Evening journal., 1899-09-19
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
THE LATE MR.. CORNELIUS VAN
DERBILT

ed the mortal frame OF Mr.. Cornelius
Vanderbilt, OF New York City, there
passed away a man Of Croesus-like
wealth: a man immersed in financial
transactions of great magnitude: a
man who was the master-spirit in the
evolution and continuation Of import
ant and far-reaching corporations; a
philanthropic philanthropist: cour-
teous and an unassuming gentleman,
and what is of infinitely greater inn
portance and lasting yalue-a man
whose name was the synonym for
goodness and all that represents true,
practical christianity. A man cannot
desire man cannot have, a better or
more resplendent record than this.
We often wonder why, in the great
economy Of life, men of Mr.. Cornelius
Vanderbilts stamp are cut down in the
very prime Of life almost before man
hoods morning touches noo.' We note
the colossal failures Of life. men who,
alike bankrupt in age and pocket, are
permitted to live on, to cumber the
ground. and TO finally grow hoary-
headed in their complete, their utter
uselessness. We note that the career
OF usefulness is often prematurely cut
short. whilst the life OF uselessness
more than often drags its weary length
up to. and far beyond, the time allotted
by the Psalmist. We perceive all this
and more But we don't pretend to in
the least comprehend the why and
wherefore of II all. We don't pretend
to at all grasp what would seem to the
finite understanding to be a glaring
anomaly in the Divine economy, We
merely content ouselves with stating
that which is a fact. fact patent to
us all.
Born 70 great wealth, the co-inheritor
OF abnormal riches, Mr. Cornelius Van
derbilt was ever sensible of the truth
that wealth. like rank. imposes obliga-
tion that the fact of his being the Gus
todian of great riches was a sacred and
altogether onerous trust, a trust not to
be manipulated for his own exclusive
benefit And it was just because Mr..
Vanderbilt realized the concrete, not
abstract, truth of all this that he be-
came the greatest living exemplihca-
tion--at any rate. so far as the opulent
men OF New York City are concerned
OF that scriptural dictum-"A good
name is rather to be chosen than
riches
It is noteworthy fact that in spite
Of the engrossing cares, incidental ia
the diversified and multitudinous
duties connected with his financial oper-
ations. Mr. Vanderbilt always found
time-shall we not rather say mad,
tlme"-to attend to the religious OBJ
ssrvances peculiar to his particular
faith. And It is an equally noteworth,
fact that in spite OF the demands madl
by society upon his time, demands al
ways more or less exacted from thu
man OF high social standing, Mr.. Van
derbilt did not neglect the many an,
varied charitable organizations o
which he was alike the sponsor and all
important factor. But, then, It is onl,
your sman and narrow man, the ma
OF picayune business interests, the ma
who imagines that his failure presage
the millennium. the man OF self-concen
tration--it is only such a man who ha
no time for the outside, the highe
work 70 which Mr. Cornelius Wander
,ilt devoted a great portion of his lif'
Il we're idle to enumerate the benevC
lent dispensations. including the m'
mortal gift of 100000 to Yale I'm
versity OF Mr.. Vanderbilt It is ver
probable that their name is legior
and It is more than probable that NJ
Vanderbilts right hand was new
cognizant Of the good deeds perform'
by his left. Men of the late Mr.. Co
nelius Vanderbilts wealth are
course, exceedingly rare. With the e
ception of half-a-dozen or 50 men
such as Mr.. J. d. Rockefeller Mr.. W
liam Waldorf Astor, Mr.. William III
sam Vanderbilt, the Dukes of Bedfoi
Westminster and Norfolk. and the col
bined wealth OF the Rothschilds-A
Cornelius Vanderbilt was fnanc
giant, compared with which other a
wealthy men were so many pigmies. I
a still rarer fact than all this. is, q
in these days, when the grunt Of {
money-hog is exceedingly palpable
he ear. Mr.. Cornelius Vanderbilt ne
prostrated himself before the Cole
Calf. never allowed his mental co
poise to be disturbed by a fulso
consciousness of his own financial
,ortance. but merely strove, and
in vain. to husband a portion of
wealth for the benefit and ameliorat
Of others Multi-millionaires are
necessarily philanthropists. AS r.
he more money they have the m
D..