The age-herald., 1899-11-05
VANDERBILT KIND
 TO HIS SERVANTS
None of Them Forgotten in the
 MiIIionaire's Will.
Watchman, Barber, Coachman, Private Secretary and All Others of the Retinue Were Fittingly
 Remembered
From the New York World.

From the New York World. There were many pleasant surprises in the will of the late Cornelius Vanderbilt
 and many an old friend and servant of the ] dead millionaire was made happy when the
 will was made public. Many of the be- quests were wholly unexpected, but there
 was hardly servant in the Vanderbilt household who felt that his master would overlook him.
 "A complete surprise is the best surprise of al,'' remarked John N. Dempsey, who has watched the Vanderbilt house by night for the past twelve years and who was
 made $500 richer by theAwil.
 What will I do with it? I don't know
 just now. l worked for MT. Cornelius Van- derbilt for thirty years, and it would be hard to leave the family now. He was
 kind master and a good man. All he ever
 asked was to be served faithfully. I will put my money in the bank when get it. It
 will come in handy in my old age"
 Before entering Mr Vanderbilts employ
 John Dempsey worked as a driver on the old city line of horse cars, now the Madison
 avenue line.
 Irony, his barber" as he is engrossed in
 the will, is perhaps the luckiest tonsorial artist in the land. Tony was only nick
 name, for the correct title of the happy German who shaved Mr. Vanderbilt for nearly six years Is Adolph Schurmann, and
 he is now a farmer on small scale Long Island. He began work in New York many years ago.
 He found employment a the Windsor ho- tel fifteen years ago, and 1t happened once that Cornelius Vanderbilt needed a shave,
 and went into the Windsor hotel barber shop, where Tony attended him. Then he went there regularly. When Tony packed his shears and razors and moved to the Manhattan hotel MT. Vanderbilt followed him. Then the millionaire made the barber one of the regular retinue of servants. Up to two years ago Tony shaved Mir. Wander bilt every day. MT. Vanderbilt is said to have enjoyed his society. Failing eyesight made him give up his
 calling, and with what he had saved he
 purchased his Long Island farm. He is
 now 60 years old. He receives 5000 under
 the will.
 'I will buy more land with my money"
 he said yesterday. Pardon me for not saying more: it would not be graceful, but
 I will do just what MT. Vanderbilt would
 wish me to do.' Charles A. Whitaker, besides being the Vanderbilt coachman, was master of the Vanderbilt stable. He is B years old, and enjoyed the confidence of his employer for twenty years. Nearly every day for ten years he drove MT. Vanderbilt from his home to the Grand Central station, and al ways went to Newport with the family in summer.
 'It is a handsome bequest," said Whitta- ker, who takes his good fortune modestly. "I will put it in bank and continue here. No, do not care to leave my position and branch out in anything else" John A. Peterson, who receives a legacy of $100O0 was more than a servant He , began in the employ of MT. Vanderbilt Jas stenographer in the treasurers office of the New York Central railroad. MT. Van- derbilt took fancy to him, and made him assistant secretary. Eight years ago. when John R. Hatmaker, then Vanderbilts pri-
 vate secretary, resigned to practice law in
 England, Peterson was given that impor-
 tant position
 Mir. Peterson may now become the pri-
 vate secretary of Alfred G. Vanderbilt.
 Few men, with the exception of Chauncey
 M. Denew, know as much concerning the minute affairs of the dead mans business interests.