The Portland daily press., 1897-12-31
coMMoDoR vANDeRBlLr's START
Daniel Drew's Story of the Help Given b.
Mrs. Vanderbilt at tho Right Moment.

| cone story about Commodore Cornelius
| Vanderbilt which I have never seen in
print was told to me many years ago by
Daniel Drew. and have no doubt but it
| is authentic said man who has known
intimately the men who have made New
York history during the last half GEN.
fury. Various stories have been printed
about the beginnings of Vanderbilt's for
tune, and they all go to show that LUCK
played a very Insignificant part in them.
Vanderbilt made money because of his
energy and his shrewdness; but I dom
believe that it is generally known that
Mrs. Vanderbilt aided him very Inateri-
ally at time when he thought good in
vestment was slipping through his hands
because he had not enough money to take
advantage of his opportunity.
Daniel Drew knew Vanderbilt we'll,
| and before his death he frequently enter
tanned his friends with stories about the
Commodore's early life. 1t was when
Vanderbiltswas simply an energetic young
captain connected with the Union line
for Philadelphia and Baltimore, through
to Philadelphia in one day 7 that the in
cident Of which Mr.. Drew delighted to
tell occurred. In those days the steamer
Emerald, Captain @. Vanderbilt, left her
wharf, on the north side of the Battery,
at noon every day, Sundays excepted,
with passengers for New Brunswick and
Philadelphia. Passengers were many.
and many people went down to New
Brunswick and back by. boat for the pleas
ure of the trip. New Brunswick S hotel,
or halfway house, WAS dirty and i'll kept.
Mrs. Vanderbilt saw her Opportunity
She suggested to her husband that they
should take the hotel, refitsit, and run It
in a style that would attract guests.
Vanderbilt thought well of it, and. after
leasing the hotel, he took. hisssfaInily from
his fathers little house at Stapleton to
live in New Brunswick. AS Mrs. Van
derbilt had suggested the scheme, her
husband told her that she might run the
hotel herself and have the profits.
Mrs. Vanderbilt was a strong, indus
trious, frugal woman, and she turned the
hotel upside down. CLEANED it and made
it dt for guests. She named il BeHona
Hail. after the steamship Bellona, which
her husband then commanded, and in a
very short time the fame of it had spread
to New York, and parties were made up
to visit 1t because Of the excellent fare to
be found there. It also increased the
profits of the line for which Capt. Van
derbilt worked, and his salary was in
creased to So. 900 year. For twelve years
Mrs. Vanderbilt managed BelIona Hall
with profit to herself and pleasure to her
guests.
During these years Capt. Vanderbilt
had been studying steamships and inves-
tigating the chances for profit in ira fac
on the Hudson and along the Sound. He
wanted to be one Of the transportation
magnates of this city, and although his
fortune was small he had valuable ideas
gained from years of practical experience
as steamboat captain, and he felt sure
that if he could get the right opening he
need not fear the great wealth of his
rivals. He had never questioned Mrs.
Vanderbilt's management of the hotel, .
but he knew that sic had saved some
money. In 1925 his opportunity came
He had chance to get controlling in
tsrest in a steamship for SIS, COO He had
SIS 900 in cash which, he had saved, but
he didn't know where to raise the balance
He told his wife about this steamship
which he wanted and explained TO her
his PLANS for making money if he could
get the ship.
g i need $13, 600 more, said the Cap.
tain, and don't know where l can get
IT,
-" I will give it to you,' said Mrs
Vanderbilt, and to her husbands surprise
she pulled the money out from under the
bed. She had saved it from the profits
of the hotel. Capt. Vanderbilt bought
his boat and then he bought many others,
but his first ship he owed to his wife,