Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-09-03

NEWPORT, R. l., September MO
body here Is surprised at the publication
OF the Vanderbilt scandal. The people
are only astoniShed that 1t has not got
into the papers before, for the hotel
porters and the BARRIERS have known all
about il for months and have been hop
ing that the divorce suit would be tried
here instead OF New York. A friend at
the Ocean House says that the hackman
who drove him around to see the sights
when he first came here three
weeks ago told him the whole
story TO explain why the
81, 900, 600 marble palace had not been
open this summer; and as for the upper
tendon. they have gloated over the
nauseating morsels of gossip all sum-
mer. There has scarcely been q dinner
party at which the affair has not been
discussed, aud when any OF the ladies
received q letter from London or Paris
all the neighborhood rushed to see II 1t
contained anything new about Mrs.
Vanderbilt's nervous prostratlon or Mr..
Vanderbilt's attention TO Nellie Neu-
stretter in France.
The "other man" In the story Is
Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont, the
youngest son OF the late August Bel
mont. who has the reputation OF being
the social leader and the most popular
man In Newport. He has been here all
summer, more active and entertaining
than ever. He has organized all the
coaching parties and picnics and polo
games and cotilions, and the town talk
does not appear to have destroyed his
peace OF mind or injured him in the
estimation of gilded fools that come
here
TO PROCLAIM THEIR FOLLY.
But Mr.. Belmont has had experience In
such matters, and is regarded by So
ciety here somewhat as the cowboys
and miners out West regard comrade
who has killed his man. He is still
young, not more than thirty, and yet he
has been the defendant Ia one divorce
case, and has been involved In several
scandals that have never reached the
court. His former wife, now Mrs.
George L. Rives, resides here, and
meets him frequently, without emotion
on either side, which illustrates
how easy it Is for the aristocracy TO get
along together.
The sympathy Of the people OF New
port is almost entirely with Mr.. Wander
bilt, although of course they cannot ap-
prove OF the manner in which be has
been conducting himself with the
Neustretter woman in Paris. 1t is going
a little too far, they think, TO allow her
servants to wear the same livery that the
servants OF Mrs. Vanderbilt wear, and
that he ought not to let her put the
Vanderbilt crest upon the door OF her
carriage and the harness OF her horses.
But at the same time everybody agrees
that Mrs. Vanderbilt "began It,"
and made her husband unhappy
ever since they were married;
that he has gratified every whim
that happened to enter her head,
even at the cost of millions; that he
has been patient and generous, and has
overlooked several excuses for going
into the divorce courts, and that his ex
traordinary and unnatural conduct this
summer has been for the purpose of
driving his wife to file petition for a
separation from him.
1t was almost an unnatural thing,
they say, for him TO invite Oliver Bel
mont to accompany the party that sailed
from New YORK last spring on his mag
nificent yacht the Valiant, as Belmont's
devotion to Mrs. Vanderbilt has been
THE SUBJECT OF GOSSIP
for nearly two years and the cause Of
several very lively rows in the family.
But Mrs. Vanderbilt wanted Oliver TO
90, and "Wilie K" as everybody calls
him, never denied her anything. The
voyage was to have lasted ten months,
but the party broke up at the end Of
four months, and since they landed Mr..
and Mrs. Vanderbilt have not lived to-
gether. She went TO q country place
they had previously rented In England,
be took apartments In Paris and Oliver
Belmont came home.
"Willie K" is popular, but very few
people like Mrs. Vanderbilt.
Mrs. Vanderbilt has done so many
unkind things that she has very few
friends. Her follies and extravagances
as described here would make tremen-
dous book.
The magnificent marble palace that
Mrs. Vanderbilt erected at a cost Of
more than S1,0Oo,OO0 resembles the
White House at Washington in It's
architecture and is one Of the finest Of
that school in the world. But nobody
, Is allowed TO see it except the chosen
few. 1t is hidden from the street by a
marble wall fifteen feet high with large
urns on the top ~ intervals, which
causes everybody to ask why
A CEMETERY HAS BEEN LOCATED
in the most fashionable and exclusive
Quarter of the town. There are two
entrances TO the grounds, but they are
protected by magnificent gates OF
wrought iron and are covered with cor
rugated iron, so that no one can look
through them. The gates are painted
black. with narrow lines Of gold, which
gives them iunereal appearance also.
On the ocean side of the grounds q
| similar attempt at concealment has been
successful. althoHgh'Do one can explain
why, for people who build million dol
lar houses are usually willing to have
them looked up.
There Is Law in Rhode Island that
prohibits any one from fencing Of the
seashore- All riparian rights belong TO
the State. and all water is free. no mat
ter whose back yard or front yard NAV
iran down 10 the OCEAN. This law pro{