Wichita eagle., 1888-10-20
VANDERBILT'S ESTATE.
METHODS BY WHICH THE OLD COM
MODORE MADE HIS FORTUNE.

Cornelius vanderbilt's Originality and
Power of Financial Combination-Suc-
cessful Railroad Undertal1ings-Social
Oualities-Physical Appearance.
Another great estate is the Vanderbilt
estate. 1t was founded by Cornelius Van
derbilt, as its fellow was by John Jacob
Aston, born thirty-one years, and died
twenty nine years earlier, at the same
age. Vanderbilt, who was an American
for several generations, had first seen the
light on Staten Island, and inherited
various traits from his Dutch stock He
had more financial capacity-it amounted
to genius-than Astor; had far greater
originality, boldness and power of COM
biuation; but 1t was exclusively Of
monetary sort. He divided mankind into
two classes, those who could and those
who could not make money, and the latter
he condemned as blank fools. Probably
no man of this century ever bent himself
more entirely to the pursuit of wealth,
from the time he bought a periagua, at
16, after his fathers death, to carry farm
products to the New York market, until
his final illness at 81
NOT AN EDUCATED MAN
He was illiterate throughout life, having
violent prejudice against education,
which he believed to interfere with prac-
teal success. and talked a peculiar Eng
lish, defiant Of syntax and orthoepy.
Letters he almost never wrote-correS-
pondence was as severe q task for him as
for Sam Weller-but be invariably wanted
everybody else to put any business pro-
posal on paper. He never, SO far as
known, expressed the slightest regret fer
his lack of education, and, presumably,
never felt any, being in this an exception
to his race. But as q compensation-fuly
sufficient for him-he WAS pheno1oenally
astute at a trade big or little, and had q
marvellous instinct for commercial profit
Before 20, he removed to this city, and
three years later was worth. $4,000
which was harder he said, to get than
any subsequent sum. at that time he
built the first steamboat to run between
New York and New Brunswick, and re-
ceiyed 81, 0G0 year as captain he con-
tinued on the line until he made it's
revenue $4,000 a year; his wife mean
while keeping an inn-he had married at
19-at the New Jersey terminus. and
turning it to good account.
For fifty four years he followed tho
water, owning steamboats, on the Della
ware, the Hudson and Long Island sound,
and steamships on the Atlantic and Pa
cific, steadily overcoming opposition and
swelling his fortune. AT 70, with prop
crty estimated at $40, 600 600, the commo-
dore, as he was called, directed his atten-
ton to, and concentrated his interest in,
railways, having been for many years a
heavy stakeholder IL the Now York and
New Haven road. At so advanced an age
such change was hazardous to say the
least; but he was brilliantly successful in
it, showing the energy and force of youth
in all his plans and combinations. He
scarcely ever miscaloulated, but in at
tempting to gain command of the Erie
road, when Fisk and Gould controlled it.
he found that they were supplying, with
out any thought of responsibility, all the
shares that he or others were willing to
pay for. Soon firing of pitting his money
against their printing press, he confessed
his mistake, which he ascribed to his ad
visers, to whom he had yielded, he said.
against his better Judgment.
HIS PURPOSE ATTAINED
When he saw his days closing-he had
a long illness-he had the supreme salts
faction of having amassed not far from
800 900, 600, and he cared for nothing
else. His one purpose in existence he had
splendidly attained. Although averse by
constitution to giving away money-it
could Go no permanent good, in his
opinion-he presented the steamship Van
derbilt, which cost $500, coo, to the gov
eminent ct the outbreak of the civil war,
and endowed, through the influence of his
second wife, the Vanderbilt university,
ct Nashville, with $500 600. He also
made, toward tho last, various requests,
some of which indicated that he was not
to artful gallantry. He often
helped r,en that ne happened to like, and
1t may be said, to his credit, that he was
always as good as his word. Totally
pretense or presumption. he wa3
generally accessible, having so much ex-
ecutive power that he was seldom pressed
for time.
Fine looking, especially in his old age,
his handsome face, erect carriage, and
elastic step were likely to draw attention.
even in crowded Broadway. He might
have been a prince in disguise, if princes
were what they are imagined 70 be. He
did not appear, physically. Like
the hard headed, unconditional. unlettered
business man he was. His two recrea-
tons were driving and whist. He loved
good horses. had plenty of them, and was
the dospot of the road In whist, be
played the rigor of the game, and could
not bear to be beaten, which lie seldom
was. At Saratoga, where he usually
spent the summer. he was disappointed
il he did not win enough to meet his
hotel bill When his memory began 10
fail be ceased to play; serious ss was the
he was unwilling TO lose the
rank he had so long occupied. He did not
bother himself about theology; but if he
hsd believed the Biblical announcement
Of the difficulty attendant upon dch
mans entering heaven, he would have
had Z very Door opinion Of heaven. Paul