Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1886-03-04
vANDERBILr A nECDOTEs.


nent man dies numerous anecdotes are
told in regard to him. II would ap-
pear, however, that Mr. w. II. Van
derbilt was an exception TO the rule.
One or two incidents are worth motto
ing. II is told that he was firm be-
lever in the merits of Torkish baths,
and for long time he took one daily.
lie had planned for one on the day he
died, and, indeed, started down to the
Windsor with that object in view
when friends kept him in social con-
verse till he had time only TO take his
lunch quickly before the hour of his
appointment at the Ward studio An
amusing story is told Of one of his ex-
periences at the Windsor baths.
A new employe seemed rather over.
awed by the fact that he was TO use his
hands and his brushes upon the flesh
of u man worth couple of hundred
millions of dollars, and when Mr..
Vanderbilt came TO stretch out on the
marble slab for "treatment" the bath
man handled him like an infant This
didn't please the patient, and in voice
that was not that of babbling infant
he directed the attendant to proceed to
business. The attendant did. The
soft-haired brush he dropped for one
whose bristles would have discounted
the teeth of o buzz saw, and away he
dashed with push and a pull and a
scrub forward and backward that fairly
lifted the recumbent millionaire some
inches in the air.
Mr.. Vanderbilt made an effort to
protest, but on and on went the tenn
pestuous gentleman of the brush, and
there wasn't a square inch on the
magistrates body that wasn't wide
awake in q jiffy. His squirming did
no good, his half-uttered words were
equally unavailing, and then he philo-
sophically made up his mind to grin and
bear it. Never was Turkish bather
before put through so vigorous treat
ment; never was millionaire given so
severe slashing, and drubbing and
ducking. When 1t was finished and
the attendant was half lettering from
his arduous struggles, Mr.. Vanderbilt
affected TO smile, handed the man a
coin, and remarked that the work
would have been very we'll done if the
scrubber had only been a little more
energetic. He didn't try another bath
that week, though.
Another story puts him in q good
light. In a Fourth avenue horse car
going up town one day a plainly
dressed woman was riding, accom-
panied by bright-eyed child just old
enough TO be asking agood many ques-
tons. The pert young miss of years
WAS intent on being on ia
miliar terms with everybody within
reach, and one of the passengers with
in reach was Mr.. Vanderbilt He had
a small package in his hands, and the
! child insisted on relieving him of it.
| The mother, though wholly unaware
OF ker seatmate's identity, did her ut
most to protect him from the young
mischief makers depredations, but hel
| efforts were futile.
And MIR. Vanderbilt, as the car rolled
on, seemed really to have got TO enjoy.
ing the wee bit of things tliritations
She went through his overcoat pock-
cts, clambered over his knees, and
couldn't have been whit more ia
miliar had she been of the house Of
Vanderbilt ITSELF At the Thirty-sec-
ond street stables there was change
of conductors, and bearded young
fellow came upon the rear platform,
rang the signal bell, and started 1.-The
car onward through the tunnel
"Papai papal' shouted the little one
excitedly, and off from The knee of the
millionaire owner of the railroad she
clambered to hold out her arms toward
the bearded young fellow, the new
conductor.
The conductor recognized his dis
tinguished passenger and naturally he
was amazed-his own child in the
magnate's arms. He fastened to cor
rect things, and, with what was per-
haps not an unnatural earnestness,
apologized for the baby's rudeness,
"Tuti tut" interrupted Mr.. Wander
bilt, 1--WE enjoyed my ride with her.
Young man, wish she were my own
She must be taken good care Of" And
then. as the car turned out of the tun-
mel 10 the Grand Central Station, he
pattcd the little one afiectionately upon
the heap and said goodbye.
| Within month that street car con-
ductor was holding responsible posi-,
ton upon one of the big Vanderbilt
railroads, post that he holds this day,
That very night Mr.. Vanderbilt had
the young mans antecedents looked
up, and, finding his clean, and assured
that he was man of energy and ca.
pacity, he made place for him a,
once.
1t has been supposed that Mr.. Van
derbilt cared little about literature, bu,
the following shows that he read criti-
cally:
''One wintry night three or foul
years ago l sat with Mr.. Vanderbilt il
fhis sitting-room," says "Halston, ;
land listened to his chat for over ar
hour about his horses, his pictures ant
various other things from which HI
derived pleasure"
/ don like to talk about stocks,
he said. at always seems to me tina
Pm ON salary when / do that, ant
when l teel like hired man there'i
not much fun in the thing"
found him reading Vanity Fair,
and he told me that Thackeray wal
one of his favorites among authors
"But il seems TO me-" he commented
sthat Thackeray is a good deal keene
than he is honest; he sees people, Blu
hardly think he gets real well &C
uuainted with them. find that mos
folks have lots of good traits unde
what on the outside look like pretty
| a IN q