Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-02
THE VANDERBILTS.
The Making and Dissipation of Great
Fortunes.

The Making and Dissipation OF Great
Fortunes.
Commodore Vanderbilt, says a New
York letter, was a marvel of physical
beauty. He was tall, straight as ram
rod, with a profile which would adOrn any
cameo ever cut. He was scrupulously
neat in his dress, and had an old-fashioned
pOliteness about him which never failed to
charm where he desired to accom- plish
that end. His early life was a tough one.
He never went to school; he never wore
medal; he never got prize. He was for
tunate TO get boots in the winter. He
pushed flat-bOats; he drove mules: ne sold
vegetables; he served as deck-hand; he
worked himself literally and absolutely.
by his clean-cut intellect, to a plane of in
dependence, and from there he made a
bound into the realms 0fsuperiOrity which
made all his fellows wonder, worship and
admire.
George Law and Cornelius Vanderbilt
were American-bOrn, and started as low
as boys could start. See where they rose
to. AstOr was about as poor and friend
less an emigrant as ever landed on these
shores, and see what he grew to. / don't
know what Commodore Vanderbilt would
think if to-day he could come from his
spirit home and see the wasting millions
VI HIS bOus L very IHuCu lear ne WOuIu De
tempted to reiterate his Oft-quOted express
sion about the ''bOOby." / don't know
what he would think of the series of Van
derbilt palaces that do so much 20 beauti-
fy and adOrn Fifth avenue, but which very
rarely afford scenes Of hospitality. IdOn't
know what he would think to see his fa-
vOrite son, day in and day out, week in
and week out, year in and year out, con-
sorting with jockeys, spending time and
@ n inf N hn cfnh l.,
his properties decrease in value, and the
gaping world looks at his fat face, smil-
ing deriSively as the game goes on. Old
man Vanderbilt made his money by hard
knocks and by ingenious twisting of his
fellOw-men; the present Vanderbilt is be-
ing sucked dry gradually by the smart fell
lows in Wall street, by the fOllies of his
son, and by the rapid growth of rivals. No
one for a moment imagines tnat a fortune
of $150,000,000 could be ruined in a life
time, but everybody who knows anything
knows that NJ. Vanderbilt no longer
holds United States bonds to the extent
he bOasted, while there are found saddled
upon him innumerable trades and dick
ers, made either by or for him, in conse-
quence of which many, yes, very many,
millions have been taken, not alone from
what he has made, but from what his
father left him. Old man Vanderbilt
was very singular fellow. He woul;
spend a million rather than be beaten IN a
fight, but he would grip siXpence tight
rather than be cheated in a trade. He
was reckless and saving-a singular COM
binatiOn of New York recklessness and
Staten Island penuriOusnes.. The present
Vanderbilt seems TO have no system of ex-
penditure. He has ma nitrent house,
with costly pictures. and has lived in it for
years, yet the entertainments gwen to So
ciety in general can be counted on the
fingers OF one hand, while those to his in
innate friends could be couuted by the
fingers Of both hands. He isn't generous
to rich or poor. Subscription papers,
literally responded 10 by all his neigh
bors, get from him the cod shoulder only.
1t may be that the festive William is fol-
lowing tie scripturaI injunction, AMI
does not let his right hand know the good
his lett hand dOeth, and for his own C. m
forts sake | trust thatlt is so; but the BIZ
BILE didn't mear that a man should hide
his light under a bushel, particularly
when he has an electric light, and its eX-
ample is likely to be followed for the good
or i'll of the human race. If Vanderbilt
declines to give to this, that, or the other,
poorer men can we'll afford 10 say: "Well,
if he doesn't give, [ WON'T" 1t really is
pity that not one of the very rich men in
New York city can be quoted as a con-
spicuOus benefactor of his race. OF the
three, George Law is the best hearted. He
gives freely and spends largely. Although
not recognized as humanitarian in the
pOpu ar sense, | dOubJ if a poor devil in
distress ever went to him without being
in 30 ue way relieved.