The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-04-07

A Pleasing Pen Picture of the Personal
Appearance of Cornelius Vanderbilt.
Mrs. Fred Grant Delighted with the Prospect
Of Presiding Four Years in VIENNA Mock
Auction Shop for Swindling Women.

Al AatO III q MIX.
Shall he violate his conscience by fiatter-
ing his features, or shall he be truthful
with the risk of dlspleasing hiInf Doubt
less You v read some of the his
toric anecdotes relating 10 this very
subject. Well, one of our American
kings of wealth-COrnelius Vanderbilt
hired Frank Hall, a London artist, to put
him on canvas. The order was given last
summer, while the gentleman was la Eng
land, and he sat to him a number of times.
The picture arrived in this city a weekago,
just In time to be seen by its original before
his departure for Europe, where he and his
wife are to become again a social wonder.
The portrait was hung in the hallway of
Cornelius Vanderbilts mansion on the
morning that the friends of the family
called to say goodbye to them, or to accom-
pany them as far as the steamer. They
were a little astonished, / think, to find
that 1T did not flatter Mr.. Vanderbilt in the
least. but had every blemish, as we'll as
every perfection, in his face faithfully re-
produced. Il don't want it to be smoothed
out" he is reported to me as Saying to the
artist; but l want a Photographic like
aught e~Xtenuated.n
Suppose l try my hand, in that same
sincere manner, at depicting him as he
York. BY far the best looking and best
dressed. of our mi~llionaires is Cornelius
Vanderbilt. This young man is decidedly
attractive, to the eye He is of excellent
helght ana inquire, and his clothes, while
never foppilsh, are most immaculate, aud
EXHIBIT plainly the work of as 1000 a tailor
as can be found in New York. At the
tneater Air. Va1uerbilt is invariably in
periect Evening dress, and the effect of
oo hess that he always produces is truly
no'--ceable. l don't suppose there is a better
eroomed man IN the city. His firm, solid
chin and mouth always have the newly
shaved look of a gentleman of leisure, his
tiny whiskers just in front of his ears
are trimmed with exquisite exactness, his
shoes look as though they had never been
worn before. Mr.. Vanderbilt has the face
of a thoroughly reliable and shrewd man of
business, The forehead is broad and
intelligence of expression. The mouth set
with the gentle strength of a man accus-
toned to rule and to succeed. He inherits
all that shrewd and courageous brightness
of visage that you can find in a portrait of
the old Commodore. | never see Cornelius
Vanderbilt but what / appreciate his ca
pacity for being very rich. 1t does not be-
wilder him or dazzle him.. Any man with
his personal appearance must perforce be
at least sensible and decent. 1 haye seen
such faces in serious and in
dustriOus physicians, lawyers and
ministers. never saw a man
with such a face who was not to a great de-
gree successful in q worldly way. Serious,
soiidly handsome, this is Cornelius Wander
bilt, still young, but with a well grown
family, and millions on millions of dollars.
-
Mrs. Col. Fred Grant is ineffably pleased
with the honor bestowed upon her husband
and the triumph that must accrue to her
from a four years. rAsidence in the court of
Vienna. The fact of the matter is that the
lovely daughter of Mr.. Honore is not salts
fed with her rank in American society. In
Washington her position was only a mega
tive success, for the reason that she was too
we'll bred to care for or cultivate the po-
litical class, and since her resi-
dence in New York her honOrs
have been even less satisfactory.
True, she has gone a great deal, as a leader
once said in the of the Water
color Society N Decorative Art ball, but l
never see the Grants anywhere. They have
not been sought out by the -four hundred,
and, while they reigned in Long Branch as
a sort of national curiosity, in Newport
they lived at the hotel with Potter Palmer's
family Just as any other visiting party
might with IN income equal to the rates of
the house. Out in Chicago things were
vastly different, and whenever the Grants
visited the city Mrs. Potter Palmer threw
open her lake-shore palace and allowed the
swells of Rush street, Bellevue place and
Prairie avenue to com in and make their
Obeisance. Any distinguished people who
might happen to be in town at the time
were invited, and the result was altogether
delightful. AS the world knows, the Hon
ore girls were convent bred, and, while
they have very beautiful manners, neither
could be called brilliant, and a great many
times they have been considered arrogant,
imperiOus and unnecessarily exclusive.
The maiden IN .'Ruddy gore" never adhered
more closely to her book of etiquette than
nave these beautiful women, and whatever
sweetness and graciousness of heart the
world may have missed, it can never ac-
cuse Mrs. Grant or her sister, Mrs. Palmer,
of an unconventional act. But now the
administration comes to, the rescue. and
Mrs. Grant is happier than she has ever
been since she became the wife of a Presi-
dents son. Mrs. Potter Palmer is arrang-
ing her household SO as to spend the CON-
ing summer and perhaps remain in Vienna
through the entire year as her sisters
guest.
1t might interest some of the devoted
mothers of the country to know something
of the really admirable methods employed
in the education of Colonel Grants two
CullQItU. DUH udNc % L lCuCu HuloC, llOui
whom they have learned the language,
which they speak as well as they do En-
glish. ItisMrs. Grants wish thatnOthing be
taught her little daughter to make her in
dependent, self-reliant or forcible. Her
mathematical training is limited to the
elements; she must know nothing of phi
losophy, and never be permitted to hold al
argument. Music. literature. history, art
and the languages are thought sufficient.
and under no circumstances Will the sweet
little brunette be admitted to a school
house as a resident or regular pupil. She is
to be a gentle, dependent. trustful. sweet
woman with all that ~sOftness and ~pliability
of nature that the world has always loved
and men have adored.
What do you think of s. as a price for a
seat at a circusf That is what Barnum is
charging for the best chairs at his current
show in the Madison-square Garden. and
it proves a winning price, for it brings
the bellies and matrons of Fifth avenue,
who would stay away from a fifty-cent
circus. Every afternoon and evening this
costly section of the Garden holds as pal
pably fashionable q gathering as you could
struction of the religious law of Lent, our
modish people rate a circus as permissible,
and Barnum gets the profit.
-.
There was a great deal of circus at the
theater, the other day, where the French
comedian Coquelin played little duologue
with Agnes Booth. A long drama was en-