The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-06
his torture.

One of the stories is that the Com
modore cndeavorcd to use" William on
one occasion, as was his custom with all
who dealt with him at times, by giving
him pointers on stock and then taking
the exactly opposite course advised his
son. The son discovered that his father
was pursuing a different course from
that advised him, and so whipped
around and followed the commodore in
his actions rather than in his advice,
without, however, the knowledge of his
ia her. Consequently when the COM
modore called him up q few days later,
and asked him how much he had lost by
following his advice, inasmuch as the
market had gone directly opposite,
William II. stated hat he was several
thousand dol 'ars ahead in the transac-
ton, and when asked for an explanation,
stated that he had found out the course
of the commodore on the market Ivy
private means, and thought that course
good enough for him to follow, and
viii e every one else had LOST money by the
pointers he had come out ahead. This
Increased the commodorc's respect for
him wonderfully, and he laughed hearth
~ over it, never trying to use his son
William again.
Another story is to'd'of how when the
commodore went to st. Petersburg, Rus
STA, on the steam yacht North Star, he
was accompanied by his son William,
who was constantly smoking. The COM
modore didn't like it, and abruptly went
up o him with the remark, ~ wish you
would give up that smoking of yours:
I'll give you $40, 900 if you'll do it,"
The son quietly threw the cigar over
board, remark ny. "Iou need not give
me any money; your wish is quite suf-
6cient, father and the habit was given
up.
William H. Vanderbilt started as a
clerk in the office of Daniel Drew and at
a salary of $3.50 a year, at the age of Is
years. This was considered a sufficiently
good start for him by his eXacting father,
a. that time, and he made him no extra
allowance. Even when he married a
poor girl, a few years later, he had to
depend upon his salary alone for sup
port, and that was 81, 900 per annum.
This early neglect was perhaps a good
thing for the son, who died with an in
come of $40. 600. 900 a year, in a residence
that cost nearly So, GOO. 600. 1t cost him
$500, 900 a year for family expenses alone.
Even his stables would be considered
palaces by most people.
1t is aston 'shiug how soon the great
names of even the greatest arc forgotten
In this city, Or remembered only by their
friends, and Vandcrbilt's will be no ex-
ception to this rule. Already Wall street
looks forward for his successor, and the
bears want to squeeze him anc the bulls
intend to gore him as soou as possible
the sooner the better most of them think
and his sons will have to be remark.
ably sharp if they escape. One of them
is reported to have lost ten millions, and
another three milliols in Wall street
within the last two years, aud the street
stands ready to down the others, and
only waits q good chance to scatter the
vast wealth which has already passed
through two generations.
Mr.. Chauncey NJ. Depew was the most
trusted lieutenant of Vim. H. Wander
bilt, and it was be who engineered
through to a successful termination