McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1885-02-05
Vanderbilt and Grant.

respectable people have almost come
to the conclusion that this paper Is
regularly retained by millionaires, to
stand by them when they get In
tight place. No man is so poor that
The Sun will not do him justice, and
no man can be so rich that it will see
a national injustice done him and not
enter a protest. The subject OF this
interesting sketch is William 81. Van
derbilt, OF New York. Half the papers
in the country are warming, William
up one side and down the other, be-
cause it is alleged that he is running
General Grant by causing him to mort
gage all his property. trophies, pres
ents, etc., to secure the hundred and
fifty thousand dollars Grant borrowed
the day before his firm failed. The
papers say Vanderbilt is heartless
wretch, whelp and a nine-spot.
Vanderbilt Takes All!'' is the head
ing of the article going the rounds,
and editors who can think of any
thing mean to say, say it, and say 1t
quick and often. And yet, Wander
bilt is showing more genuine heart In
the matter than Grants most intimate
friends, and has allowed this stuff of
Grants to be covered by his mortgage
In order to save the trophies from
Grant away from the creditors of the
thief Ward. Did Vanderbilt show a.
very mean disposition when Grant
went to his house one Sunday and
asked for check for hundred and
fifty thousand dollars, to save his
bank, and "Bill'' signed the check and
handed it over to UlyssesP Vanderbilt
simply knew Grant as great general,
and he didn't ask any security except
his word. Would he have done the
same by any business man in New
York? Not likely. He was not lend
ing money as business, and was not
protecting banks from failure, but
there came to him an old man. hob
bling on crutches, man who had
saved his country, as nearly as one
man could save a country. He did
not come as business man, but as a
neighbor, friend. Vanderbilt would
have lost the money before he would
have Inundated the old man by asking
security. He just handed the money
out as he would lend shirt to friend
whose shirts had not come back from
the laundry. The next day the check
was used, and the bank busted, and
there were not assets enough to put
in tea. Vanderbilt no doubt felt sore,
but he didn't feel as sore as Grant
did. Grant knew what Vanderbilt
had right to think of him. He had q
right to class Grant with Ward, the
thief, and Grant went right to him and
told him he had been deceived, and
having borrowed the money on his
own personal account he wanted to
secure Bill, SO he mortgaged every
thing he had on earth. 1t is well he
did, and well that man with so kind
heart as Vanderbilt, the abused mill
lionaire, holds the mortgage. When
a subscription was started to raise
money to pay the 'Shylock" who
held the mortgage on Grants property,
the "Shylock' says, ''Well, you put
me down for about 100000" And if
no money was raised the mortgage
would never be foreclosed.
1t is very serious thing for man
to be worth as many hundred million
dollars as Vanderbilt is, because it
sets thousands and hundreds of thous-
ands of people talking and writing
against him, and man has got to
have pretty level head to keep from
hating the whole world, if he reads a
thousandth part of the bad things said
of him, but we doubt if there is a man
in America who does more good with
money than this same Vanderbilt. He
cannot stand on the street or in his
office and be giving all the time, in
fact he can scarcely give at ali, per-
sonally, except in cases like the half
million dollar gift to the College of
and Surgeons. If he gave
audience to one in ten of those who
want to talk to him to bleed him, or
to get subscriptions, it would take
him twenty hours day, and because
he refuses to be importuned, he is
called a hard-hearted wretch, and yet
through others he gives away enough
every year to build hundred miles of
railroad. His action in regard to Gen.
aral Grant is generous, kind hearted
and noble, and that case is not an
isolated one by anv means. If the
public knew of hundredth part of
the good that side whiskered man does,
they would take off their hats to him
when he passes on the street, instead
as many do. and when they
pass his mansion on Fifth Avenue they
would say ''God bless that man." in
stead of what they often do say, and
f the time ever came when his house
vas surrounded by mob, as was Jay
Iould's recently, a million men would
march to its defense at a moments
notice, and make human wall around
Bill Vanderbilt and his loved ones that
10 crazy mob in all the world could
nave any impression on. 1t is cruel.
lnpatriotic and desperately mean for
newspapers to allow ire
'ponsible reporters and cheap writer's
% have cGrte-blGnche toabuse a man
ike Vanderbilt, and it is little wonder
hat he delights in getting in q wagon
behind fast horse and flying away
rom all mankind, and forgetting that
ie is abused and misunderstood and
naligned because he is rich and does
lot advertise in the newspapers every
ime he gives away a million dollars
or charity. About fifty years from
low the fellows that are abusing
Vanderbilt will be giving money freely
o build monument to him. and they
viii ask pardon of high heaven for the
wrongs they have lone him. He is a
and the time will come
when everybody will heIieya If pocL,s