Milford chronicle., 1896-01-10
a VANDERBILT ROMANCE.
The First Unsuccessful WoOing Of the Ola
Commodore, Cornelius.


The First Unsuccessful WoOing Of the Ola
Commodore, Cornelius.
A romantic story has come to light Of
the first unsuccessful wooing of old Com
modore Cornelius Vanderbilt, founder
of the family fortunes, and was related in
the New York World.
Tho cOmmodOro's first namo was a Miss
Sally Lake of Station Island. Sally's
mother, according to the story, rejected
his suit, called Kim poor trash and told
him not To darkon 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 tho bay Scratched on
one of tho window pG-c5 facing south arc
to be seen to this day tho words, Sally
Lake and c." Tho words were
scratched with Sally's diamond ring, and
tho sc" presumably stands for Cornelius.
Tho mansion is ono of the best preserved
of the pre- Revolutionary buildings around
New York. 1t dates from l7l0. In it are
tho Same solid old white oak beams, cedar
rafters and cypress shingles that were
there when tho English flag aoated over
the Battery. 1t is on gently sloping
hillside, running almost TO the river, and
the view it commands of the NarrOws and
upper bay and the Lcng Island shore and
tho lower part Of the city is superb.
There John II. Austen lived five years,
He was a we'll known real estate auctioncer
in tho days Of early New York, and he
and the commodore were close friends.
Mr.. Vanderbilt conflded much to him,
and one CT lis coEfiO.Ces was his i'll luck d.
with the first woman that caught his
fancy, Sally Lake. Mr. Austen died a
year ago, and his daughter, Mrs. Oswald
Muller, who resides in the old house, told
the story to World reporter.
Tho commodore used to row past this
house, she said, land soon became DC
quainted with Sally Lake, She was beau
tiful and engaging and entirely captivated
him. You see the water is not many
yards away
zone night she called to him from the
shade of the trees, Cornecl, Cornell, why
don't you round to and come I'M?
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 a boating
suit, broad brimmed straw hat and wooden
shirt with collar upbuttoned and turned
down low. His neck, he used to tell my
father, with laugh, was as red as the
waffle OF q turkey cock.
''That was the beginning He called fire.
quently Hfter that and with the usual re-
suit. He became madly in love, but the
girls mother could sec no prosperous fu-
ture for the boatman, and one afternoon,
after Mr.. Vanderbilt made visit, there
was a stormy scene between tho mother
and tho daughter, for the commodore had
made an impression, Tho mothers firm
ness prevailed, and she forced Sally to give
up her bOatman loyog,
"Tho next day when Cornelius called
the door was slammed in his face. As l
get the story, Mrs. Lake said to him in
most cutting style, No such poor trash as
Cornelius Vanderbilt will ever darkon my
door again.
Mr.. Vanderbilt went away very much
cut up. He often told my father that Mrs.
Lakes words wera ono Of his strongest in
contivos to be successful in business.
Tho lovers correspondent for awhile,
but they never met again
Gas to the words OF the widow, Mr.. !
Vanderbilt told my father that one after
noon Us he and Sally wero communing in
the fashion Of lovers and watching the
passing ships, he took her diamond ring
from her finger and commenced TO scratch |
her naue and his on tho pane They were
surprised by the watehful mother Just as
the O. was finished. He doubtless intend. |
ed to write Cornelius and after that the
date,
y. Mrs. Muller said her father had often
toldNher the story, but it did not go very
fan SIC vas reluctant to repeat it for
"COO-ee-e,"
This macmillan ~ was one of the signals
Of the Australian h9oks and was speedily
adopted by the invadiiAS Whl1es' tAe lhal
i'ei isNa kind of prolung6N sofeeon ana re-
sounds foF, miles through TX Dusiii nus
separated persons to> e9oei '''lii
their relative Positions ,.,
A popular story runs that two wesf4ehy
Australian squatters lost themselves ing ]
London fog and were only reunited after 4
I. series Of long ooo-ee-es Once, too, an /
In o London thoater was much /
startled by hearing this awful cry IL /
was uttered by an Australian in che upper !
circle to an old colonial acquaintance IN
tho pit
On another occasion was this cry heard +
in London. A daring bushranger, named i
Garrett, who had spent no fewer than 90
Christmas days in prison, made his APP
pearance in front Of a bank in Ballamt
and coolly posted up y notice 20 Fhp eneet
that the placa would DO closed for an
hour, He thon tefrOriaed the officials and
got away with $4,000.
The authorities received information
TINT Carrot had been seen in London. A
colonial detective was Immediately dis
patched to the mother country TO eapture
him If possible.
One day be thought that he saw his
man walking in the Strand but not hQ-
ing quito sure, liz bit on tho bright g1pe-
dent Of tutoring a piercing COO ee-c. TIE
ordinary freguenters Of the Strand stood
fixed with a.tonishment, but Garrett ACT
ing on tie spur OF the moment i rcoag-
MIXING the familiar SQUAD, hostenod back
aud was proaptly arrested
lie was taken back TO Australia and
sentenced to ten years imprlsonmsnt.--
Pearson Ally.