Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-07-28
VANDERBILT's START.
Daniel Drew's Story of the Help Give
by Mrs. Vanderbilt.


Daniel Drew's Story of the Help Given
by Mrs. Vanderbilt.
lone story about Commodore Cor
nelius Vanderbilt was told to ms
many years ago by Daniel Drew,
and have no doubt but that it is
authentic" said a man who has
known intimately the men who have
made New York history during the
last half century. Various stories
have been printed about the begin
nings of Vanderbilt's fortune, and
they all go to show that luck played
very insignificant part in them.
Vanderbilt made money because of
his energy and his shrewdness, but
l don't believe that it is generally
known that Mrs. Vanderbilt aided
him very materially at a time when
he thought a good investment 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 fire.
quently entertained his friends with
stories about the commodore's early
life. II was when Vanderbilt was
simply an energetic young cap
tain connected with the Union line
for Philadelphia and Baltimore,
through to Philadelphia in one
day. that the incident of which Mr..
Drew delighted to tell occurred. In
those days the steamer Emerald.
Captain G. Vanderbilt, left her wharf
on the north side of the Battery at
noon every day, Sundays excepted,
with passengers for New Brunswick
and back by boat for the pleasure of
the trip. New Brunswick hotel, or
halfway house, was dirty and i'll
kept. Mrs. Vanderbilt saw her op-
portunity. She suggested to her hus-
band that they should take the no
tel, refit it and run it in style that
would attract guests. Vanderbilt
thought we'll of it, and after leasing
the hotel he took his family from
his fathers little house at Stapleton
to live in New Brunswick. AS Mrs.
Vanderbilt had suggested the
scheme, her husband told her that
she might run the hotel herself and
have the profits
Mrs. Vanderbilt was a strong,
industrious, frugal woman, and she
turned the hotel upside down, clean
ed it and made it fit for guests. She
named it Bellona Hall, after the
steamship Bellona, which her hus-
band then commanded, and in very
short time the fame Of it had spread
to New York, and parties were
made up to visit it because of the ex-
cellent fare to be found there. It
also increased the profits of the line
for which Captain Vanderbilt work
ed, and his salary was increased to
So, 900 year. For 10 years Mrs.
Vanderbilt managed Bellona Hall
with profit to herself and pleasure to
her guests.
During these years Captain Van
derbilt had been studying steam
ships and investigating the chances
for profit in traffic on the Hudson
and along the sound. He wanted to
be one of the transportation mag
mates of this city, and, although his
fortune was small, he had valuable
ideas, gained from years of practi-
cal experience as steamboat cap
tain, and he felt sure that if he could
get the right opening he need not
fear the greater wealth of his rivals.
He had never questioned Mrs. Van
derbilt's management OF the hotel,
but he knew that she had saved
some money. In 1929 his opportu-
nifty came He had chance to get
controlling interest in steamship
for $4,000. He had 5000 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.
"'I need $4,000 more, said the
captain, and I don't know where ]
can get it..
.. 81 will give it to you, said Mrs.
Vanderbilt. And to her husband Is
surprise she pulled the money out
from under the bed. She had saved
it from the profits of the hotel. Cap
tain Vanderbilt bought his boat, an6
then he bought many others, but his
: first ship he owed to his wife. -
: New York Sun.
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