The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-11-01
THE VANDERBILT WILL;
SOME INSIDE FACTS

Correspondence to the Nashville American.
New York. October $50 the Wander j.
bilt millions are at last disposed Of" the
people are saying, with a sigh of relief;
but the sigh is instantly followed in most
cases by a thought little to the honor of
the dead man. His natural successor as
head of the family is set aside with the
smallest beqnest of any of his children, be-
cause Is not the reason generally I'M
derstood? Young Cornelius had had but
one great opportunity to vindicate his bust
ness ability-his marriage-and he showed
SO little commercial genius as to marry a
gifl who, it is said, will not inherit over
$1,000, GOO-not over $5O0O,OOO anyhow! For
the prospective heir of $4,000 900 to go into
a life partnership with a woman worth
only one-tenth as much, when he could
have done so much better was unpardon-
abel So the older Cornelius thought
But that is not the worst aspect of the
case. The father kept silent when sub
servient Journalists, hoping to stand well
with him. cast reflections on the woman
his son had married. He thought no one
could believe such irresponsible gossip"
ana yet he took no mea sures to put an end
to it. 1t did end, and soon, but only be-
cause young Mrs. Vanderbilt was a woman
of so much refinement, modesty and of
such well known integrity of character that
scandal could not flourish in her presence.
Those who knew her, by their amazement
and anger, gave the best refutation. An
attack on character should be capital Of
Tense, punishable by law, and then vile and
snobbish pens would have much less exer-
else. ..i =
No woman stands higher in New York too
day than young Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt
woman of Southern parentage who first
showed her independence by refusing sew
eral years ago to marry an EngIishman to
whom she was engaged when she discovered
his exerbitant demands as to ,dowry. Sub
sequent events Showed why he needed mil
lions at once and in cash. "He needed it
in his business as the saying goes.
No young man of the ultra-rich set has
SO many friends as young Cornelius VAN
derbit, for he showed strength of will
and a manliness at the time of his mar
riage that was promptly recognized de-
spite the efforts of certain sensational pa
pers Ito please the head of the house"
There is praise and only praise for young
Alfred Gwynne Nanderbilt-who hastened
Gas soon as he knew the terms of the WILD
to make his in-treated brother share
equally with his other brother and sisters.
This act of itself is indication of young
Cornelius in the mtsrepresented quarrel-if
vindication had been needed.
Young Cornelius and his wife are both
accredited with pure Americanism and
great common sense. One of the first things
Grace Wilson Vanderbilt did was to urge
* - r ca;a e..
training, as it was well known that he had
peculiar talent along that line-with ten
dency to industrial inventions Scribblers
made merry over this, too until a regent
practical outcome of his studies convinced
them that there was 'method in his mad
ness" r.
The Wilson's have created envy in certain
breasts because the younger members Of
the family married well" Women 81
beauty and culture often marry well' al
over the world. Having wealth at thetr
disposal, they naturally moved in what IS
known as the smart set, and is it strange
that they were loved and courted by the
most eligible suitors?'
But there are few women who would
have taken THE stand that Grace Wilson
took toward the English fortune-hunter.'
Everybody knows how Mrs. Ogden Goelet
put her part of the Wilson fortune at tine
younger sisters disposal SO She could meet
The demands of the marriage contract i
SHE wished TO do so, and how Grace Wiisoh
rose to the dema nds of IA most trying s1tua-
tion and said, mo, he has proven That he
simply wants my money" So the engage
ment was cancelled. 1t Is a pity THAT All
M .-tt,1 ,.,,,EE
of character!
Then the opposition of Cornelius VanderS
bilt, Sr., to his sons attentions to Gher two
years later, and the threat from THE first
that if iIhey married they would get none
OF his money, only had the effect of making
her see how much character young Cor
nelius showed under The test and to make
her care tine more for him. The Wander
bilt strength OF will is we'll known, and
no cne doubted that the threat would ba
eXecuted-hds rebeilfous son and his wife,
least of all, it seems. So young Cornelius
set about making his way in une world 10y
work, ''as my grandfather did, he said.
Today he has THE sincere respect of every
oae 1hen, too, it is generally conceded
uaat ne and his wife are ''the most Amer
iean' of the younger members OF the set
In which they move. They are not Anglo
maniacs and they have no false prideg They
are genuine, unpretentious, llome-loving
people. Their popularity is the cause of the
general delight expressed that Arthur VAN
derbilt has atoned for the injustice of his
fathers will SO far as he wars able.
SCHLEH WANTS MORE SHIPS
From the Washington Times.
Rear AGmiral Schiey has requested the