St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-09
WILLIAM IL. VANDERBILT.

the noises of the street were huShed in the
block. carriages turned out and passers by
stopped to ask if it was true that he was
dead. Being told that they had heard
Alright they went their way. s)bered and 81
lent, tarrying mayhap minute to gaze pity
ingly at the stone pile. Inside. the ser
wants and friends tip-toed about with grave
and saddened faces. The door-bell was
rung almost every minute, and the wide
portals swung open to admit other friends
who came to mourn with the mourners.
Upstairs. behind the drawn curtains of the
millionaire's bedroom, were
soBs AND TEARS.
The children of the dead man were gath
cred there in his bedroom about his CORPSE
None of them had been with him in the
hour of his death To none had he had
time to speak a word of farewell. AS he
lay upon the carved bed in the large square
room, the windows Of which overlook the
avenue, from the northeast corner of the
south wing of the building, to the left OF
the main entrance Mr.. Vanderbilt looked
as if he had fallen into gentle sleep. His
features were peaceful and natural, as if he
had Just ceased talking and laid down to
rest. His death had been as painless as it
was sudden. Mr.. Vanderbilt was always
an early riser. When in his young days he
worked his Staten Island farm it was his
custom to rise with the sun, and he used to
say in later lie that he had often arisen at
o'clock to 90 to New York and return to
his breakfast and his plOw at T. Of late
years he had made it a practice to leave his
bed at o'clock, or not much later, and
throughout the increasing ill-health of the
last two winters he had adhered to this
practice. After arising to-day he had held
with his sons, Cornelius and William, who
were the active managers of his railroad
properties, and afte:ward with Mr.. E. V.
.Rosster. his private secretary and treasurer
tOf the New Y ork Central railroad, to whom
he intrusted a large share of the man
agement of his private business affairs.
These conferences were held in Mr.. Van
derbiltS study on the ground floor of the
mansion in the corner to the left of the
main entrance from the avenue. 1t was
his favOrite room. where he wrote and
transacted all his business. During the
morning conference to-day he had been
more than ordinarily alert and active. and
so mucl 20 as to excite comment. to which
he replied in good-humored, jocular vein.
He had eaten a good breakfast, and was
looking forward with pleasant anticipations
to ride up the boulevard with his son-in-
law. Hamilton Mex. Tw0mb!ey, in the aft
ernoon. At II o'clock he send to the Grand
Central depot for his old-time friend.
Chauncey NJ. Depew, president of the
New York Central railroad, with the mes
sage that he wished to see him. Mr..
Depew was engaged in a conference at the
depot. and sent word that he would not be
able to come for an hour or two. and Mr..
Vanderbilt delayed the appointment till
o'clock. and to occupy the interval went
down to the studio of j. Q. a. Ward, the
sculptor i'll West Fifty second street, to sit
for a
BRONZE BUST OF HIMSELF,
which the trustees of the College of Physi-
clans and Surgeons wished to place in the
veStibule of the college. for the erection of
which he recently gave $500, 900. He re-
turned and took lunch at 1920 with his
wife and son George and Mr.. Twombly
At the table he was noticeably bright and
cheerful. At o'clock Mr.. Robert Garrett,
the president of the Baltimore d Ohio rail-
road, called upon Mr.. Depew at the Grand
Central depot. and, finding him still de-
tanned, he went up to Mr.. Vanderbit's
house to inform the millionaire and take
MI Depew's place. Mr.. Vanderbilt
greeted him cordially and engaged in a long
and animated conversation with him about
railroad matters. The conference lasted
more than one hour, and Mr.. Vanderbilt
sent word to Mr.. Twombly that he would
be compelled to forego the intended drive.
The two railroad magnates were discussing
the new terminal facilities of the Balti
more q Ohio, the new inlet into the
city it had secured by way of
Staten Island, and Mr. Vanderbilt showed
a lively interest in the results that were to
follow for The island of his birth from the
new enterprise. 1t was while the talk
turned upon the scenes OF his childhood and
earIy wc4.k. contrasted with the tremendous
achievment of his old age, that Mr.. Gar
rett, sitting ON the sofa and facing the mill
ionaire. who leaned forward in his arm
chair. as was his habit when thoroughly in
terested, that the president of the Baltimore
& Ohio was suddenly made aware of slight
indistinctness in Mr. Vanderbilt's speech,
that grew into an inarticulate sound. As
he leaned over to catch his words, Mr.. Van