The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-11
ROMANCE OF TIE Commodore

! From the New York World
! \ romantic story has come to light
| of the first unsuccessful WOOing Of old
! Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt.
! founder of the family fortunes. The
/ cnmmodore's first fame was a Miss
! Sally Lake Of Staten island. Sally's
/ mother. according to the story. reject
! ed his suit, called him poor trash. and
! told him not to darken her door again.
/ As for sally, she was a dutiful daugh-
! ter.
The scene was tho old Austen man
! sion at the foot Of Pennsylvania ave-
| nue. clifton, overlooking the bay.
! Scratched on one of The window panes
/ facing south are to be seen to this
day the words, sally Lake and c."
The words We're scratched with Sally's
diamond ring. and the &C" presumably
stands for Cornelius. The mansion is
one of the best preserved Of the pre-
revolutionary buildings around New
York. ii dates from 17lO. In il are
the same solid old white oak beams,
cedar rafters and cypress shingles that
were there when the English flag float
ed over the battery. Ii is on a gently
sloping hillside. running almost to the
river and the view il commands of the
ndrrows and upper bay and the Long
island shore and the lower part of the
city IS superb. There John H. Austen
lived five years. lie was a well known
real estate auctioneer in the days of
early New York, and he and the COM
mOdOre were close friends Mr.. Van
dcrhdit conhded much to him. and one
of his condolences was his ill-luck with
the first woman that caught his fancy.
sally Lake. Mr.. Austen died a year
ago. and his daughter. Mrs Oswald
Muller. who resides I'm the old house.
told the story 10 a World reporter
The commodore used to row past
this house" she said. "and soon be-
came acquainted with sally Lake She
was bcauJtul and engaging and on
tirely raptivatod him You see. the
water is not many yards away one
night she called 70 him from the shade
of the trees: Cornell. Cornell why
don't YOU round 10 and come ino' Now.
this. the commodore used 10 IclI my
father. was just what he was waiting
for. lie made fast the boat To the
rocks and ran mp the slope. He wore
boating suit. broad hr.mmed straw
Ia, and wooden shirt with collar I'M
buttoncd 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 tho beginning. lie called
frequently after that. and with the
usual result. He became madly I'm love.
hut the girls mother could see no nrns-
porous future for the boatman. and
one afternoon. after Mr.. Vanderbilt
made a. visit. there was a stormy scene
between the mother ami the daughter.
for the commodore had made an i'm
preston. The mothers lirmneSs pre-
vailed and she forced Sally 10 give m
her hoatmau lover. The next day when
Cornelius called the door was slammed
I'm his face. As 1 got the story. Mrs.
Lake said u him in the most cutting
style No such poor trash as Cornelius
Nande-hilt viii ever darken my door
again Mr.. Vanderbilt went away
very much cut uu. lie often told my
father that Mrs Lakes words were
one NJ his strongest Incentives To he
successful in business. The lovers cor
responded for awhile. but they never
met again.
-'. e. irs vn~7s ~ Tho widow. Mr.