The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-29
ALFRED G. VANDERBILT
TRAITS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF
THE NEW YORK CROESUs.
An Easy-GOing, Handsome, Good
Natured Boy Who Fell in Love
While a Senior at Yale.

NEW YORK, Oct. 2s.-Alfred Gwynne
Vanderbilt, who comes into the possession
of the bulk of the famous family fortune
and whose transfer of $4,000 to his elder
brother Cornelius was the most interesting
feature of the settlement of the vast estate
is the second living son of the late Cornelius.
He is tall. dark handsome, and as easy
going, good-natured and ingenious a young
man as can be found anywhere in New
York's wealthy set. The new head of the
family derives the name Of Gwynne from
his mother. whose ancestors, 1t is said. are
to be traced clear back to Charemagne.
Alfred was reared according to the ideas
which his grandfather implanted in the
mind of Cornelius. Alfreds father. Among
these ideas was one that America was good
enough for the education of the male Van
derbilts. Cornelius Vanderbilt believed that
Yale was better, or more desirable. at least
than Heidelberg or Berlin, and Alfred was
accordingly sent TO Yale.
When the affable young New Yorker en-
tered the university the collegiate micro
scope was turned upon him to find out his
weak spots, but he bore the scrutiny we'll
and came out of the examination entirely
satisfactory to his examiners. He was a
youth of good though not powerful ply
sique, with serene, self possessed air and
a quiet face. But above all it was observed
that the immense wealth behind him and
the power Of his name had no effect what
ever upon his manners. These were simple
me spontaneity with which he fell in with
ms new friends and became one of them
won him high regard among the hypercrit-
ical men Of his class His rooms were
rather commonplace than otherwise, and his
oress entirely without affectation. he be-
came popular at once.
That there Is something more than tradi-
ton In the matter of heredity was made
plain in Vanderbilt, the college an,
throughout the four years he spent at Yale
His far-seeing policy and his precocious
diplomacy changed the face Of many a COL
lege dispute and prevented many a college
ruction, and when he had left the school he
had lost very few Of the friends he had won
in the beginning.
In his college activities Alfred Gwynne
vanderbilt leaned rather to the athletic than
to the studious. This was odd for one of his
race for he could have excelled in study
whereas there was small hope for one Of
MS build being an excellent athlete. He
was especially interest = in the contests of
1ale at rowing, football and baseball, and
many have been the dollars that he lost in
backing his institutional teams at these
sports. And, too, although not brawny, he
was not backward IN the practice of the
sports he so much admired.
While he was in his senior year at Yale
Alfred met Miss Elsie French and fell in
love with her. Miss French was in every
way pleasing to Vanderbilt pere. She was
wealthy, younger than Alfred and her fam
lily everything that could be desired. Once
That MS mind was set upon his first love,
the future millionaire impulsvely demanded
to be married out OF hand. This was fam
lily trait. but Cornelius Vanderbilt, while ap-
proving unQualifiedly the choice OF his
son, reasoned with him calmly and extract
he had made tour of the world. To this
exaction Alfred more plant than his broth
er, consented, If somewhat reluctantly. He
was in the very act Of performing this
promise to his father when that father s
death recalled him from the Orient.
AS soon as he came out OF the university
Alfred, with his sweetheart still in his mind,
began 70 prepare for the trip, at the end OF
which she would await him to be made his
young man on his travels was made up of
Ernest Iselin, w. p. Burden, w. +. White
house and Douglas Cochrane, all friends
and congenial companions. They left New
York on July last, and, after visiting the
Pacific slope and the Alaskan glaciers, went
to Japan, where they were interrupted on
their course by the news of Cornelius Van
derbilt's death.
Alfred Vanderbilt's affianced is only eight
cen years old and very pretty and vivacious.
She is the daughter of the late Francis Or
mund French, president of the Manhattan
Trust Company, and will have In her own
right when she becomes of age, fortune
of about S50o0,OO0 no mean dover to bring
even to the heir of the Vanderbilt riches.