The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-16
A VANDERBILT LOVE sTORY.
The Founder OF the Great Fortune
Was Rejected by sally Lakes
Mother
From the New York World.

M0tneE.
From the New York World.
Just as his grcat-granddaughte mar
ries the Duke Of Marlborough, a rcmaL-
tic story comes 10 light OF the frs and
unsuccessful wooing Of the old Commo-
dore, Cornelius Vanderbilt. founder of
the family fortunes.
The commodore's first flame was a
Miss Sally Luke of Staten Island. SAL
ly's mother. according TO the story which
came out yesterday. rejected his suit,
called him poor trash and told him not
to darken her door again. As for Sally,
she was "a dutiful daughter.
The scene was the old Austen Mansion
at the foot OF Pennsylvania avenue, Cliff
ton, overlooking The hay. Scratched On
one of the window pares facing south
are TO be seen 10 this day the words,
sail Lake and C. The words were
scratched with Sally's diamond rms. and
Illus.
The mansion is one Of the best pre-
served of the pre-revOluuOnary build
ings around New York. 1t dates from
l7l0. In it are the same solid old white
oak beams. cedar ratters and cypress
shingles that were there when the Eng
lish flag fioated over the Battery. Ii is
on a gently sloping hillside, running al
most TO the river, and the view u com
mands of the NarrOws and upper bay,
and the Long Island shore and tine lower
part of the city is superb
There John II. Austin lived for fifty
years. He was Well-knOWn real estate
auctioneer in the days of carly New
York, and he and the commodore were
close friends. Mr.. Vanderbilt Confidcd
much to him, and one of his condolences
was his iil-luck with the first woman
that caught his fancy-Sally Lake. MIR.
Austin died year ago, ana his daugh-
ter, Mrs Oswald Muller, who resides in
the old house. told the story to a World
reporter yesterday:
1.-The commodore used to row past this
I.
quainted with sally Lake. She was
beautiful and engaging and entirely cap
tivated him. You see the water is not
many yards away.
zone night she called to him from the
shade of the trees; Cornell Cornell,
why don't you round to and come in?'
Now this, the commodore used to tell
my father, was just what he was waiting
for. He made fast the boat to the rocks,
and ran up the slope. He wore boating
suit, broad brimmed straw hat and red
wooden shirt, with collar unbuttoned and
turned down low. His neck, he used to
tell my father, with a laugh. was as red
as the waffle of a turkey cock.
THAT was the beginning. He called
frequently after that, and with the usual
result lie became madly in love, but
the girls mother could see no prospective
future for the boatman, and one after
noon, after Mr.. Vanderbilt made a visit,
there was a stormy scene between the
mother and the daughter, for the com
modore had made an impression. The
mothers frmness prevailed, and she
forced Sally to give up her boatman lover.
The next day when Cornelius called
the door was slammed in his face. AS
I get the story, Mrs. Lake said to him
in most cutting style. No such poor trash
as Cornell Vanderbilt will ever darHen
my door again
Mr.. Vanderbilt went away very much
cut up. He often told my father that
Mrs. Lakes words were one of his strong
est incentives to be successful in business.
The lovers corresponded for a while,
but they never met again.
"As to the words on the window. Mr..
Vanderbilt told my father that one after
noon as he and Sally were communing
in the fashion of lovers and watching the
passing ships he took her diamond ring
from her finger to scratch his name and
his on the pane. They were surprised by
the watchful mother just as the CO was
finished He doubtless intended to write
Cornelius, and after that the date"
Mrs. Muller said her father had often
told her the story, but it did not go very
far. She was reluctant to repeat it for
publication.