Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-08-22
VANDERBILT IN SARATOGA.
How the Millionaire Drives His Famous
Maud S. and Other Trotters.


Maud S. and Other Trotters.
A smooth road, says a Saratoga special,
leads out from this village past the
famous race course four miles to Saratoga
Lake. This is where most Of the pleasure
driving by summer Saratogians is done.
Tally-hO coaches, tandem teams, and
other freaks of equipage are here COM
mon on pleasant afternoons. But
nothing in the show attracts
so much gazing as Vanderbilt and
the horses that draw him, They
are Maud s., Early Rose, and AIdine. haT-
messed singly or in pairs. They are
hitched to neat, plain road wagon. In
it alone sits Vanderbilt. He appears to
have regarded his experiment in clean
shaving as unsatisfactory, for he has let
the former whiskers grow again on the
sides of his face, and thus has resumed a
resemblance to his familiar portraits. He
wears high white hat with a black band,
a gray buster buttoned up to the chin,
and altogether has a turfy aspect, not to
say ra1ish one.
Chow fast is he gOing?" was asked of
an expert, as the millionaire dashed past
behind Maud 5.
sob, possibly a three-minute gait. but
surely not faster,n was the reply: 'sand
he is getting the very best he can out
of her. See him touch her with the tip of
his whip? That's all the Indictment she
needs. The road is as good as the track
was that she made her best record on, aud
all the conditions are as favorable-eX-
cept one. Bair isn't holding the ribbons
Vanderbilt can't begin to get the speed
out of his horses that MS hired driver and
trainer can. 1t is hard to tell why"
Mr.. Vanderbit's trOtters are here in
Saratoga, his almost exclusive diversion.
Driving is to him so Accordingly pleasur-
able that he very rarely takes a COM
paniOn along. His youngest daughter,
Mrs. Webb, has been ill, and once or
twice he has shared the seat of his road
wagon with her; but he prefers to go
alone, though com paniOnable enough
even aDprOachable by strangers if they
try to talk about nothing else than horses.
The trouble about his conversation on
these chance occasions is that, like many
another turfman, he seems to say what
ever happens to come into his head at the
moment of special enthusiasm.
II notice that j. /. Case is in town. -
was said to him. elias he tried to get up
a match between Jay-Eye-See and your
mare?'
"My mare will never again be driven
except by me on the road,' be positively
replied. II am satisfied with what she
has done, and what she is doing, and l
shall make no matches"
On the other hand, man of undOubted
veracitv reports him explicitly as saying
that Mr.. Case could arrange a race with
out difficulty, but this was when he was
being chaffed by friend as to the rela-
tive qualities of the beasts.
Toward the rear end of the United
States Hotel garden the ground rises to a
moderate knoll, and the trees are thick
evergreens, so that a section of the i'm
mense building is screened off from the
rest of the premises, though perfectly
| accessible. This part is divided in so
feet double residences called cot
tages. Although externally in archi-
tectural harmony with the rest,
they are disconnected as to hall
ways, and afford to their inmates a
slight degree of privacy. They are five
stories high. The Nanderbilts use one of
these cottages" The party includes the
Sloans, the Webbs, and the Twombleys-
daughters, SOns-in-law and grandchildren
and a numerous retinue of servants.
The Vanderbilt ladies mix with the guests
of the hotel quite indistinguishably. Will
liam I'll. is the only Vanderbilt who is
generally known about the place. Their
conduct is quiet and polite. Meals are
served in their own rooms, and all the
special cooking for them is done under
the supervision OF their $4,000 French
expert, who is fully privileged in the
hotel kitchen. Their servants are their
own, even to the chambermaids and most
of their victuals and drink are bought by
their special caterer. A small iron box
OF jewelry is lugged every night, under
guard, from the Vanderbilt cottage to the
safe in the hotel.