The Portland daily press., 1894-04-20
FOR THE CUP DEFENDER.
George Gould Gave $4,000 for the
Speedy VigiIant.
BENNETT COULD NOT ARRANGETO
RACE THE PRINCE.


Got Back $4,000 of the S125, 900 They
Spent on the Boat-she Is Likely to Go
Abroad to Meet the Crack English
Yachts.
New York April l9.-August Belmont,
treasurer of the syndicate which built the
Vlgllant, had this to say when seen today:
only last week overtures were made by
the Goulds for the purchase of the vigilant.
and yesterday an offer was considered by the
Nwners OF the boat and without preamble or
hesitancy accepted. The syndicate was very
glad to sell which accounts for the small
figures realized from her. The Vigilant cost
the Herreshoffs S75, 900 net, to build. and as
we only paid So, 900 for her, which includes
$4,000 bonus, they lost themselves by the
operation SS0O0'' Mr.. Belmont further
said that he had heard from a reliable
source that if certain negotiations came ont
all right the Goulds would send the VigiIant
to England for the express purpose of rae
ing her against the Britannia, Valkyrie and
other English yachts.
The negotiations for the purchase of the
V1gilant have been going on between Mr..
August Belmont, treasurer of the syndicate
and Mr.. Gould, for some time and were not
brought to climax owing to Mr.. Belmont,s
visit to Europe. When Mr.. BelmSnt returned
to this CITY a few weeks-ago the neeotia-
tions were resumed but che two gentlemen
could not come to an agreement and then
there was another delay owing to the offer
of Mr.. James Gordon Bennett.
Mr.. Benefits offer for the boat was $780,
OO0, and the membres of the syndicate were
naturally anxious to get all they scould for
the yacht that had cost them so much. Mr..
bennett's offer. though, was contingent ON
being able to arrange series of races salts
factolrly with sthe Prince ofs.Wa1es's, cutter
. britannia. This he has been unable to do,
The Prince of Wales and Mr.. Bennett could
not agree as to the course over which the
yachts were to sail, SO the offer of $780, 600 for
the boat was withdrawn. The negotiations
with Mr.. Gould were then resumed. and
after considerable correspondence on both
sides S25,OO0 was agreed fair price for the
yacht.
} The Vigilant was built by the Herreshotfs
for a syndicate composed of Commodore F
D. Morgan, Mr.. G. Oliver Jselin, Mr.. Adrian
Iselin, Mr.. Cornelius Vanderbilt, Mr.. August
Belmont, Mr.. 0. H. P. Belmont, Mr.. Perry
Belmont, Mr.. Charles r. Flint, DR.. W. Bar
ton Hopkins, and three other gentlemen.
The members of the syndicate subscribed
( 100000 when it, was formed, and later in
the season another S25,000 was subscribed.
The Herreshoffs charged 100000 to build
the boat, and several thousand dollars more
were spent for new sails, spars and changes
that were made in her. 1t is probable that
the boat cost $780, 900 and the balance of
the money was spent in running her during
the season.
1t is probable that Mr. Gould intends to
race her. He is a member of the New York
Yacht club, and owns the big schooner
H1ldegarde, formerly owned by the Prince
of Wales, in which he and Mrs. Gould cruise
every summer. He also owns the big steam
yacht Atlanta, in which he can cruise all
over the world if he wants to.