The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-25

which, the sender of the dispatch hoped.
would be forwith paid by Mr. Vanderbilt.
II being Gods will that he should do so.
The letters, which were next sorted out.
proved TO be of all kinds and sizes, and
the writer's were evidently recruited from
every imaginable station of life, but their
outward dissimiIarity and the variety of
their positions, their interest and their
grade Of intelligence Notwithstanding, each
and every one of the epistles ended with
the same refrain: Money, money, money.
Money to build schools and churches,
money to buy a wooden leg, money to per-
feet an invention that promised TO upset
the whole course of medical science.
money to buy a typewriter, money to en-
able an embryo Patti to finish her studies,
money on time. and money on family jewels
that would be delivered as soon as the cash
| had been received. Money to rescue a pure
girl from the Vaccinations of a great and
soulless lord; money TO pay taxes, money
TO defray the expenses of a vacation trip
was in the last stages of consumption;
money to bet on horses ('handsome return
guaranteed'): money for an invaiid's chair.
for holy candle, for baby carriage, for
Gods sake.
APPEAL FROM A COUNTESS.
Here was a countess-she was bound TO
be real one. for she wrote on crested and
crowned paper of the very latest brand
This lady "blushed to tell Mr.. Vanderbilt OF
/ an act of indiscretion that had robbed her
of her peace of mind by day and night"
She had borrowed a sum of money from a
friend, a gentleman, not much, only 10000
forms. That gentleman turned out to be
scoundre of course. He was about to in
form her husband and then all would be
lost, not only her unworthy self, but the
comtesse. her daughter, a sweet young girl
OF sixteen, whose engagement had been an
nounced but lately. She, the writer, trusted
implicitly in Mr. Vanderbilt's honesty ana
generosity, and therefore did not hesitate
10 give her name and address. Nota bene,
this was written scarcely an hour after Mr..
= 20 i'm W
On an imposing double sheet of foolscap
paper an old general unfolded a tale of Woe
in measured. red-tape language, beginning
with the accident OF his birth and taking
Mr.. Vanderbilt through tangled mess OF
dlsappointments, lawsuits, sheriffs exec2-
lions, gambling houses. debts Of honor, etc.
Il was about TO shoot myself this MORN
ing. continued the letter. when | read
| hand. This millionaire, i said to myself,
will not see your gray locks dishonored, he
| will not allow you to enter a suicides grave
! for bagatelle of leo forms. For that's all
i need to effect an arrangement with my
| creditors"
But there was even more gilt-edged men
dicants than this noble warrior. baron
| ess, for instance, with seven unprovided
daughters, begged Nine: Vanderbilt to send
! her a few cast-off dresses and other gar
ments. She would work them over for her
girls with her own baronial hands. for she
was not too proud to work. and II Mr.. VAN
derbilt could spare few suits they would
come in very nicely for her growing sons.
Other applicants wanted positions on. Mr..
Vanderbilts travelling staff. A count wanted
! to be his secretary. a prince offered-for a
consideration-to lend his name to any new
| trust company Mr.. Vanderbilt might want
| to form Several people requested transpor-
tation on one Of the Vanderbilt steamers
running to America A gentleman who
called himself professor offered to show Mr..
really was. The professor has theory
what Mr.. Vanderbilt, should do with his
millions to multiply them IKE the, sand on
the beach. It was his secret. and he would
| part with 1t for modest sum.
BY REGISTERED MAIL.
While Mr.. and Mrs. Vanderbilt and the
courier were still engaged with the above
| letters a postman came in, bringing lot of
registered mail. The majority of this new
batch of epistles was freighted with pawn
| tickets-pawn tickets for all sorts of things.
| from family prayer book to a real Ru-
| bens. Some of these pledges were offered
| for sale; the owners of others merely sent
them to prove their good faith in request
| ing a small loan Ito save an heirloom"
tered mail to make sure that among those
| seeking audience with Mr. Vanderbilt he
| should have his proper place.
| Il have gone to the district in which the
| Imperial is situated he said, and depos-
| tied this registered letter in the postoftice
| there. know almost to the minute when
| 1t is received by you, and l trust to your
| honor that you will give me an audience in
preference to all later applicants. The
man did not say why he wanted that au-
| dience.
The registered mail also brought to Mr..
| Vanderbilt three invitations TO dinner par,
| ties and suppers, respectively: We Will
| look upon the registry return receipt as
| your acceptance of our all-submissive invi-
/ fation" One of Vanderbilt's would-be hosts
| was a certain financial agent with no un-
/ certain reputation as to honesty; another
| was the widow of a general who keeps, a
''pensionat boarding house,, which she
hoped to advertise by means of her dis
/ tinguished visitor Number three was a
prima donna whose waning fame needed a
Hartog, who had kept account of the
! sums asked for by the various petitioners,
row added up: $4,000 florins and II heller
would be necessary to satisfy the demands
! of one-half days mendcants, all of them
/ entire strangers to Mr.. Vanderbilt. There
Which was increasing ' every minute. for the
| telegraph messengers were chasing each
other up the grand staircase to the bel
cage. where Mr.. Vanderbilt lived. What
| was to be done?
After consultation with the police captain
| of the district Mr.. Vanderbilt decided to
| and packages without explanation. Only
the letters containing pawn tickets were
sent back, as they had come by registered
| attempts to blackmail Mr.. Vanderbilt for
loss of valuables intrusted to his care.
THE MARBLE HEART.
Next Fraulein Pepi was informed that
| Mr.. Vanderbilt would refuse to accept any
| more mail matter or kilograms dating from
| any part of the Austro-Hungarian mon
archy. All letters. kilograms and packages
were to be returned forthwith to the send
ers. A similar notice was sent to the local
express and TO the railway freight agents,
for as the day progressed various cumber-
some boxes containing models, bric-a-brac
/ and bibelots had been announced to Mr..
Vanderbilt as being on the way to his Wen
| ma address. Finally Mr.. Vanderbilt notified
! the hotel people that he was at home to no
! any one, whoever he or she might be. And
! he added: IT won't buy anything in this
city; not a hairpin, not shoestring. Meth
| err watches, stocks, cornets models or
| cathedrals. Nothing, absolutely nothing.
That settled, say Mr.. Vanderbilts New
| York friends, Cornelius proceeded to enjoy
| himself. He took his wife to the sights of
| the great city, and for four days this rich
| couple experienced the blessings that some
| times fall to the lot of common. everyday
mortals not weighed down by millions and
| unenvied by their neighbors and strangers
| alike
| ing at 8 O'Clock, the money order postEan
| insisted upon seeing Mr.. Vanderbilt He
| was going to collect a bill of 120 forms,
representing the price of eight years sub
scription for the Wiener Jagd und Sport
! Zeitlng.
But l have never seen that paper.
never heard of it. L certainly never sub
| scrited for it,
1.-THE bill. sent C. o. D., says the paper
was forwarded TO your New York address
| for eight years, and as you never paid up