The herald., 1894-08-31
VANDERBILT AS A voLUPrUARY.

tDoEo VINO KNOW tn6 mhlu truuk llp6 OF
the Vanderbilts. Seventy years ago q
steamboat called the Wsterwitch ran
from New York to Albany, making the
trip in about eleven hours. She became
involved in legal complications, and was
finally sold at auction. The purchaser
placed in command of her young man
named Cornelius Vanderbilt. who had
been, up to that time, the master OF a
l5-ton sloop carrying passengers to
Staten Island. With the money realized
by the sale OF his sloop Vanderbilt ac-
quired q one-tenth ownership OF the
steamer. In 1882 he owned ths whole
boat and two more like her. In 1899 he
established two ferries, one to the south
side of Staten Island and the other to
Elizabethport, N. j., calling at New
Brighton and Port Richmond, on the
north side OF Staten Island. By 1852 the
business OF these lines had grown so
extensive that it took ten steam boats to
perform the service.
But it was the California trade which
converted the Vanderbilt family from
Woli-bO-uO poOpiO AZ W LnlllkOuniEoos w Wlth
the old Prometheus, Northern Light and
Star of the West, coupled with foar old
rebuilt river steamers on this side, Van
derbilt's profits were at the rate OF $4,000
day for each actual days steaming OF
every vessel in his service. In 1858
Vanderbilt made tour of the European
ports in the steamship North Star, Of
2250 tons burthen, the only passenger
outside of his family being his private
pilot James Braisted and his family
pastor, Dr.Overton Choules. On her re-
turn to America the North Star was
fitted for general passenger traffic, and
when last heard OF was transport DUR
ing the civil war.
1t was about that period that the
elder Vanderbilt began to see that
steamship stocks afforded no such facil.
tiles for gambling as those of railroads,
because the condition of their traffic
could bs easily discerned by any com.
petent outsider, while railroads could
be manipulated in such way as to en-
able those on the inside to fleece the
pubAlSs l1ho otcNotohAPo WVao OIL VIZ
worse for wear and tear and he did not
feel disposed to rebuild them to wage
an uphill war against the Pacific Mail
company, then controlled by Aspinwall.
Roberts, Law and Charlick. So he sold
all his steamers and began the great
Harlem road to Albany and the scquisi-
tion of the New York Central road from
the latter place to Buffalo BY q chain OF
energetic and rapidly growing young
cities like Rochester, Utica. Syracuse
and Schenectady.
The old man was built OF sturdy fiber
and reached the patrIach's limit of
three.score-and.t ten with all his powers
quite unimpaired. He had three sons
and eeven daughters. the eldest son be-
ing 3 farmer at New Dorp, where "the
old commodore" was born. Feeling the
encroachments OF age. he called into re-
QUESTION the services OF this son who,
in less than four years, mastered the
railway situation and laid the founda-
tion of the most perfect OF all American
railway systems. This is abundantly
proven by the fact that they ran the 10
O'Clock train out of New York on the
day previous to Manhattan day" at
the worlds fair, in 10 sections OF IA
coaches. or 140 cars in all, thing never
before heard Of railway history. These
sections were dispatched five minutes
apart and not . passenger lost as much
aH a finger nail.
When "the old commodore" died he
LETT will by which his eldest son got
the lions share of his vast accumula.
ton, virtually disinheriting his second
son Cornelius and ono OF his married
daughters. They joined issue and
brought suit against William H. to set
aside their fathers will on the ground
! of undue Influence. Ths elder brother
in open court, while under oath, stated
that his brother was forgsr and a con-
idence man; and that his sister was a
lewd and improper woman and for that
reason unworthy of belief.
Hon. Jefe Black. who had been attor.
ney general OF the United States under
Mr.. Buchanan's administration, WAS at
/
torney for the contestants of the will;
and the overhauling that he gave Will
liam H. Vanderbilt on that occasion,
will never be forgotten by those who
heard that memorable speech beginning
with ''Is's foul bird that defles it's
own nest"
The death of the second Vanderbilt
divided up a fortune even larger than
that he had inherited from his father.
OF the three sons, Cornelius j. was the
only one who seemed to inherit the
great business tact and executive quail
tiles OF the male line. George seems to
be an archie ologist and man OF literary
tastes, while William K, whose pscca-
dilloes have kept the wires hot for the
past two days, has been nothing above
the grade OF an habitual pleasure
aesker. For all that. the Vanderbilt
shrewdness occasionally crops out, for
he has an income of s32 600 from his in.
terest in the Coney leland race course,
in which he is the principal owner.
His escapadea. which were common
until ten months ago, must have greatly
annoyed his cautious brothers.
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