Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-03-04
THE VANDERBILT BOYS.
WElL-TRAINEO, WELL-BEHAvED AND
LEveL-HEADED MIlulONAIRES.
Cornelius and William IL, the Present
Heads of the Vanderbilt FamiIy-Thc
Training the Boys Received from Their
Grandfather, the Old Commodore

The young kanderbiits-I mean Cornelius
and William h, the present heads of the
family-have gone at it as if they meant TO
double the fortunes their father left them
right speedily. Indeed, don't see how they
can help it Cornelius Vanderbilt is 40 row,
and he is worth, | suppose, at least S0.oo0,-
900, perhaps more. This, at compound inter
est, should double every twelve years, which
would make it no less than 500, 900. 600 when
MIR. Cornelius is ~. II would increase a good
deal faster than that at the interest which h..
is to-day receiving On his stock and bonds,
but there will come panics, reverses, cata-
clysns, perhaps, and he can not safely count
on making more than SfG0,O00,Oe0 in thirty
six years.
These young men are exceptional charac-
tess. 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 k
got out of short clothes he said to their father:
Look here, Billy, boys are no good; there's
only one way 10 save EN-, and that is by put
ting EN- at something, and making EN- work
like the devil all the while. Now, stick these
boys in somewhere, and make EN- come down
to it. Don't let up on EN-
William II. was not half as hard and in
flexible as his father, but he was accustomed
TO mind that gentle:nan-as obesiient when
he was 40 as when he WAS Land he knew
perfectly that il was better TO kick :. boy out
of doors than 10 pet him and give him money:
50 he told the boys as his father had told him.
that they must support themselves"
RESISTANCE To TEMPTATION.
Cornelius got a little clerkship in the Shoe
and Leather bank when he was 1G and for
four years he got there as early as any clerk.
and worked as late and rs hard He allowed
himself no extra holidays, and neither his
father nor his grandfather did ANYTHING to
make his life easier. During these years his
uncle Torrance, going 10 Europe for the com
modore, invited the youngster7 TO 20 with
him, and the grandfather rclentei and CON
sented The boy was delighted al the chance,
but the question of salary was involved He
presented the matter to the president You
can 60" said that amable functionary, but
of course you will lose your salary, SI50n
That settled IT, Cornelius turned his back on
temptation and declined 10 go
When he was 20 he was made a clerk "at
tine bottom Of the ladder" in the Hudson River
railroad Office, and his younger brother VIII
lam X, was put at work there the next
year For more than eighteen Years, now.
concern. and they are far better trained than
their father ever was in all the details of the
business.
They are not fast men. They own no
yacht. They care nothing for clubs They
are content with one wife apiece They love
their children, and each family. filing into
church. looks like pair of gently sloping
stairs. They care little for fast horses. They
do not swear. One of them is superintendent
Of n Sunday school, and both are deeply in
VOWED in the various charities of the CITY
Cornelius is first vice president and head of
finance, and William X. is second vice presi-
dent and master of transportation Each
,,nows his business thoroughly The most
striking thing about either of them is that
they work as hard if they were hired by
The iob-which they are, by the way-and
that they are perfectly democratic and ac-
ccssisle 10 anybody who has business with
them. On the whole the present seniors OF
the house of Vanderbilt are about the most
quiet, unaSsuming, well behaved well
trained, and level headed of the New Yorl;
milionaires of the present day.-Cor. Cncin-
matt Commercial Gazette