Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-06-07
THE VANDERBILTS.
A Few Anecdotes of The Millionaire
Commodore.


Vanderbilt family, and even with some Of
its attachments, like Chauncey M. Depew
and even the Drexel- Morgan syndicate.
Nothing with which the name of Wander
bilt is connected is ever mentioned now
In the Sun except in terms Of superlative
praise. More than that, il nybody at
tempts to say anything against even the
dead members of that illustrious family
ne is likely 10 be taken to task by some
body on the editorial staff OF this brilliant
journal.
Now a newspaper, just as the old clans
did, can make it its object to protect the
social. public and financial interests of a
family, but there must be limit to every
thing. To say that the late Commodore
vanderbilt was more powerful in his per-
sonallty, more graceful Of person. more
distinguished in bearing or born to great
er elegance OF manner than any gentle
man in New fork, is simply childish talk.
lie produced upon me the same I'M
preston when | was a school boy and he
came to Europe on board mis- yacht, the
North Star. At all the ports where the
yacht touched flying the flag Of the New
York Yacht Club, it was received with
The customary cOurtesies, and of
course relieved from all the port charges
and dues imposed upon other yes
Vanderbilt allowed people to come and
view his yacht, when was quite novelty
in Europe, for no one there bad seen be-
fore pleasure vessel as elegantly fitted
AS this was, and able to cross the ocean.
| will never forget the impression which
Commodore Vanderbilt produced upon
my youthful Imagination when saw him
standing near the wheel, with his white
"chOker' and in the commanding attitude
A. IN hu in
herent in him. The image of his person
ality remained engraved in my memory as
deeply as some OF the nOblest figures of
Van DYck or Velasquez. 1t seemed to
me at that time that with the exception of
Lord PalmeTstOn and Prince Albert, the
husband of Queen Victoria, had never
seen in my life more command
ing and noble figure than that of
the white-clokered American million
aire. The impression of that personality
kept in my head Tor a great number OF
years, but when, some % or 30 years later,
| came to this country and saw the Verv
same white-chokered Com modore driving
in a buggy to Macomb's dam, drinking
gin and sugar with the communicating
men he associated with, taking with his
fingers pieces OF cold cOrned beef from the
free lunch counter dish, and using the Ian
guage be did, all my youthful illusions
were gone. When l subsequently learned
about his relations with the clairyOyants
and the addresses of free love paper
the sisters Woodruff and Clatiin-the case
of the old Commodore was settled in my
nina. 1t was, of course. of no conse-
quence to him, but it was of great benefit
to me.
THE COMMODORE's PERSONALITY.
To say that it would be difficult to name
any gentleman in New York more power
tul in his personality, more graceful Of
person, more distinguish d in bearing, or
one born to greater elegance of manner
than Commodore Vanderbilt" IS a piece
of absolute absurdity. That the man had
phenomenal genius for business and
most commanding appearance cannot be
questioned, but that he had in his cOmpO-
sitiOn any of the elements which make a
gentleman cannot be asserted. A good
story illustrating this is told apropos of
one of the games of whist which he used
to have in the Union Cub. Two more or
less bashtul and punctiliOus Englisnmen
were introduced into Ghe club and taken
into the card room TO see the great Amer
lean genius playing whist. They were
daZzled by his appearance, and one Of
them remarked that he would like to see
him stand up and talk. They waited
awhile, and when the rubber was over
the Commodore aid get up. showing his
six feet odd, and SAYING 10 his partner:
- your soul TO he'll. Why did YOU not
lead trumps?"
Another instance OF the peculiarities of
this person, "mOst graceful in bearing
and born to great elegance Of Manner
can be derived from the following little
incident: He was in the habit of drawing
up himself the basis OF the contracts with
all the men he employed and giving the
draft aiterward to some lawyer to put it
= -. - A.. A.. 4
tract for a ferry boat boiler. He wrote il
out, spelling the word boiler "b-o-y-La-r,"
and gave it TO his young legal adviser.
Samuel Barger, to put it in shape. OF
course the first thing Barger did was TO
change the spelling OF the word boiler.
and when he began to do so the COmmO-
dOre said to him: "Look here, Sammy, if
you don't spell boiler b-o-y-l-a-r, how thu
hell do you spell it"'
A GENIUS, BUT.NOT DISTINGUISHED.
All this does not interfere with the fact
that the man was genius, but il certain
ly doesn't make of him the most dstin-
guIshed and graceful person in New
York. Mr.. William III. Vanderbilt told
me himself, some seven or eight years
ago, that his father called him "a dirty
sucker" in public. considered him unit
for any business, and that consequent
upon it MIR. William IL. avoided meeting
his father in presence of any outsider.
That was certainly queer way for the
most graceful person in New York to ad-
dress his son. Then again, although
business is business in a young country
like this, and nobody begrudges a man II
he deyiates to some extent from the
strictly legitimate path Of making an
honest dollar, there is a limit to every
thing, and one should certainly be drawn
at the privileges which man enjoys in
joining a club. This most graceful and
distinguished person, when he went to
Europe, joined the New York Yacht
Club for the sake OF avoiding the payment
Of port charges aud other dues, and re-
signed the membership as soon as his
trip was over.
All this seems to be enough to show the
real nature OF the man, but as all great
men are, this one is subjected to a series
of post mortem considerations, and those
VINO want to hurt his memory most will
praise him most. To speak OF him as the
sun does is an absolute absurdity. TO
say that Wall street doesn't afford his
like is silly. IL the majority Of the men,
bers Of the stock Exchange are not par
tcuarly refined IN their manner, there is
large number OF them who, by their So
cial accomplishments and manners, sur
pass anything that the late Commodore
had any conception OF. To say that in
the way of elegance Of manners no man
superior TO the Commodore could be found
in New York Is another absurdity. MIR.
Charles A. Dana himself is one. eX-Presi-
dent Arthur is another, MIR. William r.
laas -.