New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-01

cemetery near by as the site of magnificent
mausoleum II they choose to visit the quaint
lrtl. old church at the head Of New-Dorp Lane
they Will easily discover some OF the reasons for
this preference for IFS musty records contain the
names of the Nanderhilts back TO the very
foundation Of the same church. In liI2 They
viii likewise be- told how the good mother of the
Commodore gave him last loving word ON her
doathbcd She SAID 20 him. among other things
"Cornelius I want YOU to take care Of the little
Morayian Church at the head of NeW-Dorp
Lane" The bluff Commodore never forgot the
last admonitiou of his mother. and many gift
found its way 10 the treasury Of the little con-
errgation from his rapidly increasing fortune.
And there I'm the cemetery which was carved out
Of the home farm he chose at the last to TAX" his
rest II is not strange that William II Wander
ldlt long years of whose life had been passed on
the farm before ne was called 10 the active man
aeement of the immens- interests built up by his
ia her should likewise have a lasting affection
for the ancestral acres. or that he should choose
al the last the same resting place.
4 FAIR AND SUGGESTIVE SCENE
When Jan branched ont from the Long Island
home Of the Van der BIT family and made his
home on staten Island ne certainly must first
have visited the summit ~ the knoll which now
bears proudly the massive mcrtuary temple Of
the Vanderbilt family lie must have looked ont
over the sunlit waters - the great Lower Bay Of
New-York and the vista of fertile vale aud low
lying shore which max" So fair picture What
with the prim-lool,ng suow-White church. with
its old fashioned b,lfry tower. the staid white
coated parsonage. with its garden. the irregular
grouping of white erayrstones i'm the field ~
green that iuclOsrs the old cemetery the shaded
hamlet that is weighted with the prctentlous
name of Grant city. and the wide stretch Of we'll
kept meadoVland that reaches down to The tide
swept shore. dotted here and there with homes.
the observer Of to-day Is carried 10y fancy back
10 the Colonial days lie can almost conjure up
the bright line Of "rcdcoats" that animated the
scene I'm Revolutionary DAYS and in many IN
stances left their bones there Maybe they Nor-
shipped on Sundays IN the little old church that
HOW serves as a sunday school room and ocme-
terry office for The church association There, at
any rate. the men Of the early colony gathered
ca SUNDAYS with their families There the mem
bers Of the Van der Fit family were baptized
by the pastor the Rev. owen Rice whose great
ereat grands ID. the Rev William H. Rice. f. the
pastor of thu little church to-day
Tho preacher Of Colonial times had anona
his warmest supporters the m.n Of The Van
days have boon always mindful of Phoebe Van
derbilrs last words TO h-r son. the Commodore
William II. Vanderbilt gave the parsonage in
which the minister lives. and besides b,-
queathed 100000 for the maintenance If the
church and cemetery. In addition he acquired
from the United Hrethren's Church. by which
name the cemetery association is known. the
deed 10 nine acres. including the hin on VIII.
ct l,..
tomb was one Of Che things that most Interested
him in the closing months Of his life Ia fact
he visited the place only three DAYS before his
death which occurred on December $ 1851 At
the time Of this Visit he seemed i'm the best OF
health, but he remarked 10 friend that he felt
he would bee called away suddenly His predc-
ton came true, and none mourned him more
truly than the congregation which worshipped
in the church Of his grandmother IN The Mo
ravian cemetery.
APPROACH TO THE OUTER ARCH
on the occas N Of his last visit W II Van
derbt went through the vault. then half com
pleted the fun beauty Of which he was destined
never to behold. The visitor Of to-day sees it
in perfect form. For one entering the cemetery
after d brisk walk Of ten minutes from the
Grant city station no guide is needed to point
the way To the elevation which the tomb sur
mounts. \ NindlnS ROAD ieddS outward through
the new cemetery. The rise Is gradual for per
haps a quarter Of mile to the great stone
arch. with its iron gates which are closed every
evening at Il O'Clock. with the exception Of Sat
urday and sunday evenings. when they are
locked bv the old seryltOr at > This stone
gateway seems a continuation Of II ridge ~ rock
and earth In reality the ridge il artificial the
embankment having been built mp and planted
with dense growth Of birches. shrubs and
vines which have grown into a perfect tangle
of roots and branches and spread away on
either hand to the wooded groWths that extend
TO the top and over the knoll into the glades
Of q regular forest behind the hill. Visitors are
not debarred while the gates are open. and
passing through the stone arch. one comes in
stantly into touch with a wildly picturesque
way the eye wanders up the hillside toward
the terraced summit. and the intervening space
IS filled with foliage Of all shades OF green. from