New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-13
CORNELITS TANDrRBILT.

The death Of Cornelius Vanderbilt terminates
career of unusual interest ana pIe'en.r
nent usefulness The ending of Valuaoie i'''
in It's prime always seems TO human i'"'O"
a mournful and mysterious vase, pu' ra'''E
so much so as in this instance. a man u St'''
wealth. chiefly derived from and einpioS'u !"
pnterpriSeS conducted under the puplc eye -
If necessity n conspicuous figure Whatever MS
character tastes and mode of lie ma! DE- p"'
though Mr. Vanderbilt could not Whoh! avn"
the natural consequences of his posl'loh' II -
true not only that he was slngulaIly ino"'''
man. but that modesty was universally recoE
nlzed as one of his essential CHARACTERISTICS
The fact is nm impressive testimony 10 dis ap
solnte sinccrty His life was necessarily open
10 observation. but he was never arnicteu WI"
q notorletv which would have been repulsNe
70 him Bv virtue of his own strength ana
simplicity of nature he was enabled 10 pursue
tbc path which he had chosen undevatihgiF
and for the most part silently
THAT nath was the straight path Of duty, as
no construed his duty. II was very strl''
construction which nc put upon his rcspohsipil'-
tios Until he was disabled by the malady
which required with fatal result yesterday
morning. there was scarcely private III the vast
army of his subordinatcs who worked so man!
hours n day so many days in the year. 10
man Of easy conscience due regard Tor per
sonal interests Of such magnitude mght seem
more than sufficient care. Mr.. Vanderbilt was
wise steward on his own account, but even aS
concerned the management of private properly
he was far more than that He had a profouhd
sense of his obligations rs trustee not only
and perhaps not chiefly, for those to whom lie
stood In n private relation. but for the unknown
thousands to whom in n special degree he repre-
scented the name and the power or hls laInlIN'
He never willingly delegated 10 others an au-
thoritv which he thought il might be expected
thot he himself would exercise; and so from
stern. perhaps from an extreme view or DUTY
he accepted tasks which almost any other man
I'm his situation would have avoided If such
lobors had been the whole Of his burden, ne
might have borne IL safely, but they were per-
hans not even the larger part of it, MI. van
derbilts solicitude for his great property eX-
tended far beyond the requirements OF prudent
administration He was earnestly deSlrous OF
using his wealth and the influence which 1t gave
him Tor the substantial and permanent welfare
Of his fellow men. He was frequent con-
trbutor Of money 10 public enterprises WhicD
commanded 3D. aspect and his private heDeh-
cence was constant. but he could not HaiiSry
his conscience by the easy process OF drawing
check lie felt impclled 10 put his mind and
heart. his time and rs it now appears his very
life into multlfarlous undertakings for the
benefit Of others The many institutions char
table. religious and educational. TO whose di-
rectorics he gave his name obtained with it the
advantage Of his assduouS and sagacious ser
vices His industry would have attracted OBJ
sorvation in whatever sphere of life he had
moved. as indeed IT did in his early years of
comparative obscurity; but it was cxtraordi-
nary and almost uncxampled as the voluntary
sacrifice Of time and strength and opportunities
FOR pleasure by a man of enormous wealth.
In this place may not enter into the de-
tails Of Mr. Vanderbt'S benevoencc but we
should feel that we had neglected privilege
II we failed to speak Of his deep interest and
jealous cooperation in the work Of The Trih-
une Fresh Air Fund. That he was a factor
In that work has been known TO those who
FOR many years have seen his name appended
70 its annual statement Of account. but only
those who have been responsible for its man
acoment can know how largely. it has drawn
upon his time and how literally he has suS
tanned IT, And yet it was only one among his
many labors Of love. His death is an mex
irresistible loss. not merely TO his family and his
intimate friends. hut 10 multitude Of persons
who never knew how much they owed him.