The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-20
VANDERBILT'S ESTATE.
METHODS BY WHICH TIE OLD CON-
MoDoRe MADE HIS FORTUNE.

Cornelius vanderhUts Originality and
Power Of Financial Combinntion-suc-
cessfui Railroad Undertakings Social
Oua,itics-PhysicaI Appearance.
Another great estate Is the Vanderbilt
estate Ii was founded by Cornelius Van
derbilt, as its fellow was by John Jacob
Astor. born thirty-one years, aud 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, holiness and power OF com
bination; but II 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
10. 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-
tical success. and talked q peculiar Eng
fish, defiant Of syntax and orthoepy.
Letters he almost never wrote-corres-
pondence was as severe task for him as
for Sam Weller-but he invariably wanted
everybody else to put any business pro
posal on paper. lie never, so far as
known, expressed the slightest regret for
his lack OF education, and, presumably,
never felt any, being in this an exception
TO his race. But as a compensation-fully
sufficient for him-he was phenomenally
astute at trade, big or little, and had Il
marvellous instinct for commercial profit.
Before 20. he removed TO this city, ana
three years later was worth $1,000
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 coo year as captain. lie con
tinued on the line until he made its
revenue $4,000 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 ffty-four years he followed The
water, owning steamboats, on the Della
ware. the hudson and Long Island sound,
and steamships on the Atlantic and Pa
cifc, steadily overcoming opposition ana
swelling his fortune. At 20, with prop
erty estimated at $4,000 600, the commo-
dore. AS he was called. directed his atten-
ton TO, and concentrated MS interest in,
railways, having been for many years a
heavy stakeholder in the New York and
New Haven road. At 50 advanced an age
such a change was hazardous 10 say the
least: but he was brilliantly successful IN
il, showing the energy and force OF youth
in all his plans and combinations. lie
scarcely ever miscalculated, but IN at
tempting TO gain command OF the frle
road. when Fisk aud Gould controlled 1t,
he found that they were supplying, with
out any thought Of responsibility, all the
shares that he or Others were willing to
paw for Soon firing of piting his money
against their printing press, lie confessed
his mistake, which he ascribcd 10 his adj
visers. TO whom he had yielded, he said,
against his better judgment
Ills PURPOSE ATTAINED
When he saw his days closing-hc had
long ilness-he had the supreme salts
faction of having amassed not far from
400 600 900. and he cared for nothing
else. His one purpose in existence he had
splendidly attained Although averse by
constitution 10 giving away money-lt
could do 10 permanent good, IN ms
opinion-he presented the steamship Van
derbilt, which cost $4,000, 20 the gov
,ernment at the outbreak Of the civil war,
and endowed, through the influence Of his
second wife. the Vanderbilt university,
at Nashville, with 500 600 He also
made. toward the last, various requests,
some Of which indicated that he was not
imperyious 20 artful gallantry. tie often
helped men that lac happened 10 like ana
it NAV be said, 10 his credit that lac was
always as good as his word. Totally
without pretense or presumption. he was
generally accessible, having SO much ex.
ecutiyc power that he was seldom pressed
for time.
Fine looking especially In his old age.
his handsome face erect carriage, ana
elastic step were likely 20 draw attention,
even IN ffDRdcl Diod-H df h' iHiA ~
have been prince in disguise. If princes
were what they are imagined 20 be. lie
certainly did not appear, physically, like
the hard headed, unconditional, unlettered
business man he was His two recrea-
tions were driving and whist. He loved
good horses, had plenty of them, and was
the despot vi the road. IN whist. he
PLAYED the rigor Of the game, and could
not bear TO lie beaten, which he seldom
was At Saratoga. where he usually
spent the summer, he was disappointed
il he did not win enough 70 meet his
hotel bill When his memory began 70
fail he ceased to play; serious as was the
deprivation, he was unwilling 10 lose the
rank he had 80 long occupied He did not
bother himself about theology; but if he
/ had believed the Biblical announcement
of the difficulty attendant upon rich
mans entering heaven. he would have
had a very poor opinion Of heaven.-Paul
r. Cleveland in The Cosmopolitan.
Woman's Iancies Concerning Jewelry.
A long time ago, that day when the
world moved at the nod Of Cleopatra, the