Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-08-23
Vanderbilt and Garrison.

learn Inat the long standing dill
ference between the Vanderbilt and
GarrisOns have at last been settled.
The story of this feud and its origin
has never been told before in print.
It commenced in 1849. That year
captain, now called Commodore Gar
risOn, went from the Mississippi
river to New York, having had diff
ficulty in 1913 which resulted in his
killing his antagonist The dead
man had many friends, and William
| G. RallstOn, his clerk, persuaded Gar
risOn that his life would be constant
| ly III danger if he stayed there, and
therefore he had better quit the Missis-
! sippi river for good. Having quite a
fortune, Garrison took the advice,
and went to New York to begin anew.
At that time Commodore Vanderbilt
owned a line Of sailing vessels from
New York to San Francisco CARR
son proposed to buy out this line, and
after some negotiation a price and
terms were agreed upon. Before the
first payment was made gold was dis
covered in California, and the line at
once became enormously valuable,
and Commodore Vanderbilt though
he had made q contract, fatty refused
to conclude the sale and turn over the
property. Garrison did all he could
to get possession, but to no effect.
One morning he went to Vanderbilt's
Office, and, laying down the sum
agreed upon as the first payment and
the contract, asked Vanderbilt to take
the money and sign the contract He
refused to do so in rather harsh word
Garrison deliberately went to the door
of the room, locked it, and put the
key III his pocket. He then drew a
six inch Derringer pistol, cooked it,
and said: Commodore Vanderbilt,
it is now five minutes to II by the
clock on your mantel. | will give
you five minutes in which to sign that
contract. If it is not signed when
that clock strikes II, at its last stroke,
by the God that made me, [ will
spatter your brains all over this
floor" Tick, tick, went the clock.
Garrison's pistol, with its huge, yawn-
ing black muzzle was within eighteen
inches of Vanderbilt's brain. He
would not move, for Garrison's eyes
were as cold and hard as those of
AtrOpos the pitiless fate. A moment
would be certain death within the
instant, with no one near to keep
time. 1t was four minutes, three
minutes, then only two minutes be-
fore he had to die. When it was
thirty seconds to II Vanderbilt picked
up his pen, took the paper, signed it,
and handed it to Garrison. AS the lat
ter took the struck the first stroke of
II. Garrison unlocked the door, and
went away. That afternoon the news
of Vanderbilts capitulation caused
much wonder Garrison was asked
how it had happened. ooh, I sup
pose the old man saw he had been
wrong" was all the reply he ever
made. The episode of the pistol and
the dramatic incident attending the
signature Garrison never spoke of.
| Twenty years after it occurred, Com
mOdore Vanderbilt himself told the
story. For years everything Wander
bilt could do was done to thwart the
stout old commodore who had COM
PEELED him to do what he had promls-
ed. But Garrison throve wonderful
| ly in California. He made the house
of Garrison, Fritts Sc Rallston power
on the Pacific slope. His old partners
are dead' and he is fighting disease
with an indOmitable courage. CARR
son has lived years and years longer
than his family could have hoped for.
The loss of his eldest son a few months
ago greatly shocked him, and in his
last days he has forgiven all hi
enemies, and, as [ hear, there is
peace between him and his great
rivals family at last.-Washington
Herald.
If bilious, or suffering from impurities of blood