Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-01-09
A yANpeasllI ROMANCE.
The First Unsueesssfui weoIng q the ola
Commodore. Cornelius.


Commodore. Cornelius.
A romantic story has come to light Of
the first unsuccessful wooing of old Com
modorc Cornelius Vanderbilt founder
Of the family fortunes, and was related in
tho New York World.
The commodore's first flame was Miss
Sally Lake of Staten Island. Sally's
mother, according to the story, rejected
his suit, called him poor trash an6 told
him not to darken her door again. AS for
Sally, she was dutiful daughter.
The scene was the old Austen mansion,
ut the foot OF Pennsylvania ayen ne, Cliff
ton, overlooking the bay. Scratched on
one Of the window panes facing south are
to be seen 10 this day the words, sally
Lake and c." The words were
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. 1t dates from 1710. In It are
the same solid old white oak beams, cedar
rafters and cypress shingles that were
there when the English flag foated 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 Long Island shore and
the lower part of the city is superb.
There John H. Austen lived five years.
He was well known real estate auctioneer
in the days Of early New York, and he
and the commodore were close friends.
Mr.. Vanderbilt eontided much to him.
and one of his condolences was his i'll 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 in the old house, told
the story to World reporter.
1.-THE commodore used to row past this
house." she said, land soon became &C.
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, Cornell, Cornell, why
don't you round to and como imp
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 wooden
shirt with collar unbuttoned and turned
down low. His neck, he used to tell my
father, with laugh, was as red as the
waffle of a turkey cock.
THAT was the beginning. He called fire.
quently after that, and with the usual re-
suit. He became madly in love- but the
girls mother could see no prosperous fu-
ture for the boatman, and one afternoon,
after Mr.. Vanderbilt made q visit, there
was stormy scene between the mother
and the daughter, for the commodore had
made an impression. The mothers firm
ness prevailed, and she forced Sally to give
up her boatman love=.
"The next day when Cornelius called
the door was slammed in his face. AS 1
get the story, Mrs. Lake said to him in
most cutting style, No such poor trash as
Cornelius Vanderbilt will ever darken my
door again.
"Mr. Vanderbilt went away very much
cut up. He often told my father that Mrs.
Lakes words were one of his strongest in
centives to be successful in business.
1.-THE lovers corresponded for awhile,
but they never met again.
'As to the words of the widow, Mr..
Vanderbilt told my father that one after
noon as he and Sally were communing in
the fashion of lovers and watching the
Lassing ships, he took her diamond ring
rom her finger and commenced to scratch
her name and his on the pane. They were
surprised by the watchful mother just as
the c. was finished. He doubtless intend
ed to write Cornelius and after that the
date"
MS. 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.