New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-09

The young farmer had been in Staten Island long
before he felt the need Of capital good part OF
the farm had brought under cultivation. and he
felt that he HAD given evidence OF his Willingness
and ability to work. but he did not dare
to 20 to his father himself for loan OF
the needed money. He sent friend but
tie answer brought back blunt refusal In this
emergency he obtained $4,000 elsewhere, and gave a
mortgage on his farm to the loan Six months
later tho learned what his had done He
took BILLY" out for spin on the road one
afternoon and unburdened himself the subject
in manner that left doubt in the mind Of the son
to the of his father "Is 1t true. he asked that
you have inortgHged the farm for S6,O0Or
Yes" replied the young former.
The Commodore went of into passion at once. "Yon
don't amount of pns!' he said; you never
did and you never will! You won't ne able to do
anything except to bring disgrace upon yourself, your
family and everybody connected with you.
have made up my mind TO have nothing more TO do
with You"
Here was predicainent The protested that he
had to have the money 30 make improvements on the
farm; that "the transaction busincss-likc and he
would be able TO pay the notes when they should fall
due that he had spent the money for his own com
fort and that though he sorry he had failed 10
please his father he not ashamed OF what lie had
All in vain the irate Commodore was not tobeap
pesod ami continued TO grOwl and grumble and fill the
of the drive with predictions OF the wOfni end that
would come 10 thc unlucky hocroWcr Inc EtAt ud3'
however. lie sent his check for $4,000 with curt
Instructions TO pay of the mortgage right away
FROM IHE FARM TO RAILWAY MANAGEMENT.
few years sufiiced to demonstrate to the salts
faction of even the distrustful Commodore
that his son was at least successful
farmer Year after year the boundar.
icp Of the farm were widenod until
finally they included $50 Instead OF seventy
i've and the produce which sent from 1t into tue
New-York market brought the Golfers OF the farmer
no less than 81 1000 annually above the cost OF cuva
ton. SIN there indications that the COmmO-
dore disposed trust any part Of tho great enter
rrlses ia which he engaged TO hts son. The belief
still rooted in his mind that the true field OF
operations OF the generation Of Nanderoilts wss
that OF the oldthe turnp field He alone ny amt OF
special git and industry hal swung himself ont OF 1t
and he alone entitled to remain out ONT II docs
not appear that the resisted this sentiment of
his fathers andcars before he rcaped the reward OF s
conduct in the shape Of the largest fortune ever be
qucathed 20 a single heir III this country he began
TO practise complete submission TO the
Commodores will. This naturally
enough was instrumental in creating the strong scepti
cism which the public always felt In tho original
talent OF Mr. Vanderbilt but st undoubtedly cica-
c,ous. No suggestion Of the CommodoreS was
ever passed UNDECIDED. whtm OF bis disTe'
cardea- An example will show how assiduously
he cultivated these relations with his father.
In 1853 tho Commodore having built the North star
for the purpose, took his entire family on voyage to
Europe The trip months and WIS one OF the
eusations OF the year only in NewYorE but in all
the ports at which the steamer stopped one
day on the outbound voyage the Com
IN ,doro and William IL. were walking on tho deck
The son had been Of smoking hs youth and -
he walked with the Commodore he pulled blue clondr
his afterdnucr cigar and sent them curling over
the water.
civ m AZ ne Ia
yours" said tho Commodore abruptly. "Tu give you
$4,000 If you do IL"
"You need not give the any money. Your wish i
quite sufficient" answered the son, throwing the cigar
overboorl,
rhee years af;or this Incident the staten I,,nd Rail
road was chartered. The Commodore Just beginning
10 close ont his nterc,; AMI to invest "a
railway stocks and besides keeny interested IN the
development OF Tho island The enterprise was not
large one, the road being then what It Is now,
a line only thirteen milos long from siaplrton,
also called VanGcrbts Landing. to Tottenvie, but the
Commodore to most OF the stock II finished IN
1853 but proved losing ,estment from the start, and
in two years was bankrupt Yuuas NanhcEn!i vas ono
OF the promr ent men on the Island, "ud ne be-
came through the wishes Of the riOckhoicr led 10y tho
Commodore the OF the bankrupt road. II was
narrow sphere IN which 10 demonstrate tho possession
Of q Talent for r!yIy mana cement but II tCrvCl not
only 20 acquain him wth some OF the practical details
81 railway operation. hut q issue a!-o showed 10 ihc
Carnrro ore VINO had 1, bought into the Harlem road
that De could have an Interested helper II lao wished
ore. in the great cutcrprscs In which he had
embarked The receiver cody mastered al. the points
az the si.ition cni down the expenses Of the road
stimulated travel 10 10y encouraging excursion"
from the c:ty to the fishing grounds, established an indie
penloE. ferry between stapeton aud whitehall dock
- scmatizcd the business OF The road ald IN Two wears
had IL ont of bankruptcy and Was rewarded with TIE
proficiency lie nllcd the office only short Zinc and
then surrendered Il into hands ~ hi uucc. Jacob H.
Vanderbilt 20 whom the Cimmo lore left S5opoJ o.. It's
bonds in BIS will, and who remained president Until
Is>2.
Mr. Vanderbilt. !aid down the Office OF president OF the
staten Island Road IN order to visit hi brother George"
who wac slowly dying the shores OF the Mediterranean
sea- George the youn@est son OF the C"hiholoT''
ana in HIM were centred many OF the Oil mans hopes
and expectations. lie had inherited so.Ac Of ms
fathers physical charlctor bat chose the proics
SION o q soldier lie was OF The most powerful and
athletic young men stGdieI at West Point and
bis twenty birth lay lifted dead weight 81
900 pounds. lie entered active service III the war oil
the Rebellion but C an; home from the Corinth cam
pagn with SKATER, constitution and wa s"nt abroad
IN a vain search for health william H. spent AcNeia!
months in a,tcndauc; ON hin, and returning to this
country in 1861 was Launched by hir father In the career
for which ho had served three years probation. lis
was made yicc-prcsilcnt Of the Harlem roaL
The Commodore was then in tho midst Of his great
railway operations. seven years before lie
had begun the exchange OF steamboat
for railway properties, and lie brought
into the new fold OF activity wealth which was then
reported TO so 600 900 and marvellous intellectual
equipment lie had bought the Harlem stock for song
In scott was worth only IS aud 50 a share. Thr'o
years later when he became president OF the road 1t
was worth $50. In August Of the same year through
the man puat0n OF joan Tobin and Leonard W. Jerome
II was sent UP to $l79. Tho Commodore having now
his eye teeth planned his great career and In lsGi
the year In which he took his into the management
OF the road the stock which sold for 90 in January
settled for at 255 IN June.
There doubtless several reasons that induced tho
Commodore to change his relations his
son. In the hrst place It had become Gbso'
lutely necessary that ne should prepare
tOmebcdy TOR the succession his undertakings aud his
wealth. william H.. though in the good graces OF his
father was hardly looked upon by him peer but he