St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-08-05
piled Mr.. Vanderbilt, with assumed
gravity, 81 will
GIVE YOU A CHECK FOR THE BAL
ANCE''


followed him to the door and said: "1t
there is to be anything more in this
line. hope we shall not be forgotten"
1t is said that these remarkable cases of
ingratitude, instead of irritating him,
as they would have in the case of an
ordinary individual, only served to
arouse his risible faculties, and that he
regarded these exhibitions of human
weakness as good joke.
The best proof of William III. Van
derbilt's great ability as a financier, is
the marvellous increase in the value of
the estate which he inherited from his
father during the seven years he had
the use and control of it. and in which
he did more than treble the value at
which it was estimated on the death of
the commodore. At his death on Dec.
s. 1884, Mr.. Vanderbilt left fortune
OF 100000. He left four sons, Cor
nelius. William r, Frederick and
George. and four daughters, viz: Mrs.
Elliott +. Shepard. Mrs. William Sloane,
Mrs. Hamilton Mex. Twombly and Mrs.
William Seward Webb.
A chapter is devoted by Mr.. Clews to
Young Corneel," the wild and way
ward son of the old commodore, his &c
centricities, and his marvellous power
for borrowing money. Among the
special friends upon whom "Corneef'
was in the habit of exercising his allur-
ing magnetism were Hon. Schuyler Col
fax and Horace Greeley. Over both of
these eminent gentlemen he seemed to
have perfect control. So hOpelesSly
were they under the charm of his occult
power that they seldom said mo- to
any request that he made. Unlike most
meu who borrow money from friends
and don't pay, instead of eXhaustlng his
credit by this business delinquency,
cornell" made it the basis for increas-
ing it, and it generally seemed to be a
potent means of enabling him to borrow
more. Hence his obligations to Mir.
Greeley were perSiStently cumulative
until they exceeded $4,000. Years after
Greeley's death, when in a financial
strait. he was wont to eXclaim, with
tears in his eyes:
when Mr.. Greeley died, I lost the
best friend in the world"
BE 1T SAID TO HIS CREDIT,
however, in spite of all his shortcom-
ings, he exhibited his honesty by pay
ing every cent of the debt, with inter-
est, to Mr.. Greeley's daughters. He
also paid the greater part of all the
other debts which he had contracted
under similar circumstances.
When it came to the ears of the COM
modore that Greeley was lending his
son hundreds and sometimes thousands
of dollars at time, he visited the Office
of the Tribune. He rushed without
ceremony into the sanctum, where
Greeley was busy at his high desk,
grinding out TRADE against some polit-
lcal or social abuse, and thus addressed
the sage of Chappaqua: "Greeley, /
hear yer lendin' 'CorneeP money"
YES" said Greeley, cycling the mon
arch of steamboat men through his
tempt mixed with commiseration, 81
have let him have some ''I give you fair
warming" replied the commodore, ''that
you need not look to me; / won't pay
YOU" ''Who the devil asked you?" re-
torted Greeley. Have l?' This
clio ;ed the interview. The commodore
retraced his steps down the rickety
stairs into Spruce street, and Greeley
continued to grind out his illegible
chirography for prOfane printers. There
is no record, Mr.. ClewS tells us, that the
subject was ever reverted to between
them, but states that, soon after the
death of Greeley, the commodore sent a
check for $4,000 each to his two daugh-
tiers.
The commodore was we'll satisfied
to Miss Williams, of Hartford, Conn.,,
and he had hoped that his son would
begin then to lead a new life, but he
was doomed to disappointment. There
is a good story told about an interview
between the commodore and Mr.. Will
Jams prior to the marriage. The latter
called on the commodore and informed
him that his son, Cornelius jeremiah,
had asked his daughter in marriage, and
she was willing if the commodore had
no objection to the union. HAS your
daughter
PLENTY OF SILK DRESSES?"
asked the commodore, SententiOuSly.
WELL" replied Mr.. Williams, showing
some sensitiveneSS at what he at first
considered assumption of superiority
''my daughter, as l told you, is
not wealthy. She has a few dresses,
like oUher young ladies, but her ward
robe is not very extensive nor COSTLY"
HAS your daughter plenty of jewelry?"
continued the commodore, without APP
pearing to take notice of Mr.. Williams
''No. Sir" replied Mr..
Williams, becoming slightly nettled.
Il have attempted to explain to you
that | am in comparatively humble cir
and my daughter cannot
afford jewelry." ''The reason l ask
you" pursued the commodore, sis
that, if she did possess these ar
ticles of value, my son would take
them and either pawn or sell them, and
throw away the proceeds at the gaming
table. So l fOreWarn you and your
daughter that can't take any RESPONSE
bility i'll this matter" After the mar
rage "CorneeP' asked his father for
some money to build a house. mo,
Cornell" he said emphatically, "you
have to show that you can be trusted
before l trustyou." His wife made ap-
plication to her father-in-law with
better success, however. He gave her
a check for $4,000. In a few monrhs
afteIward she paid another visit to the
commodore, who received her cordially,
but expected she had come for another
loan, and he was attempting to work up
his courage to the point of a refusal;
for, strong and almost invincibly obdu-
rate as he was in the general affairs of
life, in the presence of the fair sex, like
was weak and like another man.
"Well," said the commodore, address
ing his daughter-in-law, with kindly
smile. "what can l do for you now?''
"Well, papa" she replied in her exceed
ing candid and agreeable manner, 1--WE
did not need all the money, so l brought
you back $780," The commodore
could hardly believe his ears and eyes,
but when the cash was put in his hand
he found it was reality. This sealed
warm friendship between him and his
worthy and economical daughter-in-
law, which was only severed by her pre-
mature death about ten years before
that of her unfortunate husband.
"CorneeF' told Mr.. Clews at Long
Branch the last time he saw him that
all there was of life for him was to live
long enough to pay up old scores. He
had fully determined to do this, and