon. Before the first payment was made
gold was discovered in California, and the
line at once became enormously valuable,
and Commodore Vanderbilt, though he had
made contract, fatty refused TO conclude
the sale and turn over the property. Garri-
son did all he could to get possession, but TO
no effect. One morning he went TO Wander
bilt's Office and laying down the sum agreed
upon as the first payment and the contract,
asked Vanderbilt TO take the money and
rather harsh words. Garrison deliberately
went to the door of the room, locked it, and
then put the key in his pocket. He then
drew six inch derringer pistol, cooked it,
and said: "Commodore Vanderbilt, II is now
five minutes to eleven by the clock on your
mantle. / will give you five minutes in
which to sign that contract. If it Is not
signed when that clock strikes eleven, at its
last stroke, by the God that made me, will
spatter your brains all over the floor"
Tick, tick, went the clocS. Garrison's
pistol, with its huge, yawning black muzzle,
was within eighteen inches Of Vanderbilt's
brain. He could not move, for Garrison's
eyes were as cold and hard as those Of Afro
pos, the pitIless Fate. A motion would be
| certain death within the instant, with no one
near to keep time. 1t was four minutes,
three minutes, then only two minutes before
he had to die. When ii was thirty seconds
to eleven, Vanderbilt picked up his pen,
took the paper, signed it, blotted it, and
handed it to Garrison AS the latter took it
the clock struck he first stroke of eleven.
Garrison unlocked the door and went away.
That afternoon the. news of Vanderbilt's
| captulation caused much wonder. Garrison
was asked how it had happened. "Oh,
suppose the old man saw he had been
wrong" was all the reply he ever made.
The episode of the pistol and the dram attic
incident attending the signature, Garrison
never spoke Of. Twenty years after IL occur,
red Commodore Vanderbilt himself told the
story. For years everything Vanderbilt
could do was done to thwart the stout old
| Commodore, who had compelled him to do
what he bad promised. But Garrison throye
wonderfully in California. He made the
house Of Garrison, FTits " Ralston power
/ on the Pacific Slope. His old partners are
dead, and he is fighting disease with an in
domitsble courage. Garrison has lived years
and years longer than bis family could have
hoped for. The loss of his Oldest son few
months ago greatly shocked him, and In his
last days he has forgiven all his enemies, aud
as hear, there is peace between him and
his great fsmily's rival at last.