The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-01-28
A VANDERBILT ROMANCE.
The First Unsuccessful wooing of the Old
Commodore. Cornelius.

A romantic story has come 20 light of
the nrsa unsuccessful wooing Of old Com
modore Cornelius Vanderbilt, founder
of the family fortunes, and was related 10
the New York World.
The commodore's first flame was a Miss
Sally Lake of Staten Island. Saliy's
mother, according tn the story, rejected
his suit, called him poor trash and told
him not TO darken her door again. As for
Sally, she was dutiful daughter
The scene was the old Austen mansion,
at the foot Of Pennsylvania aven We, Cllf-
ton, overlooking the bay. Scratched on
one Of the window panes facing south are
10 be seen 10 this day the words, sally
Lake and c." The words were
scratched with Sally's diamond ring, and
the CO.. presumably stands for Cornelius
The mansion Is one of the best preserved
of the pre- Revolutionary buildings around
New York. Ii dates from 1910. In IL are
the same solid old white oak beams cedar
rafters and cypress shingles that were
there when the English flag floated over
the Battery. 1t Is on gently sloping
hillside, running almost 10 the river. and
the view IL commands OF the Narrows and
upper bay and the Long Island shore and
the lower part of the city is superb.
There John ii. 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 oonfided 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 q
year ago, and his daughter, Mrs. Oswald
Muller, who resides In the old house, told
the story to a World reporter.
1.-THE commodore used TO row past this
house." she said, land soon became nc
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 come imp
Now this, the commodore used 10 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 n boating
suit, broad brimmed straw hat and wooden
shirt with collar unbuttoned and turned
down low. His neck, no used TO tell my
father, with "A laugh, was as red as the
waffle of turkey cock.
THAT was the beginning. He called fire.
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 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 loves.
1.-THE next day when Cornelius called
the door was slamT-l in his face. AS
get the story, Mrs. y kc said to him in
most cutting style, No such poor trash as
Cornelius Vanderbilt will over darken my
door again.
"Mr. Nandorbilt went away very much
cut up. He often told my father that Mrs.
Lakos words were one Of his strongest in
oentives to be successful In business.
The lovers correspondent 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 commuping in
the fashion Of lovers and watching the
passing ships, no took her diamond ring
from 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"
Mrs. Muller said her father had often
told her the story, but 1t did not go very
far. She was reluctant TO repeat 1t for
publication.