Omaha daily bee., 1883-01-08
His Proposed Donation of $751;
100000 for an AIT GALLERY,
Points of Interest Con-
corning the Richest Man
in America.
W hat He Is Doing with a Portion
tf His Immense Wealth.
His Intimates, His Peculisrities. ar d
His Personal characteristics.
Correspondence Chicago Tribune.

Vanderbilt family for many years, h,
gave me some interesting information
which l communicate:
Have you heard anything" said I
"about William H., Vanderbilt con
sidering the gift of an art gallery tc
New York Git, y
"Yes; 1t has not been put in tn,
ne wspapers that l have seen, but h,
has mentioned it TO a few friends
Upper Fifth avenue has been very
beautifully built mp, and Mr.. Wander.
bilt's new houses there became the
signal for the most remarkable 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 set over its
portals, is, of course, the center of
this lavish private characterization. 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 tx
teriorly completed, sheltering itself
behind the cathedral. The Buckinp-
ham hotel, yfth its elegant facade and
the statute of tho grand duke OF Buck.
ingham ovPr the portal, completes a
third side lof the cathedral. But on
the fourth side is an ugly lot, COM
prising a whole square, with a high
atone wall and an oslong brick build
ing, which is an injury tothe avenue
not 30 much to the residents there
as to the general brightness and
beauty of the city, whero Americans
present their best fronts to strangers.
"Mr. Vanderbilt lis not q profes.
sional philanthropist or present.
maker. 1 suppose that it was the ex-
istence of this eye.sore which sug.
gested to him a mild aud agreeable
torn of benefsction He has said
that If this square, which belongs to
the city Of New York, can BIO trans.
ferred by some action Of the city,
under some pleasant compromise with
the Catholic institution, he would
GIVE NEW York AN r GALLERY
which would more than match the gift
of the Aston library by the Astor
family to this city. I think he has
said that he would spend az much az
So, 600, 900 to put up the building
and fit 1t with paintings worthy OF
the taste and wealth Of New York
city. But I would not BIZ surprised il
the people would ,her o. "a spoil
this good intention by Immediately
~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 a man with the crime of Van.
derbilt's wealth that nearly every bod
goes into training to get them off
You know very we'll that 1t is of slight
consequence to Mr.. Vanderbilt about
the mere value of the lot on which his
house stands. He is probably worth
5000, 600, 600, and the whole square
on which Ia has built Is probably
worth not 81, 900, 600. Our people
ought to give a rich man like that d
chance to expand his good in
ciinations by furnishing a genial
and e~ppreciative atmosphere for them
to leaf and blossom in. The fact ID,
Mr.. Vanderbllt's wife objected t.
moving from the old home several
squares further down the street. Sle
said they had house enough, and it
was going to be more trouble and re-.
sponsibinty TO have q larger house.
She finally consented to let her hus-
band build if he would put up on the
same block a home for her married
children. That Is why Vanderbilt die
not build in the middle Of the square,
and make a really great residence, in.
stead of cutting up the square into
two houses, connected by a colon.
made"
"What has become of the hint Mr..
Vanderbilt gave in 1877, soon after his
fathers death, of ereoung a hospital
and
ASYLUM FOR DISABLED RAILROAD EN-
PLoYEs!"
"N by, that is going to be done. II
has never been out Of Vanderbilt,
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, sine,
his railroad system is so much greater
His father had such an idea for o hos
pital for the New York Central, Hud
son River and Harlem railroads
Since that time w. Ii. Vanderbilt hal
acquired property reaching to D.kot,
and Omaha. So | apprehend tina
some institution taking in the neces
sity of all these railroads will
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 Vanderbiit's wealth wher
his mood is gentle. lie. has tn,
greatest opportunities In this country
to confer benefits on HIS neighbors
Like all mon OF old Dutch stock-witl
a little Scotch in him-he Is thrift,
and close. Yet 1t ia we'll to give hiu
the credit for ideas like these. 4
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 a rival spocuh
tor, and comes pretty close to the hea.
of blaokmsil."
"What are Mr.. Vanderbilt's plan
for the PRESENT.
"He sails for Havana on the oh O
January, and probably remains ava.
three or four weeks, he takes wit
him his uncle, Jake Vanderbilt, an