, 1884-06-21
THE RICHEST MAN.
William H. Vanderbilt Rapidly Dis.
tancins Other Wealthy Mon
h balance sheet and h Secret Its
Figures acknowledgements
Bonds. Railroad securities
and Real Estate
New York Morning Journal

At tho beginning OF every year Mr.. W. II.
Vanderbilt makes it an invariable custom to
take a careful inventory of his immense
property His strong-boxes are then opened,
their contents counted, and from the total
the profit for the year Is reckoned. In
January. 1888, he told an intimate friend,
who dine,i with him that day, that he was
worth 1874, 900, 90.
Il believe l am, said Mr.. Vanderbilt, Hthe
richest man in the world. In England the
duke of Westminster is said to be worth
s2O1,OOO,OoO, but it Is mostly in lands and
houses. It does not yield him 3 per cent A
year from now / shall be worth more than
s2OO, 900, and will have an income equal
to 9 per cent. on that amount"
When has talking fit had left him the mod
ern Midas repentsd his hasty speech and
asked thut it not be repeated, claiming his
words were but boastfui and his wealth ex-
aggerated Haty
A few days ago Mr.. Vanderbilt sent som
papers TO a gentleman with whom he had
business relations. On looking thom over
the recipient was astonished to find tho
rough draft of a memorandum in Mr.. Van
derbilt's peculiar handwriting. 1t was dated
Jnn- %, 1854, and was evidently his last balance
sheet, which by oversight had been folded in
side another paper. OF course the secret
could not be kept and the figures reached Tue
Journal An error or two may hate crept
in on their travels, but in substance they tell
the following:
MIR. Vanderbilt has registered in his name.
and in coupon bonds, $54. 600, 900 in 4 per
cents, maturing in 1877. He has lately added
to these S4,OOO,OOO in 81 per cents and yet
retains a tribe over si,0O0,O0O in q per cents.
The 4 per cents are worth Ia and the market
value of his governments to-day is s7o,5sO,,
900.
But the bulk of the wealth of the king of
millionaires is invested in railroad securities.
He holds $40, 900 shares of Michigan Central
stock, 100000 shares of Northwestern, in
Guiding $1,000 OF the preferred stock, and a
block of Omaha. 200, 900 shares Of Lake Shore
and 10000 shares OF New York Central.
Besides this are smaller amounts in a score
of other stockP, among which are Rock Isl
and, Of which he held %, 900 shares, and
Lackawannn, where the total was 20, 900. OF
the others he had in all 81, $40, a grand total
of $50, $40 shares of stocks.
OF various railroad bonds there was an
aggregate of SEE, l2O, 900, and of state and
city bonds s3,2OO,ooo In miscellaneous Sc
c%nrities, manufacturing stocks and mortgages
the sum Of about 90, 5000 WIS shown to DO
invested.
Reckoning at yesterdays prices the value
of Mr.. Vanderbilt's railroad stocks is $685..
750,OoO of his governments $40, $50, 900, ofhis
railroad bonds $40, S57, 40, of his other Sc
curities a trife over 5000, 900. The aggre
gate is S20l 1872, Alb.
He puts down an item of "real estate, otc..
S3,0 900. COO" In this IL included his splendid
Fifth avenue mansion, which, with its furni.
ture and contents, cost nearly or quite So.
100000. His magnificent art gallery, with
its gems from the best modern masters, rep
resents almost a million dollars, the estimate
being that of a local connolsseur who is
familiar with the gallery. His stables Cd
Fifty-frst street, occupying one OF the most
desirable building sites in the city, represent
100000, while the equine beauties there lux
uriously lodged would not be disposed of for as
much more. Maud S. would bring SIS 900 at a
forced sale, and her owner would not dispose
of her for any price. Early Rose and Aldine
arc also held above price.
He can take life comparatively easy on an
income of twelve millions a year, and watch
his wealth pile up without any effort Of his.
From his governments he draws Sc, 372, 900 a
year; from his railroad stocks and bonds
81, 1914, $40; from his miscellaneous securities
S575, Cos or, $40, $40, OILS from his investments
alone. Thus every day they earn for him
Sos, 334. 25. Every hour sees him 81, $50, so
richer, and every minute means $40. 81 added
to his hoard. Besides that, he calculates to
make $1,000 900 every year by fortunate
sales. His investments last year he calcu-
lates did this.
This rich man lives well but not lavishly.
Last year his ordinary expenses, he stated
recently, were but a trihe over $500, 900. In
this is not included such luxuries as his great
ball, on which he expended $4,000. His at.
tire is modest and does not indicate a Crosus
by any means. Mrs Vanderbilt, too,
although dressing richly, is by no means ex-
travaganJ, although her diamonds cost her
lord $l50,0O.
Since Mr.. Vanderbilt made ont his balance
sheet some unimportant changes have been
made in his investments. He has disposed Of
some of his Lake Shore stock. Last week a
firm of his brokers, Messrs- Barton, Davis &
Miner, were large buyers of Rock Island,
taking in one day $3.50 shares. Since then it
has not been possible to dispose Of any
quantity Of this except at considerable con-
cessions. In his Michigan Central corner he
altered also the figures Of this stock. The
change is merely an increase of his holdings
OF railroad securities ut the expense Of his
loans and surplus income, for he does
not keep a large bank account. Everything
must bear interest, he believes.