The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-11-14
HE WILL GET HIS PAPERS BACK.
But He Was Foolish Even to Send
Them to Cornelius Vanderbilt.

But He Was Foolish Even TO send
Them to Cornelius Vanderbilt.
From the Neso York Sun.
| Cornelius Vanderbilt has probably been
the recipient Of more begging letters than
| any other man in this country. Every
European mail alone brings dozen, writ
ten in almost as many languages The
writers usually have tales OF woe 10 tell, and
invariably wind up with a request for a
respectable amount of cash. There are
some who only ask it as a loan, while others.
evidently with socialistic tendencies. de-
| Inand cool thousand as a gift. Exag-
gerated accounts of Mr. Vanderbilt's
wealth find their way, from time to time.
into the European papers, and the impecuni-
Gus individuals who read them think of
him as nothing else than a second Midas.
A curious fact about these letters is that
largo number of them contain documents
which are of priceless value to their owners.
they are reck1essly sent over the ocean as
proof of the writer's good character. and
are often accompanied by solemn attesta-
tions before q notary that the man is what
be represents himself to be. Others contain
patent papers and diagrams of railroad de-
vices which the owners are anxious to sell
Ihree-fourbhs Of all these lettsrs are never
read by Mr. Vanderbiit's private secretary.
but are packed sWay until they are heavily
coated with dust. so frequent have these
letters become that Mr.. Nanderbllt's score
tary declines to receive auy registered mat
ter Drought around by the carriers which
comes from a European source when TIE
sender is not known 10 him. Even this
action hasn't stopped the avalanche Of
letters 70 any great extent.
One OF the most curious instances of these
begging letters came To the notice OF the
Sun last week The Sun was asked to OBJ
tain the return for young Austrian of
letters aud documents which he hsd sent on
to Mr.. Vanderbilt from Vienna months be-
fore. The story of the young man. as told
in his own letter, is an interesting one. He
says he resigned from the service Of the
Austro- Hungarian army with the rank Of
commissioned officer, aud now occupies a
place in the service of the imperial railroad
system. Financial troubles, which followed
him from the military service, 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 anxious as
soon as his means permitted to make her his
wife
Now, it happened, a" he continues in his
quaint way, that l read in one of the
Vienna papers of the great wealth of Mr..
Cornelius Vanderbilt of New York, and it
occurred to me to apply TO him for assist
ance, stating in my letter our harrassing
circumstances and inclosing original docu-
ments OF the greatest Importance to me:
my certificate of commissioned officer, de-
cree of appointment to the railroad service,
free pass with photograph, emitting me to
ride free on all the roads of our system
also several receipts, showing that | strive
earnestly to pay off every monSh such parts
Of my Indebtedness as l could afford"
He bundled up these documents, and in
closed them to Mr. Vanderbilt in q letter.
asking for loan in the early part OF last
May. OF course no answer came to him.
and, on Aug. 10 he wrote again, this time
praying for the return Of his documents,
the need Of which he was beginning to feel
sorely in order to apply for promotion. OF
course he received no answer. Then he
began TO think that the Vanderbilts
were not the philanthropists he had
thought. He happened to read in another
Hungarian paper of DR.. Webb's pleasure
trip in luxuriously appointed cars across the
country. so in despair he wrote 10 the
doctor TO have him use his good services in
restoring his papers. This result failed him,
too When his letter scame to the Sun
Office, telling this story, one of the
young men was sent up 10 see Mr. Depew.
whose heart softened when he heard the
pitiful story of the Austrian. He turned
the Sans young man over to Mr.. Wander
bits private secretary, who brought out q
bulky package aud spread the letters which
it contained on the table. Half way down
the pile the missing documents were found
just as they had been received. On the
free pass spoken of was the photograph of
handsome, soldieriy appearing young man,
who was the Austrian himself His letter
was written in an exquisite hand, and his
face showed him to be evidently a man of
refinement. His documents were weighty
with tine seals and stamps of the Austrian
government. His address was taken down
and Mr.. Depew ordered that the papers be
promptly sent back to him Unregistered
letter TO Vienna.