The evening times., 1898-10-17
FATHER AND SON FRIENDS
DR.. Depew Restores Harmony
Between the Yanderbilts.
THE YOUNG MANS ENERGY
His Zeal and Capacity in Railroad
Subordinate Office Pleasing to the
Elder, Who Evinces a Disposition
to Forgive and Forget Past Diff
ferences.
1slE l.

New York, Oct. H.-There is now no
| doubt of the truth of the rumor coming
from Newport that a reconciliation had
| been effected between Cornelius Wander
biIt and his eldest son, Cornelius jr.,
who. after his father, is destined to be-
come the head of the famous family of
railroad kings.
While there has been no public an
| nouncement of the resumption of affec-
| tionate relations between the father and
! son, and while it Is probable that, for
/! the present at any rate, none will be
made, there is now no question that the
way has been made clear to the young
mans restoration to his place as the
| prospective head of the family.
The reconciliation may be described as
| u progressive one. In other words, the
young man has of his own volitIon p-ac-
! ed himself in a position TO prove his
| worth and to win his spurs. This has
! been done with the heartiest approval OF
! Mr.. Vanderbilt, and since the step was
! taken, early in the summer, many greet
| ings characterized by warm affection Oh
| both sides have taken place between the
| father and son.
| The course adopted by young Mr. Van
| derbilt which has won for him the heart
J lest approval of his father, is in direct
| accordance with the honored traditions
| of the family, which have prescribed that
! the head of the house should fit himself
| for his tremendous responsibilities by
| serving a rigorous apprenticeship in the
! business on which the greatness of the
/ family is founded.
Commodore Vanderbilt the founder of
/ the family, was far advanced in years
/ when he summoned his son, William H.,
/ himself a man of,middle age, to leave the
! obscurity of his farm on Staten Island
/ and begin in a comparative subordinate
| position TO learn the whole duty OF
railroad man.
Cornelius Vanderbilt was hardly of age
/ when he followed the example of his faith
er and entered the service OF the New
! York Central Road as an assistant 10 one
| of the department managers. from which
post he rose through successive grades,
| until at his fathers death he was fit TO
take entire charge of the vast property.
| Now the turn of Cornelius. jr.. has come.
| and ne has entered on the performance
of his duties in manner that has won
! for him the warmest praise of his supe-
! riors. and leaves no room for doubt that
he will tread wOrthily in the footsteps of
his father. his grandfather and his great
| grandfather
Doctor Depew's Diplomacy.
That this happy state of affairs has
been arrived at is due to the tactful
interposition of Chauncey NJ Depew,
who has always had the firmcst conf
dence in young Cornelius ability, and
who at the right moment Srasped the
opportunity To place him in a position
where he could prove his worth and by
so doing pave the way for the much
desired reconciliation with his father.
| CT II
at Yale he showed marked taste for
mechanical studies and after his Gradu-
alton, year ago last spring, he returned
to the university and entered on a post
graduate course in mechanics. In pUr-
suing this course, all the advantages of
association with the mechanical depart
ments of the Central system were placed
a his disposal at the instance OF Mr.
Depew. and ne spent much time in the
| locomotive and car shops OF the road
where he worked with the mechanics
and acquired a first-class practical
knowledge of the science Of everything;
pertaining 10 the construction of engines
and rolling stock in general
At the close of his post graduate
course. which ended last spring. ,nd in
which he achieved high honors. Mr. De-
| pew sent for the young man ani sgg-
gested to him that he should enter the
service of the New York Central Bail
road Mr.. Vanderbilt replied that it
had always been his desire TO do so
both because he felt that he was espe-
cially fitted for the career OF a railroad
man and because as a Vanderbilt he
esteemed IL an honor 10 follow the eX-
ample set by the heads OF the family
Mr.. Depew then offered him the place of
an assistant in the office of the general
superintendent of motive power, and it
was Immediately accepted Mr.. Wander
bllt at once entered on the discharge of
his new duties and has been hard al work
ever since, having only taken during the
| summer the usual brief vacation allowed
| by regulation to employees of his grade
While much OF his work has been con-
| fined to the routine duties of the office in
the Grand Central Station, occasions have
| frequently arisen when~he has been hon
ored with the confidence of the Sunerin-
| tendent by being sent on visits of inspec-
ton of the various great engine and car
shops of the Vanderbilt system. He is now
| in Newport, having recently returned
| from a tour of inspection that took him
| as farWest as Chicago and during which
he inspected thousands of miles of track.
In everything Mr.. Vanderbilt has done
| he has won encomiums from his superior
! officers, who pronounce him to be one of
the most promising young men that ever
| entered the service of the road He is
not only skilled mechanic in everything
| pertaining to the construction and repair
| of engines, but he can. and, indeed often
| does take his stand al the throttle and
drive an engine as skillfully as some of
the best of the veterans.
| Commends His Sons Course.
The elder Vanderbilt was profoundly
| moved when he heard of what his son
| was doing and when the first excellent
| reports of his work began to come in he
| called at the superintendent office and
| going to his sons desk assured him in
| few kind words of his approval of his
| course. and expressed the hope that he
would go and continue to deserve the
commendation that he has won. Since
| then many other meetings have taken
place during the summer, with the result
that the most pleasant relations have
been established between the father and
| son.
1t is known that Mr.. Vanderbilt takes
the keenest pride In his sons achieve
| ments. and that this has gone very far
toward repairing the breach made by the
| young mans persistence in marrying Miss
| Wilson, in spite of the opposition of his
father and mother.
| Whether Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt will
| finally forgive the past. accept the situa,
| tion and receive their son and daughter
| in-law into the bosom of the family re-
mains to be seen. 1t is known, however
time been at work in the interests of a