Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-08-06
THE VANDERBILT BOYS
Two weIl-rraIned, wcI-Behaved,
I,eVcI-Headeh HIiIIIonnires,


The young Vauderbilts-I mean Cor
nelius and William X, the present heads
Of the family-haye ''gono at it, as II they
meant to double the fortune their father
left them right speedily. Indeed, don't
see how they can help it. Cornelius Van
defbilt is forty now, and he is worth,
suppose, at least $50, 100000, perhaps
more. This, at compound interest, should
double every twelve years, which would
make it 10 less than S64O,OOO, 900 when
Cornelius is seventy-six. 1t would increase
good deal faster than that at the inter
est which he is to-day receiving on his
stock and bonds, but there will come
pauics, reverses cataclysms, perhaps, and
lie cannot safely count on making more
than Sj4O.O0O, 600 in thirty-siX years.
These young men are exceptional char
acters They started in the path of life
under the iron rod of their remarkable
grandfather, the old Commodore. He didn't
believe in boys at all: he didn't believe
IN anybody much and when Cornelius
and William X. got out of short clothes he
said to their father: "Look here, Billy,
boys are no good there's only one way to
save 'em, and that is by putting 'em,
at something and making 'em
work like the devil all the while. Now,
stick these boys in somewhere, and make
'em come down TO it. Don't let up on
'em."
William H. was not half as hard and in.
flexible as his father, but he was acCus-
toned TO mind that gentleman-as obedi-
ent when he was forty as when he was
fourteen-and he knew perfectly well that
it was better to kick u boy out of doors,
than to pet him and give him money; so
he told the boys, as his father had told
him, that they ''must support them
selves"
Cornelius got n little clerkship in the
Shoe and Leather bank when he was six
teen, and for four years he got there as
early as any clerk, and worked as late and
as hard. He allowed himself no extra
holidays, and neither his father nor his
grandfather did anything to make life
easier. During these years his uncle Tor
rance, going to Europe for the Commodore
invited "the youngster' TO go with him,
and the grandfather relented and consent
ed. The boy was delighted at the chance,
but the question of salary was involved.
He presented the matter to the president
"You can CO." said that amiable function
airy. 'but, of course, you will lose your
| SuIhTy, VI OU' ALSsl ScltbOh ~ SoAhSlNS
turned his back on the temptation and de.
| clined to 60.
When he WINS twenty he WINS made q
clerk Eat the bottom of the laddor'' in the
HudsonRlver Railroad Office, and his young
est brother, William K, was put at work
there the next year. For more than eigh'
teen years, now, they have ''bowed down
| 70 it" in that great concern, and they are
| far better trained than their father even
was in all the details Of the business.
They are not fust men. They own no
yacht. They care nothing for clubs They
are content, up to the present time, with
one wife apiece. They love their children,
and each family, filing into church, look
like pair Of gently sloping stairs. They
care little for fast horses. They do not
swear. One OF item is superintendent OF
IL Sunday school, and both are deeply in
volved in the various charities of the city.
Cornelius is first vice president and
head of finance, William X. is second vice
| president and master of transportation.
Each knows his business thoroughly. The
most striking thing about either of them is
that they work as hard Us il they were
hired by the job-whch they are, by the
way-and that they are perfectly demo-
cratic and accessible TO anybody who has
business with them. On the whole, the
present seniors of the house of Vanderbilt
| are about the most quiet, una<suming,
well>beheved, well-trained and level-head-
| ed of the New York mllionaires of the
| present day.