Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-12-01
Sunday, december /, 1881.
he WILL GET HIS PAPERS SACK.

he WILL GET HIS PAPERS SACK.
But He Was Foolish Even To- send Them
To Mr Cornelius Vanderbilt.
Cornelius Vanderbilt has probably
been the recipient of more begging
letters than any other man in this
country. Every European mail alone
brings a dozen, written in almost as
many languages. The writers usually
have tales of woe 10 tell, and invaria.
bly, wind up with a request for a re
spectacle amount Of cash. There are
some who only ask IL as a loan, while
Others demand a cool thousand as a
gift. Exaggerated accounts of Mr..
Vanderbilts wealth find their way
from tune 10 time into the European
papers, and the lmpecumous individ-
uals who read them think Of him as
nothing less than a second Midas. A
curious fact about these letters is that
a large number Of them contain docu.
ments which are of priceless valae TO
their owner They are reckicSsly sent
over the oc an as proof Of the writer's
good charg Ter, and are often accom-
panied by solemn attestations before a
notary Tint tue man is what he repre-
sents I'm self 10 be. Others contain
patent p pcrs and diagrams Of railroad
devices thIch the owners are anxious
TO sell. Thrce.fourths of all these let
tiers are never read by Mr.. Nanderbilt's
privatu secretary, but are packed away
until hey are heavily coated with
dust So frequent have these letters
become that Mr.. Nanderbilt's secretary
declines to receive any registered mat
ter brought around by the carriers
which comes from a European source
when the sender is not known to him.
Even this action hasn't stopped the
avalanche of letters to any great ex-
tent.
One Of the most curious instances of
these begging letters came to the no.
tice of The sun last week. The Sun
was asked 10 obtain the return for a
young Austrian of letters and docu-
ments which he had sent on TO Mr..
Vanderbilt from Vienna months be-
fore. The story Of the young man, as
told in his WI letter, is am interest
ing one. He says he resigned from
the service of the Austro- Hungarian
army with the rank of commissioned
officer, and now occupies Il place in
the service Of the imperial railroad
system. Financial troubles. which
followed him from the military serv-
ice, had weighed him down with debts
and prevented him marrying the girl
OF his choice. with whom he had Kept
company for twelve years. She was
an orphan, and he was auxious as
soon as his means permitted to make
her his wife.
snow II ~happeurr;, - ~.-ltiuucs.
in his quaint way, that | read in one
OF the Vienna papers of the great
wealth Of Mr.. Cornelius Vanderbilt,
Of New York, and il occurred To me To
apply To him for assistance. stating in
my letter our haraSsing circumstances
aud inclosing original documents of
the greatest importance TO me; my
certificate Of commissioned officer, de-
cree Of appointment to the railroad
service, free pass with photograph, en-
tliling me 10 ride free on all the roads
OF u system; also several receipts,
showing that | strive earnestly 10 pay
off every month such parts Of my in
debtedness us | could afford"
He bundled up these documents and
inclosed them to Mr.. Vanderbilt in a
letter asking for loan in the early part
of last May. OF course no answer
came TO him. and, after waiting until
Aug. 10, he wrote again. this time
praying for the return of his docu-
ments, the need Of which he was be-
ginning 10 feel sorely in order to APP
ply for promotion. OF course he re-
ceived no answer. Then he began TO
think that the Vanderbilts were not the
philanthropists he had thought He
happened TO read in another Hunga-
yiap paper Of DR.. Webb's pleasure trip
in ldxdriously appointed car across
the country, so in despair he wrote 10
the doctor 70 haye hin use lls COCO
services IN restoring his papers. This
result failed him, too. When his let
Ter came TO The Sun Office, telling this
story, one Of the young men was sent
up 10 see DIR. Depew, whose heart soft
eneu Wlen ne neafu LDe plllIul story
of the Austrian. He turned The Suns
young man over TO Mr.. Va%nderbilts
private secretary, who brought out a
bulky package and spread the letters
which IT contained on the table. Half
way down the pile the missing docu-
ments were found just Us they had
been received. On the back Of the free
pass spoken of was the photograph of
ahandsOrnc, soldierly appearing young
man, who was the Austrian himself.
His letter was written IN an exquisite
hand, aud his face showed him 10 be
evidently "A man OF refinement His
documents were weiglly with the
seals and stamps 81 the Austrian gov
eminent lils address was taken down
and Mr. i,pyw ordered that the pa
pers be- pry.lpuy sat bacl; b. him by
regisic,I lu,jrr 10 Vienna - New
York Sun
rity OF Churches.
BFooa,yu used ~ bgcalled 1hu Cjlyof
ChurcLCs gUd. thUu-l moi ay D.nIupn.
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