Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-30


building resembles an old brick castle.
IL is nreproOf. There are no front Win
COWS above the ground floor. The bank
Itself is substantially furnished. There
are spacious retiring-rOoms, with tessel-
lated floors, easy chairs and sofas, and
baiZe covered tables. The remainder OF
the building is used by the Lincoln Safe
Deposit Company, which is also under the
supervision of Mr.. James. These vaults
are also owned by the Vanderbllts. While
providing a place of security for their
own valuables, they did a stroke of bust
ness by extending the vaults, renting
several thousand iron boxes to the public.
The stock is all held in the family. 1t pays
goodly dividends.
NOT AN ATOM OF WOOD
was used in the construction of the entire
building. 1t stands a monument to the
sacacity OF the modern Cr9sus-a pile of
brick, marble. steel, iron, and glass. The
silence within is so profound that you
might almost fancy yourself in cathe-
dral before a shrine. Mr.. James is in
ecstacy over its beauty, and gladly shows
its wonders to his friends.
Come with me and look at the vaults"
he said, after mutual greetings were
passed, and the architectural chGsteness
OF the editce was duly praised. We fol-
lowed him through network OF steel
fences. There was guardian in uniform
at each door. The massive locks few
back at the "open sesame" of the Presi-
dent. and again snapped in place after we
entered. After passing four gates we
stood in the strong room Of the Wander
bilt family. 1t was like standing in
tomb. The iron boxes were painted
white, and were in tiers like marble sar-
cOphagus. ''These," said the Colonel,
pointing to the massive handles Of several
huge iron troughs in the lower right hand
corner, 'were the boxes in which VIM. H.
Vanderbilt deposited his treasures"
EACH BOX WOULD HOLD A SECTION
of the obelisk in Central Park. 1t was in
one OF these receptacles that Mr.. Van
derbilt kept for months over $50, 000, 600 of
government bonds. At times two men
were kept busy day and night clipping off
the coupons, the interest being collected
by the bank. Another huge drawer was
heaped with railroad stocks, and third
with bonds. fourth was filled with
deeds, and the remaining ones with va
rIous other valuable papers. 1t is safe to
say that treasures representing over $780,
100000 were frequently deposited in these
great tubes. TO the left were iron draw
ers used by the four sons and the four
sOns-in-law of William Fl. Wander
bilt. The fathers slides have
fallen to William X. and Cornelius
Vanderbilt. The drawers of George and
Fred Vanderbilt are small affairs in COM
parison with those Of their brothers. Fred
was the highfiyer and George the book
worm of the family, and they came out at
the little end of the horn when the will
was read. In other words, they each got
no more than Sl0,000,000. or the sons-in-
law VIM. Sloane seems to have the larg-
est box. Elliot Shepherd comes next
with II. Nick. Twembly a good third, and
DR.. Seward Webb fair fourth. The solid
business son-in-law is Mr.. Sloane.
He is big carpet mer-
chant, a thoroughly Independent
business man, and be never parades his
relationship to the Vanderbilts. Shep-
herd was a briefless barrister before his
marriage. He is now, 1t is said, trying to
buy baronial estate on the Eastern con-
tinent. He is an admirer OF the cut.glass
bedstead, bought in Europe by his father
in-law for $4,000. Twombly, the third
son-in-law, is said to be worth $4,000, 600
independent of his wife. He is the brother
OF Horatio N. TwOmblv. an old New
Hampshire type-setter, and was himself
a jour printer. DR.. Webb, the fourth
son-in-law is a son Of the old General,
James Watson Webb, who fought duel
with Tom Marshall, OF Kentucky. The
Doctor has neither the physical nor in
tellectual Roman characteristIcs of his
father. He dropped his profession as
soon as he was engaged TO Miss Wander
bilt He has been called the American
Ashmead Bartlett. but this is a misnOmer
for DR.. Webb's wife is both young and
pretty.
After leaving the strong room OF the
Vanderbilts, we climbed the stairs to an
upper story, where great trunks filed
with family plate and other Yaluables are
stored. One of these trunks was nearly
as large as the cabOOse OF freight train.
It's contents were exposed to view by the
Waterman. They were a dinner service
of solid gold, that cost over $3.50, 900. The
service was originally made for the En-
perOr Nicholas, Of Russia. 1t is sprinkled
with crowns and dOuble-headed eagles OF
the same precious metal. Ittinally fell into
the hands of a nobeman, once an attache
Of the Austrian legation here. Hisdaugh-
ter married an American, and the Baron
gave her the dinner set as a wedding
present. 1t is used about once every four
years. Each piece of plate is keptin bag
Of chamois skin. The chasing, ornament
alton and fligree are marvels of skill and
beauty. The epergne is said to be unriv-
allied as a work OF the jewelers. art. The
gold is eighteen karat fine and at market
rates is worth over Sl35,0O0.
Another trunk in this room contain ed
many of the presents sent TO Gen. Sher-
mans daughter as wedding gifts, includ-
ing the $50, 900 diamond necklace for
warded by the KhediVe OF Egypt. There
were probably $50 trunks in the loft, all
packed with treasure and owned by
prominent and wealthy citizens. The
total value OF their contents at
rough guess was over $10,0O0,000.
The property represented u the Safe
Deposit Company and distributed else
where about the building cannot to-day
he worth less than $500, 100000. Indeed,
it is safe to say that this edifce contains
more wealth than any other building in
the country outside of the Treasury in
Washington. The sub-Treasury in Wall
street cannot hold a candle % 1t in actual
wealth, and there are very few, If any,
blocks on that moneyed thoroughfare
that equal it.
AMOsJ. CUMMINGS AND BLAKELY HALL.
I.n