The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-01-29
ABOUT VANDERBILT.
Some Incidents Showing the Char
acter. of the Man.
His Nickel Plate. DeaI-FItst ParaIytic
StrOke-A Baby's Infiuence-'fvanity
Fair and Thackeray-A Won
derfuI Memory.

An interesting chapter in the rail-
road history of the United States will
come to light if the story is ever told
of the inside efforts that were made to
sell Mr.. Vanderbilt the Nickel-Plate
Road. 1t will be remembered that he
held out long time against the threats
and persuasions of the gentlemen who
were intent upon loading him with their
parallel enterprise. Influences of a
most remarkable characterw brought
to bear upon him, and it required an
almost illimitable amount of nerve
power to withstand the pressure even
for little time. Wall street was firing
away at Lake Shore and other proper
ties, with the Nickel-Plate for con-
tinual bear ammunition, and not a day
laborer in his great army of workmen
went to bed any night more utterly
weary and worn out and over-taxed
than did William H. Vanderbilt
Neither peace by day nor peace by
night was given to him; he was a tar
get all the time.
Finally the fret and worry began TO
affect him perceptibly. He grew ner-
vous and moody. His family began to
feel worried his doctors began to
evince renewed interest in his diet and
habits. Everybody about him grew
anxious But still the cloud hung over
him. That parallel object still frowned
unappeased. He was in daily COM
munication with the Nickel-Plate peO-
pie directly and indirectly. One day
an interview was arranged to be held
at his Fifth avenue home. Three gen
tlemen we'll known in speculative and
financial centers met with him, and
their purpose was to try to convince
him that he must buy up the Nickel
Plate property forthwith or else run the
risk of suffering tremendously from
new attacks to be made upon his rail-
road properties in the stock market.
Jay Gould at that time was down in
Florida, ostensibly for his health, but
Mr.. Vanderbilt's visitors made it very
clear that Gould's trip South was not
much else than a clever trick to cover
up a big scheme in another direction,
and this other scheme was to get con-
troll of the Nickel-Plate, attach it to the
Wabash, and create a new trunk line.
They were able to convince Mr.. Van
derbilt that what they said was true,
showing him that at that very time
Gould had a company of men along
the line measuring it and examining it
preparatory to scooping it in.
Mr., Vanderbilt listened eagerly to
every word that was spoken, and when
finally the truth was brought home to
him of this new danger threatened
through the unscrupulous tactics of
Jay Gould he quivered like a child in a
terrible fright; then suddenly he gasped
convulsively for breath, seemed chok-
ing and suffering beyond expression,
and in another instant fell forward un-
conscious from his chair to the door.
He lay as one dead. It was a similar
scene to that which Robert Garrett Wit
messed the other day. 1t was a SEM
blance that unnerved strong men,
though Mr.. Vanderbilt ltrecovered quick
ly. That was his first paralYtic stroke,
the true story of which has never
before been told; the story which in
wolves also the real reason of his then
startling change of base from an ener-
getic assertion that he would never pay
tribute to ''blackmailers'' to a sudden
purchase of the Nickel-Plate out and
out.
met one of the old Harlem Roads
conductors on the evening of Mr.. Van
derbilt's death. He had Just heard the
news, and he was OVERLOOKING with
"reminiscences of the dead magnate and
the old Commodore. The Commodore,
he said, was always a liberal dispenser
of free passes to favOrite employees for
themselves and families. Whenever
one of them had a holiday he was
given passes over the road to any point
he might desire. He had only to sug-
gest pass and he got it, and another
for his wife and children along with it.
Soon after William H. assumed control
of the Harlem Road this conductor who
rrngeiVrad rryifh .N7srV.reaA in ff him
to remark that he would like to take
his family over the road on the next
day, and would Mr.. Vanderbilt please
FIJI out pass.
"Hum!'' quoth Mr.. Vanderbilt,
''hum! my friend, doesn' t this road pay
you for your work?'
Yes answered the conductor,
amazed at any hesitation, as he remem-
bered the frce-and-easy methods Of the
Commodore.
.'And isn't your salary big enoughP''
1--WE got no cause to complain.
'@WeIl, we've got a ticket Office and
a clerk in it to sell tickets to just such
contented folks as YOU are. Good day,
sir And Mr.. Vanderbilt went on
with his work.
In q Fourth-avenue horse-car going
up town one day a plainly-dressed
woman was riding, accompanied by
bright-eyed child just old enough to be
asking a good many questions. The
pert young miss Of three or four years
was intent on being on familiar terms
with everybody within reach, and one
of the passengers within reach was
Mr. Vanderbilt. He had a small pack
age in his hands, and the child insisted
on relieving him of It, The mother,
though wholly unaware of her seat
mate identity, did her utmost to pro-
tect him from the young mischief-mak-
er's deprcdations; but her efforts were
futile. And Mr.. Vanderbilt, as the car
rolled on seemed really to have got to
enjoying the wee bit Of q thing hirta-
tions She went through bis overcoat