New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-13
Miss Florence Vanderbilt who was her brothers
SOME NOTABLE ENTERTAINMENTS.

SOME NOTABLE. ENTERTAINMENTS
Mr.. and Mrs Vanderbilt did not begin to give
J social entertainments Of any magnitude until
| after they were settled in their home. at
| Fifth-ave and Fifty-seventh-st. Their dinners
| were notably sumptuous and elaborate enter
| tainments. About nine years ago Mr. Wander
| bit leased for the season Hatfield House. the
| seat of the Marquis Of Salisbury in HEREFORD
| shire, nearly twenty miles northwest of London.
| but his tenancy of this beautiful house and park
| was cut short by the illness Of his eldest son.
William n Vanderbilt The first large enter
| tainment given by Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt in
| their reconstructed mansion in Fifth-ave.
Cured early in 1895. and in honor Of their
| daughter Miss Gertrude Vanderbilt. The recep-
ton was one Of the largest and most gorgeous in
| many respects ever given in this city. Mr.. and
! Mrs Vanderbilt had planned a similar enter
| tainment. supplemented by dance at a later
I time but while the details for il being
arranged Mr. Vanderbilts niece, Miss Twombly.
died. The dance given in August 1895. at The
| Breakers, at Newport most brilliant
| one. 1t gave the first opportunity for seeing
| the place en- fete and at its best. and the
| opportunity was neglected by no one. The
| dance preceded by dinner for thrty-fve
| young people which was served in the banquet
unlike ordinary dining rooms. panelled in deli
| cate colors and upholstered in pale blue. Dane
ing in the great hall, which. with it's gded
| dome. onyx pillars and highly polished floor,
| made a setting for the farylike throng such
| Newport, and perhaps the United States, had
never seen before Lispenard Stewart led the
cotilon with Miss Vanderbilt who was in
pretty gown of rose pink silk. OF the hundreds
| present no one seemed to enjoy the entertain
ment more than the host. who. with his three
! brothers his sister. Mrs W. Seward Webb, and
several nieces and nephews. was the centre of
remarkable family group.
REAPPEARANCE IN SOCIETY.
Mr.. and Mrs Vanderbilt last winter gave
series of dinner parties. and shortly after New
| Years ball which was one of the notable
social Incidents Of the season. Previous to these
| entertainments Nj Vanderbilt had not been
seen at social affairs of any description except
| at the wedding Of his daughter Miss Gertrude
Vanderbilt. to Henry Payne Whitney. and again
at the marriage Of Miss Shepard. daughter Of
Mrs. Elliott F. Shepard. to Ernesto G. Fabbri,
and at the opera Mrs Vanderbilt pre-
vented later from entertaining by the death in
Paris of her sister Mrs. William Fearing Gill
| In the winter of 1897, when Mr.. Vanderbilt
| had recovered sufficiently from his paralytic
| stroke TO be able to walk about, his physicians
| advised him to look for a mider climate. He
| leased Woodbury. Lowerys mansion, at YER
| mont-ave and K-st, Washington, for three
| months He took possession OF the house on
February l. and occupied il with his family until
| late in April when he went to Newport. In
| Nav he sailed for Europe where he remained
| until about the middle Of July, when he re-
| turned to Newport. Toward the end of the year
| he again went to Europe returning in July.
| 1898 Three months of the present year he
| passed in England. France and Germany. On
| his arrival here in June with Mrs. Wander
| bilt VINO had accompanied him abroad he
| went TO Newport where he spent the summer.
| During the month OF July Mr.. and Mrs. Wander
| bilt gave a series Of dinner parties at The
Breakers. and several picnics at their farm in
| Portsmouth, about ten miles from Newport, In
| honor of their son Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt,
| who with Ernest Iselin. Williams Proudht Bur-
| den son of Mr.. and Mrs. James A. Burden ST..
and Douglas H. Cochran, is making tour or
| tho world Mr. Vanderbilt, jr.. was last heard
| from In japan.
| EFFECT OF HIS DEATH.
| Nv vanderbilt's death will force the retire
ment of the large Vanderbilt family connec-
|
| of the fashionable world for some time to come
| and will also close to the members OF the gay
world several of the largest mansions in New
| York Naturally the opera boxes IN the Met
ropolltan Opera House. owned by the members
~ The Vanderbilt family. WILL with the excep-
ton Of that owned by the late Cornelius Wander
| biIt be rented for the coming season.
PERSONAL APPEARANCE OF THE MAN.
| Mr. Vanderbilt was of medium height and slen-
| der He also slightly round-shouldered' ana
| when he sat at his desk at work the fact was
| quite noticeable. He walked erecty and rapidly
! as a rule with free, swinging step, ana theh HIS
| body looked straighter. For man OF htty-sM
| wears who had worked harder than almost any
| man of his wealth. he looked young. ms race
ras clean shaven. except for small side whskers
| and had a rounded look. suggestive OF youth
| His nose was OF the Roman type and prominent
| but was finely formed, with thin nostrils HIS
| dark gray eyes had kindly look His forehead
| was high and of the intellectual mould HIS
| hair which was dark brown somewhat tinged
with gray. was thin over the forehead. He mad
| full resonant voice pitched high. and when ne
laughed heartily. he often did. ne could be
heard plainly outside his office.
He wore eyeglasses and when he was In con-
| versation with anybody he had trick Of taking
the glasses off and holding them at short dis
tance from the end of his nose. not looking
through them. but waving them gently He had
another habit of slappng his thigh at intervals
and hummng some favorte tune softly to him
self When he was In the city he was often
working at his desk in the Grand Central Sta
ton before any Of tht clerks had arrived In the
| morning and frequently he was in his office
when they had gone for the day. His habits OF
work were irregular, on account of the numerous
and varying appointments which he had to meet.
SOME OF MR.. vANDERBUT'S CLUBS.
Mr. Vanderbilt was a man Of temperate habits,
| and he always dressed quietly usually in dark
| clothes Sometimes in cold winter weather he