The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-06

would go forth on magnificent crusade of con-
quest; who, inspired by personal avarice, would
enter into the commercial emulatlons or has
time with benefcent results; who, determined TO
be master, would become pre-eminently the
servant of his countrymen; who, aiming only to
push forward his own interests, would mysterl-
ously advance the interests Of all, promoting
trathc and transit, increasing the general wealth
and thrift, and augmenting the universal COM
fort beyond the dreams of philanthropy. Such
man. at the end Of the fourth generation,
made his appearance in the person of Cornelius
Vanderbilt
The story of the Commodore's boyhood is most
interesting, and might well be put forth by itself
as tract for boys. His motto was never TO be
beaten. He worked early aud late; allowed no
body to underbid him. and when the war of 1872
broke out the lad of seventeen was considered
the best boatman on the bay HE believed In
the competitive system Of labor, which all slug
CARDS who are beaten in the competition de-
nounce as 'barbarous' He believed in the sur
vlval of the fttest-a law OF nature that is never
liked by the weaklings, or by those who are I'M
able to cope with their fellows on equal terms. :"
This was the key to the achievements of his
life. At the beginning of the Rebellion the
Commodore loaned the largest steamship to the
United States government built by himself and
worth 81. 100000 SAT the close of the war, to
which Vanderbilt had made great con-
of his favorite son Captain Georgel.
the government instead of returning the
borrowed vessel to her owner had her mus
tered into the United States navy and formally
returned thanks for the PRESENT. Congress
passed resolution of thanks to him and struck
s1x-ounce gold medal commemorative of his gen
orosity. 1.-THE Congressional committee author
lied to present him with the resolutions and the
medal had rather stormy time of it. He re-
hearsed the particulars of the theft and asked
II That was the way great and noble nation
ought to conduct itself. Some of them declared
that they had misunderstood and wanted to re-
turn the vessel. mol Devil take your impu-
dencep shouted the Commodore. Keep her.
don't care about little thing like that"
When the Nicaragua company refused to pay
him according to the terms of the contract he
simply wrote to Them
Gentlemen-You have undertaken to cheat me I
wont sue you, for law is too slow. will ruin YOU
Yours truly, CORNELIUS VANDERBILT.
In two years the line was irretrieveably bank
rupt. William H., it seems, made the Staten
Island farm pay well at the end of his twenty
years farming. when he finally abandoned it
to go to New York it was yielding $4,000
year. or 81, 900 month. or $34 day, or ST. AZ an
hour Thy the impressive method of calculating
revenues that has of late come so much in
vogue), contrary to the predictions and expecta-
tlons of the exacting and skeptical millionaire.
his father
The author explains the 'sstock- watering" of
stock watering is simply the conclusion and
declaration of a man that his property is worth
more to-day than il was yesterday When the
Commodore's portrait first appeared on the
bonds of the Central holder of some called one
day and said: Commodore glad to see yer face
on them bonds. It's worth 10 per cent; gives
everybody confidence The Commodore smiled
grimly. the only recognition he ever made of
compliment Cause, explained the visitor,
wen see that fine, noble brow it reminds us
IA Lat 1v al cSoa
thing9n
Thus are some stories told against the old
Commodore in drawing the outlines of his
strong, rude character He could express his
meaning with force, brevity and clearness, but
pen and ink always had him at disadvantage.
His English was even worse than Napoleon Bo-
naparte's French He always wrote of the res
ervoir in which steam Is generated at the 'boyl-
ar, and letter of his is still extant in which he
asks a friend to com down and sea the wild
dow" One chapter considers the social posi-
ton of the Vanderbits, and another tells partic-
ularly about the scores of living members of the
family. There is pleasant sketch of Messrs.
Cornelius and William K. Vanderbilt, the pres
emit heads of the family, their education and
training, their business habits, and their general
character.
In the preface we read: "In preparing these
pages the author has had an ambition not mere
ly to give biographical picture OF sire, son, and
grandsons and descendants, bnt to consider their
relation to society, to measure the significance
and the influence of their fortune, to ascertain
where their money came from. to inquire wheth-
er others are poorer because they rich whether
they are hinderng or promoting civilization
whether they and such as they are impediments
to the welfare of the human race" The con-
illusions he reaches are quite at variance with
the popular theories of this troubled year,
namely. that the Commodore made his millions
as legitimatey artisan fashions hat from
wool or chair from wood" that the managing
brain is of more consequence than the skilled
hand in all creative processes that avarice is not
vice. but virtue, 'the child of an aspiring dis
content" and the mother of civilization; that
the millionaire capitalist is blessing to society,"
that sit Is to the obvious advantage of society
that reproductive wealth shall be concentrated
in few hands," where it will not be squandered
or consumed for "the larger its aggregations
the smaller the toll which it will exact from
society for the privilege of its use." The last two
chapters of the book are assigned to what Mr.
Croffut thinks is demonstration of these aston
ishing propositions.