St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-09-09


Mrs. Vanderbilt got up her spupk, too,
and it Is said that Willie K. and she did,
not speak as they passed by for several
days. The deed for the property was
In the name of Mrs. Vanderbilt, and she
thought thatshe had the right to fix up
her own boudor to suit herself. The
furniture in her room cost $50, 600. while
Willie KS room could be duplicated
for $1,000. Mrs. Vanderbilt's room in
the marble palace cannot be compared
IN the elegance of its fittings to her
room In the Fifth avenue mansion,
which, 1t Is said. was fitted up at an
expense OF 100000.
When Mrs. Vanderbilt went to live In
the marble palace she had a retinue of
servants, about 100 in number, and 1t
she had been a genuine princess, she
could not have set up more regal es-i
taoliShment. The great fence around
the mansion was like the Chinese wall,
ana she was practically buried In the
mass OF stone and splendor. She be-
came so exclusive that only persons
whose names were on the lists held by
the gatekeepers could pass inside the
wall, and even these good people were
so awed by the appearance OF royalty,
that they preferred to remain among the
more democratic institutions on the
outside
Mrs. Vanderbilt's exclusiveness took
such turn that she even, it is said, set
up some rules and regulations for her
husband to follow. 1t IS actually
said that she nagged him, and
their relations became so strained
that Willie K. sought relief with
poker parties on board the palatial
yacht Alva and abolished the 81 limit of
other days. As. the story goes, there
would have been an application for
divorce about two years ago from what
transplred In the marble mansion il
cornelius Vanderbilt and other mem.
bers Of the family had not brought
about a reconciliation. But the recon.
Citation did not reun!te. and Willie X,
Went MS own way afterward, while
Mrs. Vanderbilt ruled in her own little
court, made up of the few friends who
mad not deserted her. Willie K. spent
most OF his time on his yacht, until it
was sunk IN the sound, and escaped
any iurtht controversy with Mrs. Van.
derbilt BY & ,ing to Europe on the pre.
text of building the yacht Valiant.
When Willie K. brought over the
Valiant and mapped out the trip that he
intended to take, which would consume
ABOUT year, he intended to take only
lew or his own personal cronies. but
when Mrs. Vanderbilt learned who was
going she said that she would Join the
party. and the trip came nearly being
broken up for this reason. Several Of
the ladies' who had intended taking the
trip decided not to go when they learned
OF what Mrs. Vanderbilt had said about
1t. She insisted upon going. aud finally
the party was made up of the persons
whose names have been published in
the newspapers recently. Among the
guests was Oliver II. p. Belmont, who
had been recently divorced, and his
presence set at rest the rumOrs that
there had been an estrangement be.
tween Willie K. and Mrs. Wander bilt
owing to her relations with Mr.. Belmont,
Mrs. Vanderbilt, it Is said, was so ex-
acting in her dem ands upon her hus-
band after the trip began that life on
the yacht was made very unpleasant.
She insisted upon breaking up the poker
games which were Willie KS chief de-
light, and demanded that he spend his
time with her instead of with his
guests. There are two stories as to the
breaking up of the party before half the
voyage which had, been laid out had
been made. One is that Willie X.
thought that Mrs.V anderbilt was acting
too free with one of the guests, and the
other is that Mrs. Vanderbilt felt hurt
beca use she could not rule the ship as
she had ruled her husband and her own
affairs when ashore. All the truth may
never be told.
But it is certain that Mrs. Vanderbllt's
attempt to create revolution In society
in this city has proved to be failure,
aud, with all her wealth, she is no more
or less than plain Miss Alva Smith. of
Mobile, although her name is Wander
bill.