The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-15

escaped the dyspepuc troubles which
We're the first warnings of impairment
of health. He was a tme-p.ece almost for
his subordiuates and associates az the
Grand Central station. They knew when
he entered the building each morning
what the exact hour was, having no need
TO look at the clock.
Exact ia Money Matters.
This characteristic was observed by
associates in other undertakings When
the trustees of Columbia College held
their meetings Mr.. Vanderbilt entered
the room exactly at the hour set OF il
he did not he sent word thai he would
be unable to be present or that he would
be compelled 20 come a quarter of an
-FOUR or half an hour later He was
exact In money matters. Once at a meet
ing Of the directOry of the Delaware and
Hudson, Il so happened that In payment
OF the directors fees there was ball
ance of 10 cents due 10 the directors. An
odd number of directors were present at
the meeting so that il was impossible 70
divide the stated fee in even dollars.
Every one OF the other directors said
'Never mind the change" But Mr.. Van
derb,lt insisted upon making change for
the dollar and receiving the 10 cents that
was due him.
His fellow directors were little amused
and yet in speaking of it afterward they
said that this act was due not to any ac-
quistive sense, but simply to Mr., Van
derhllts passion for eXactness. Only
day or two after that incident happened
he made Il possible by a very large con-
trbuton to construct the beautiful
Church Mission Home for the Episcopal
Church on Fourth avenue. near Twenty
third street.
Science of Detail.
To such a perfection of scientific ar
rangement of details had Mr.. Vanderbilt
brought oil of his affairs that he could by
taking from his pocket wallet a slip OF pa
per not larger than half sheet of COM
mercial note tell even to cents the exact
condition of his wealth, where it was in
vested and what the income on II was.
His generosity was both chat of a high
minded public citizen and a sympathetic
friend. To his influence is in great meas
ure due the successful financing Of the
plan for building the Cathedral of St.
John the Divine His aid made II possible
for Columbia University to give up its Old
home alongside the tracks of the New
York Central system and to establish itself
upon the beautiful aud conspicuous Ca
thedral Heights in full view Of the Grant
monument whose building Mr.. Wander
bits contribution greatly aided; st.
Lukes Hospital, in which he was deeply
interested, and the Cathedral of st. John
the Divine
His contribution, together with that of
his mother, for the Parish Home of st.
Bartholomew Church is in the aggre-
gate nearly 100000 His gifts to Yale
College are not far from $l,5O0.O0O. He
has secured as a permanent institution in
alliance with Columbia University the
largest OF American medical colleges, AMI
he has made il possible for two hospitals
to be successfully established, besides Civ
ing the Church Mission Society a perma-
nent home.
The character of his private generosity
may be Illustrated by a single incident.
His lifelong friend the late Samuel Bar
ton. who was also his first cousin once
removed. lay very III at his home In this
city a little while before Mr.. Vanderbilt
was himself stricken with apopleXy. They
had been playmates and schoolmates. Bar
ton at the boarding school which he and
young Vanderbilt attended had been the
custodian of his cousins pocket money.
ell was little older than Cornelius Van
derbLt. Afterward Barton was one of
the brokers for the old commodore, and
he was esteemed a man of wealth when
| Cornelius Vanderbilt was drudgng as a
bank clerk at $50 a week.
Mr. Vanderbilt heard that Mr.. Bar
ton was in some distress of mind, as well
as body, and he called upon him. The
meeting was like that Of men who have
| been playmates, and they spoke of their
| sports and of their experiences at the
| boarding school, and al last Mr. Wander
bilt very delicately inquired If there was
| anything that was causing Mr.. Barton
anxiety, and his old playmate replied
that he was fearful that his estate would
not leave his family comfortably pro-
vided for. Thereupon Mr.. Vanderbilt
said speaking the familiar name OF child
hood days, Sam, don't let that worry
you" That was all he said but the
next day he deposited in Mr. Barton's
Iut# fa-
$4,000. When Air. Barton heard THAI it
seemed to give him peace and he called
his family to him, said that he was con-
| tent to die, bade them goodbye and
then, saying, Il am very tired" turned
his face to the wall and in a moment
was gone.
The Vanderbilt Fortune.
Commodore Vanderbilt did not become a
multi-millionaire until he was past co. His
son. William H. inherited his father
| great wealth at So. Cornelius Vanderbilt
came into his possessions at A. and his
sons will receive their part of the Van
derbilt estate when they are under 30
| years of age.
Commodore Vanderbilt made William II.
| Vanderbilt his chief heir, doing that prin>
| cipally to preserve intact the Vanderbilt
railway interests. William II. Vanderbilt
received from the commodore about $50.
100000 He lived eight years after he came
| into that property. In that time, through
his management and by reason of the era
Of great prosperity that began with the
resumption of specie payment, Mr.. Van
| derbit increased the estate received from
| the commodore, so that at his death II
was not far from $200000,0OO In dividing
his property he made equal division among
his children of all the gain upon the es-
| tate of his father, and then divided the
wealth received from the commodore equal
| ly between Cornelius Vanderbilt and VIII
| lam X, and that was done in order to
! protect the Vanderbilt interests. These
! two sons therefore, received from their
father in addition to other requests, near
| ly $4,000 600.
And it Is the understanding Of MIR.
Vanderbilt's associates at the Grand Cen
trail station that this interest will be kept
intact through trusteeship or mutual UNI
Outstanding, so that there can be no peril
to the Vanderbilt interests through the
scattering Of the property Had Mr. Van
| derbilts attack three years ago proved