The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-04-15
A HIGH BORN CLERK.
Vanderbilt's Brother-iu-law Filling
Position in a Brokers ONCE.
Copyright, 1891


Copyright, 1881
NEW YORK, April l3.-Oae bright morn
ing last week met a ssalwart, open-faeed
young man turning the corner of Broadway
and Wall street. On his arm hung a very
handsome lady. The latter stepped into q
cab and was driven up town while the
Young man strobe back into Wall street
with a firm, elastic step. A moment later
he had passed into the brokerage office of
Morris S. Pryor.
Not many of the busy men who passed
this young man were aware that he was the
scion of one of the Oldest and noblest houses
of France European mobiles do not appear
often in Wall street unless as curiosity seek
ers or investigators of big schemes Occa-
sioually the bogus article appears and tries
to bunco our great financiers, but never be-
fore, In the history of Wall street, has a
real, genuine sprig of nobility, supplied
with abundant cash, gone into the office of
Wall street broker as an ordinary clerk,
spending the usual number of hours every
day hard at work, with the avowed inten-
ton of learning how business is transacted
in this country.
Yet that is the position taken by NJ. Cas-
ton de Fontenlliat, third son of the Comte
de Fontenilliat and brother-in-law OF Will
liam K. Vanderbilt. Nine months ago Nj,
de Fontenilliat came to New York with his
bride and was received into society with
open arms. He was already favorably
known to the leaders of Metropolitan So
ciety while Nine. de Fonteniliat, nee Miss
Julia Florence Smith, bad been a New
York belle for several years prior to her
marriage.
Not long since met NJ de Fontenilliat in
the office of French photo-gravure COM
pany in which he is interested. He is a tall,
well-formed man, less than 25 years Of age,
with light hair and a carefully trained
blonde mustache. He has the erect carriage
natural to the gentlemen of France who
have held commissions in her army. M. de
Fontenilliat's dress was faultless.
One thing, however, caught my eye, and
that was an apparent love of jewelry on
the part of the young nobleman. There
were five large rings on the fingers Of his
two hands and three of these, gold serpents
with diamond eyes, were twined about the
little finger Of his left hand, The jewels
we're large, clear and brilliant and the gold
was of the brightest yellow. The three
rings which were thick and wide, reached
almost to the knuckles and must have i'm
peded the free movement of the finger.
81 as well as my two brothers, he said,
twas an officer in the French army. / have
resigned, bat, " drawing himself up proudly,
II will resume my command in case my coun-
try is involved in war A French officer is
never enLHely IoleaSoo AOh lid opuBd-
tions"
"You are learning our way of trans
acting busiuessm asked him.
YES" he replied, II may never use the
knowledge, but desire to have it,"
have understood since then that the real
cause for this desire is his connection with
the Vanderbilts. As as brother-in-law of
William K. it is extremely probable that he
will some day have the handling of large
sums of money. 1t is a first principle Of
the Vanderbilts that each member Of the
family shall understand the invest nent and
manipulation of wealth.
The marriage of the young Frenchman
and Miss Smith was very agreeable to the
American millionaire family, aud the fact
that it was a real love match added zest to
it, Mme de Fontenilliat was a great favor
tie among her New York acquaintance.
She was known among her intimate friends
by the diminutive MIMI" ard was consid-
cred girl of high character As is known,
she met her husband at the house Of her
aunt, Mrs. De Forrest, in Paris in the sum
mer of 1887. 1t was almost love at first
sight and the marriage occurred in Deem
Der of the same year. She was an Episco-
palian, and the De Fontenilliats had for CEN
turtles been Catholics. A special dispense
ton was procured but they had to content
themselves with marriage in the
entry of the church, the officiating
priest not even being allowed to
wear his robes. The hus bands family
tried hard to persuade the bride to adopt
their religion, but she would only promise
to consider it. Her conversion last year
created quite a fntter among society's
members.
"She is q woman of great refinement and
fine education said the sister of charity
who taught Mime. de Fontenilliat the doc
trines of the church, "a d a sweeter pupil
never had" DAVID WECHsLER.