Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-01-06
MONEY KINGS.
"REMINISCENCES OF SOME FAMOUS FINANCIAL
LEADERS.
Men Who Made Fortunes and Men Who Disposed
Of Them-Ths Vandsrbilts-Jay Gould, Russell
Sage and Huntington.

KIM Lnan the sayings anu uOluks, Tue
successes and failures, the good and bad
deeds, the virtues, follies, foibles and
other characteristics of their fellows.
In view OF this fact, sketch Of some Of
the conspicuous American tnanciers, as
| have known them during my career
of more than thirty years in Wall street,
may be OF interest.
The most prominent man connected
with Wall street during recent genera
atoms was Commodore Vanderbilt, and
he was intimately known to me- There
is nothing in all iction that is seem
ingly more marvellous than the
career Of this remarkable man.
For instance, he began his business
life by ferrying people in a common
row boat between Staten Island, Gov
ernor's Island and New York, and thence
through the gradations Of ferry boats
and steam boats, he moved TO the proud
position OF the greatest railroad mag
nate of his time. The history of his re-
markably long life with its Incidents
would read like a page out OF the
ARABIAN Knights" and the reader
would involuntariiy imagine that he
must have possessed some magic wand,
or that, like Midas Of old, he had the
power OF turning everything ne touched
into gold.
From his personal appearance cas-
uel observer would never have taken
the Commodore for a great fnancier.
He had the head and face of some old
Puritan divine. and looked not unlike
the portraits of the Reverend David
| Root. famous Congregational minis
ter, who fourshed in New England
more than half 4 century ago. He In
creased this appearance by wearing an
! old-fashioned standing collar, very wide
open In front, and swathing around IL
a very large white linen necktie. which
be tied in a big bow, style Of neck
: wear very much affected by the clergy
at that time.
! EAlthough he had the reputation of
! being "a hard man, gathering where he
| had not strewn, aud reaDing where he
! had not sown, yet he was not sown,
yet he was not devoid of generous i'm
pulses. His eccentric son, Cornelius j..
| Vanderbilt, popularity known as young
| Cornell" had a positive genius for
| borrowing money, presenting pretence
and receiving greenb backs.
HOW "CORNEEL" WORKED GREELEY.
"Corneel, had peculiar gift in the
way of appealing TO prominent men
who would listen To his tale Of woe and
\ then would generally advance him the
amount he required without heSl-
taton. Among the special friends
upon whom be was in the habit
| of exercising his remarkable magnetism
was Horace Greeley, and his pecunary
| obligations to the great editor finally
exceeded $50, 900. When il came to the
ears of the old Commodore that Greeley
was lending his son CORNELIUS hun
dreds, ard even thousands, OF dollars at
a time, be visited the Office of the Tri-
/ buue, the paper which Greeley's editor
| ship had made famous.
He rushed into the sanctum where
the great editor was grinding out some
diatribe against political or social
abuse. and without further ceremony
thus addressed the sage of Chappauqua:
Greeley, l hear yer lendIn' Cornell
money"
well, yes" said Greeley, 81 have let
| him have some" and be eyed the great
steam boat magnate through his glasses
with an air of philosOphic contempt
mingled with Commiseratlon.
/ "Well," said the Commodore, 81 want
/ to give you fair warning that you need
not look TO me. | won't pay"
WHO the devil asked you to?" re-
torted Greeley. Have I?''
This closed the interview, and the
| 90 ina HnW n q
rickety stairs into Spruce street, and
the great editor resumed his work OF
grinding out his ilegible chirography
| for the profane printers. There is no
record that the subject was ever revert
| ed 10 between Greeley and the Commo-
dore. Soon after Greeley's death the
| Commodore sent check for $4,000 TO
each of the editors two daughters.
That once notorious firm of female
brokers. Woodruff, Clatlin, &c, was
composed OF Victoria G. Woodruff. now
the wife Of an eminent and rich foreign
banker. and Tennie C. Claflin, her sister,
now the wife of en English baroaet OF
vast wealth. In their combination as
brokers they were generally supposed
10 have the Com modore for their hacker.
Jennie c. Clafln, the younger sister,
was unQuestiona0ly pretty, but Win
| less personal magnetism than her sister
| Mrs. Woodruff. She, however, made
n great impression on Commodore Van
| derbilt. Her influence over him was
maiHl pdue TO her assumed powers as
spifItualistic medium
THE COMMODORE AND THE SPIRITS.
In the COmmodore's latter days ne
was an implicit believer in the doctrines
Of modern splritualiSm, and deemed II
expedient 10 consult mediums periodic
ally. The fallacy Of Miss Claims me-
| diumistic powers were finally exposed
by the members Of religious order
koowu as the Christian Brotherhood,
and her SUPPOSED "usefulness" to the
| Commodore aud her Influence over him
took n sharp decline in conseG uence.
This exposure was brought about at
the instance of her own mother, who
imagined that her daughters were POS
sessed of an evil spirit through the
mower of Colonel Blood, Victoria's sec
| ond husband.
7 recall very characteristic anecdote
OF the old Commodore and Que OF his
son-io-laws, James NJ. Cross oy name.
Mr.. Cross mad conceived the idea OF
embarEing 10 the wholesale leather bus
mess and had beet talked into II by an
experienced" man, who was to be his
| mariner. A store was secured and
! everything was put under way for the
start except the capital, which Mr..
Cross had agreed TO contribute against
the experience of his partner. Mr..
Cross. knowing that his father-in-law,
the Commodore, had now become rich
and prosperous, felt satisfied that it was
only necessary to make application TO
him for The amount required. There
nnnn- with the cnnfdence begotten Of