The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-29
MONEY AND TASTE.
They Are Both Possessed
by George Vanderbilt.
A LOVER OF THE BEAUTIFUL.
Treasures of Art Owned by One of
the Wealthiest Young Men
in the World.

George w. Vanderbilt is rapidly coming
to the front as the greatest developer of art
and artistic tastes in New York CITY. saws
the New York Journal. He is now 30
years of age. and for the past twelve years
has been called recuse by the fashionable
folk, who expected him to cut a dazzling
figure in society. But he cares little about
business and its kindred profits, ana less
about society and its empty honors. Since
his first step across the threshold of man
hood he has had All absolute horror OF
young women and their mammas, who were
anxious to establish relationship with the
Vanderbilt millions. Friends of the young
man say that the chances are ten to one
against his ever marrying. In person
George Vanderbilt is handsome man.
Many think he is the best looking men,
Der Of the family. he is an inch or
two short of six feet. sIenderly built and
with graceful carriage. He has dark
hair and a dark mustache, good features
and clear eyes. One of his fads is To dress
as Inc onspicuously as possible. To be
pointed out in crowd or stared at as
member of the Vanderbilt family would
give him the shivers. he is seldom seen at
and sisters. His wealth is now in the
neighborhood OF $40. 900, coo. His grand
father, Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt
left him 81, Geo, COO. ana his father William
H.. left him 100000 600. Before his father
died the S2OO0.O00 left by the commodore
was so invested that it had extended into
$4,000. COO when William II. died. Since
the death of the latter Cornelius Wander
blt has advised his younger brother about
investments, and these, with the accumula-
lions of the Income, have almost doubled
the original amount
George Vanderbilt spends in the neighbnr-
hood of $4,000 year OF himself aud gives
away to charity and in educational enter
prises In the neigh bOrhOod OF $500, 600 His
gifts during the past three years have aver
aged this sum. With the exception Of Cor
nelius, he gives moro than any other
member Of the Vanderbilt family tUcharity,
and that is saying great deal. George
Wander bits last gilt has made him hero
in the eyes of the artistic world. When the
American Fine Arts Society built its pres
ent nome at 2l5 West FOrty-seyenth street.
Mr.. Vanderbilt set about TO buy site i'm
mediately in the rear and fronting on West
Forty-eighth street The Fine ArLs Society
purchased the site OF its building on March
8, 1890, but Mr.. Vanderbilt was unable to
get control OF the p ece OF ground he was
after until July Is. 1891 Then he began
the work Of having a building constructed
ures, and which he could use for his own
private pleasure This building is a two
Story structure, a reproduction Of the
Georges Petit Gallery, in the Rue de SeZe,
Paris, as that building is universally con-
Sidered by artists to be the most perfect of
tie kind in existence. When Mr.. Wander
Dilt first conceived The idea of building the
gallery it was with the intention of allow
ing the Fine Arts Society TO use ii for loan
exhibitions in connection with It's own
building. To better carry out this plan lie
arranged il so that the main halls Of both
structures could be thrown into one by the
opening Of f0ldng-GoOrs erected IN the rear
of each building. This work was done so
cleverly by the architects that when these
doors are thrown open the visitors imagine
that the two buildings are one
No one knew that Mr.. Vanderbilt con-
templated giving the magnificent structure
he had erected to the Fine Arts Society
until ne walked into the Offices Of the So
ciety a few days ago during a meeting OF the
board of trustees aud presented them with
q deed for the building and land. The gift.
at a conservative estimate, amounted 10 at
least $4,000. and it was made without re-
StrictiOns O. any kind.
Ne one knows how Mr.. Vanderbilt has
invested in curios OF all kinds. He has
Travelled all over the world and has co.,
lected ffeTent articles wherever he went.
Only his most intimate friends are allowed
4
aggregate value of his different collections
is in the neighborhood OF 100000 He
has collections of etehings, old prints, rare
books, paintings and statuary, china and
pottery. old tapestries and countless odds
and ends Of vases. arms and arm0T, coins,
musical instruments, Jewels, etc. One biz
of tapestry that he has is said 10 be insured
for $4,000
Last fall he went to Japan and spent
several months in that interesting country
piliug up eurios Of every imaginable nature.
When ne returned he brought with BIN
twenty large cases filed with the fruits Of
his long journey.
Many of these cases have not been IN
packed and few of the articles he brought
with him have vet been arranged so that
they can be exhibited. Among the articles
are many rare specimens of japanese carv-
Ing in ivory. Numerous sets Of chessmen
are in the collection. some of which took
twenty and thirty years for the patient
workman 20 complete. There are VASES If
all styles and descriptions, some of them
hundreds Of years old.
Another subject which Mr.. Vanderbilt
has taken great interest IN is the training
of nurses for the city hospitals. About
year ago lie gave big plat OF ground on
the upper west side of town, worth in the
nelghborhood Of 100000 as 4 site for q
building 60 be used as q training School for
nurses. he has also done much Tor $.
Bartholomew's mission IN Forty-second
street, just east of Third avenue. This
mission. which is the most complete thing
in is way in the country. if not in the world.
is supported almost entirely By the Wander
bilt family. In the mission are schools for
the instruction of young men and women IN
rndimentary studies. cooking. sewing, mu-
sic. carpenterng and other trades, besides
being fitted with gymnasiums for both
sexes. libraries. meeiing-r0Oms and bank,
which accepts deposits from cent up. The
latter has proved great boon to the poor Of
the neighborhood. who, by tiny eOntribu-
tons, have been enabled to heap up small
sums to meet the emergencies brought by
the traditional "rainy day."