The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-01-12
THE RAILROAD MAGNATE.
STORIES OF THE LATE VIM. H.
VANDERBILT.
His Early Life and Ills Career as u Staten
Island Farmer.

he was a clerk in n ship chandeliers store
kept by some distant relative. The
small salary he received did not suit
him, and when eighteen years of age he
entered the Office of old Daniel Drew,
the firm name being Drew, Robinson &
Co., at the yearly salary Of $50. He
wa, q bright boy. The second year it
was doubled: the third year it was
81, 900. His employers had confidence
in him, and he deserved it. He was
offered the position, then made vacant.
as a partner in the firm, but his delicate
constitution necessitated his leaving the
office, and his father bought for him an
unlmproved farm of seventy. five acres
near New Dorp, Staten Island. Prior
to this, before he was twenty, he married
the daughter of the Rev. DR.. Nissan, n
New York clergyman, and fortunately
in his wife he found a model Christian
woman and mother. e.
Between the Commodore's home life
and that Of William the broadcast con-
trast may be drawn in favor of the
latter. William II. Vanderbilt never
proved the quality of his brain and
heart more thoroughly than when he
picked out Miss Nissan rs the head Of
his family. His fathers imperious will,
IL Vii - NS Y 40 III ouSIiICSS, llnuC
every one-wife and children as we'll as
clerks and servants-step aside at the
arbitrary command of this cold, dis
trustful man, who probably believed all
he did was just and equitable, although
he was q law to himself in his judy
ments. With the will of Peter the
Great he crushed everything In his way.
All must be for him, all must be by
him. BY this William learned q lesson.
Pcrcclving the superior nature of his
wife, he made her the absolute mistress
of his house and their rapidly increasing
family. Although his father was worth
millions, William, being n young clerk
on 81, 900. boarded in East Broadway at
the rate of $40 per week.
His wife moved with him to New
Dorp, and they undertook the cultiva-
ton of the Staten Island farm. Seventy
five acres of barrcns and wastes were to
be subdued, and needed something more
than endurance, thrift and untiring
labor. With industry and earnestness
of purpose young Vanderbilt consider
ably improved his property, and know
ing that he could do but little more
without money he determined to obtain
from his father a loan of Il few thousand
dollars. He had, however, such a dread
of his father, and was so apprehensive
that whatever he would suggest would
be scoffed ut, that he invoked the assist
ance of a friend, who requested the
Commodore to lend him SIS, 600 or Sc, 900.
The answer was a refusal. William then
mortgaged his farm for sc, 600.
There was but little intercourse be-
tween the families Mt that time, and for
nearly six months the two men met on
an oyorora nn{ Nfforor {ho~
month. Some one told the Commodore
that William had been compelled to
borrow money to get along on. Without
saying a word to William the Commo-
dore quietly went down to New Dorp,
made his own observations, sent for
William and took him out driving, when
the following conversation, according to
Williams report. occurred:
Said tho Commodore. civilian, you
don't amount to u row of pins, anyway.
You won't never be able to do anything
but bring disgrace upon yourself, your
family, and everybody connected with
you. I've made up my mind to have
nothing more to do with YOU"
The young man was stunned. He
could not understand what was the rea-
son of his fathers displeasure.
"Didn't you mortgage your farm for
So, 000?" inquired the old man, anerily.
II did. I had to do it. The farm
required considerable investment, and I
had no money. My object in life has
always been to please you, and r am
profoundly grieved to see that I am I'M
able to do so. can assure you of one
thing, and that is, not one cent of this
money was devoted to my personal COM
fort. The transaction is perfectly bust
nesslike. | engaged to pay the mortgage
off at a certain date. 1 shall do so. 1
cannot see that I have done anything to
be ashamed Of"
The drive lasted half an hour longer.
during which not one word was said by
either party; but on the next morning
the son received a check for So, 600,
with the peremptory order to pay the
mortgage off Fright away"
From this time, and possibly in consc-
qucnce Of this affair, Commodore Van
derbilt treated his son with some little
confidence, and admitted him to the
outer door of its intimacy.
William meantime continued opera
tons upon his farm, and in the course
Of a few years he had grounded himself
n the respect and esteem of his neigh
bors, and though at the start he was q
young, inexperienced city clerk, he be-
m not only a first-class practical
',rmer,r but added to his property; acre
by acre, until it amounted to $50, and
afforded him a generous living and a
net annual profit of $12,O 0
Later in life, when the Commodore
made his famous trip to st. Petersburg
On the steam yacht North Star, William
was walking with him on deck, the lat
ter smoking, as was his constant habit.