The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-02-24
CORNELIUS AND w. X. yANE zRBIIaT.
Two WeIl-tralned, Weli-behaved, Level.
headed Nillionaires.


The young yanderbilts-I mean Cor
nelius and William X, the present heads Of
the family-have "gone at it as il they
meant to double the fortunes their father
left them right speedily. Indeed, don't
see how they can helpit. Cornelius Wander
bilt is 40 now, and he is worth, suppose,
at least $50, 900, 900, perhaps more. This,
at compound interest, should double every
twelve years, which would make it no less
han S640, 900, 900 when Mr.. Cornelius is
76. 1t would increase good deal faster
than that at the interest which he is to-day
receiving on his stock and bonds, but there
will come panics, reverses, cataclysms. per
haps, and the cannot safely count on max.
ing more than 100000, 900 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
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 EN-
at something, and making 'em work like
the d all the while. Now, stick these
boys in somewhere, and make 'em come
down to it. Don't let up ON em !"
William II. was not half as hard and in
flexible as his father, but he was accustom-
ed to mind TINT gentleman-as obedient
when he was 40 as when he was land he
knew perfectly we'll that it was better to
kick q 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 Unjust
support themselves"
Cornelius got little clerkship in tho
Shoe and Leather Bank when he was six
teen, and for four years he got there as
early as any clerk, and worked rs late and
as hard. He allowed himself no extra holi.
days, and neither his father nor his grand.
father did anything to make his life easier.
During these years his uncle Torrance, GO
ing to Europe for the Commodore, invited
"the younaster to go with him, and the
grandfather relented and consented. The
boy was delighted at the chance, but the
question of salary was involved. He pre-
sented the matter to the President. A" You
can CO." said that amiable functionary
"but of course you will lose your salary,
$3.50" That settled it, Cornelius turned
his back on the temptation and declined to
go.
When he was 20 he was made clerk " Of
the bottom of the ladder in the Hudson
River Railroad Office, and his younger
brother William X, was put Mt work there
the next year. For more than eighteen
years, now, they have bowed down to It"
in that great concern, aud they are far bet.
ter trained than their father ever was in all
the details of the business.
They are not fast mon. They own nc
yacht. They care nothing for clubs. They
one wife apiece. They love their children,
and each family, filing into church, looks
like pair of gently sloping stairs They
do not swear. One OF them is superintend
emit of Sunday school, mud both are deer.
Iy involved in the various charities of the
city.
Cornelius Is First yice-President ant
head OF finance, William X. is Second Vice.
President and master of transportation.
Each knows hia business thoroughly. The
most striking thing about either of them Ia
That they work as hard as IL they were hired
by the job--which they are, by the way.
and that they are perfectly democratic 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, unassuming, we'll behaved,
we'll trained, and level-headed Of the New
York millionaires of the present day. Gin
cinna6 Commercial Gazette.