The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-09-15
THINGS HEARD
IN THE HOTELS
interesting Items on Various Subjects
Obtained Here and There.
STORY ABOUT THE VANDERBlLTS
The Ability of Cornelius to Drive a
Profitable Bargain was Inherited.
An Interesting Yarn Told by
n Drummer.

"Appropos Of the death OF Corneliu.
Vanderbilt" said the obliging hotel cleiA
to a Times representative. Il heard a goo
story in which William H., father Of cor
neius and the old Commodore, his grand
iather. figured. The story Was told by q
New Yorker and showed that the ability
Of Cornelius 10 drive profitable par
sain was inherited.
But % the story. At twenty William s
health had given way under the coniinins
circumstance OF lie IN bank, ana NJ
was compelled to seek some outdoor
work Ihs annoyed the rugged old Com.
modore. who desired his son 10 succeed ~
whatever he undertook. and the following
was the manner IN which he expressed MS
Dissatisfaction.
"BiL you're "A fool. You haven't any
crit I'm or any sense ana you're no good.
You'll never amount 10 hill of beans.
The doctor SAYS you can't I've II YOU stay
here. so Ill give YOU seventy-iiVe acres
down on Staten Island. Go down ana
see II you can't dis living out or that
dirt. ] don't suppose you can
..Veu. as everyone knows, BIZ did 60
down and began his attempt 70 eel
living out of that dirt. Not long after
ward. however. he visited his father, seek
ing TO buy fertilizer from IBIS Fourtn
avenue railroad stables.
'"Nhat will you give load Tor II.
inquiIer the Commodore.
-Four dollars a load replied William
IA. So the bargain was struck. but lhe
commodore calculated on cart loads. Inc
farmer. however. loaded up scoW WIN
at least thirty cart loads and rendered in
payment ST. At first the old man was
furious. but William II. stuck 20 II that
the load he had barga'ncd for was scow
load. Finally the old man let II go al
that FOR his son had shown the kind OF
business sense that appealed 20 him, and
henceforth kent his eye on him. He nm
ailv made him his right-hand man In
building I'D the vast interests that finally
Welded a fortune Of s90o00000 which In
fnrn more than doubled under william s
management. after the old Commodore 8
death
Caught onto pretty neat trick while
coming here" said n New York travel
linz man 10 n Times reporter. as me TWO
were lounelne In local hotel lobby
"What was it?" inquired the other
and he prepared for the drummers yarn.
Something pretty neat and not n fake
either continued the knight OF the Road
as he 1iehted his cigar "and if you just
remember it Won viii be able % settle an
oft-disDuted question Myself and a Bos-
tom man were sitting I'm the same car and
couvers.ng about things in general. and
nothing i'm particular. but conversation
gradually became monotonous. Them
came the inevitable question, How tast
are we running
"Of course both Of MS had different es-
Inmates as 20 the speed with which we
were being carried toward our destina-
ton and the discussion became quite
heated Finally money was used to en-
phasize our views. but TO find a judge
90 decide was the next thing.
There was an old man sitting 0ppo-
site u.s. who seemed interested. and The
question was referred 10 him. He imme-
diatcly pulled ont his watch looked at it
very lntcntiy for about half minute
then announced that we were running at
% niles and a fraction rer hour and ne
calmly announced that be was willing TO
stake few ON the CORRECTNESS or his
estimate Notice was taken of the stretch
of road and the engineer was asked at
The next station. Judge our surprise when
he stated the speed maintained was trl-
ne over SO miles at point.
AFTER accounts were squared We ask
"a for am explanation, and here IS what
we learned You have noticed the space
between the ends Of TWO rails. and how
when "A truck wheel strikes this click
and click Is heard. Count the number Of
clicks I'm twenty seconds and you have the
speed IN miles. We were assured thar
,his will alwa-s hold good and give the
speed within fraction. Remember II
may be of some use 90 YOU
Several notable arrivals were indicated
on the hotel register yesterday, among
them Hon. William a. Anderson. Of Lex
inefon. chairman of the Executive Com
mitee of tho Senatorial Reform League
who is al the Jefferson; DR.. Benjamin
Blackford. Of Stanton, superintendent Of
The Western State Hospital, who IS reg
stored al Murphy's Hon. Joseph W.
Of Amelia, superintendent OF
Public instruction. who is staying at New
Fords: colonel John $. Cunningham OF
North Carolina who was seen at Muir
phys: CAB MaddOl. the eminent knight
,r the grip. who Is also az Murphys. Hon.
Thos y. Jones. House nominee in Isle Of
Wight. who greeted friends at Murphy'si
Lyon G.. Tyler, president Of William ana
Mary College. Williamsburg; Decatur
Axteu OF the Chesapeake and Ohio rail
way. who always registers at the Jeffer-
son.
Among other arrivals were the follow
ng:
At the Jefferson-J NJ. Hughes and wife.
Virginia; James Moore. Raleigh; j. Walk.
Pr DOwner. of Norfolk
At New Fords-R. r.. Barrett, Ports
mouth; j. =. Bryant, Jr, and c. j. Ed
wards. Franklin, Va; p. II. Norneet,
At Murphy's-w. W. Warren and wife,
3acon's Castle. Va: r. J. Smith. Nir. |
;inia: Mrs. J. VI. Harvey Miss Lucie Lee |
Zones. and Thos. y. Jones, Jr.. Of Flu
anna: Master walker Pegram Warren, |
;urry; c. w Worth, children and nurse !
North Carolina: +. NJ Boxley. Louisa; |
= G Gooch. stanton; W. =. Cousins |
)anvlie.
At the Lexington-Ernes Williams of |
-ynchburg: George ". and L. 3. Wolfe, !
Il Bristol: Miss Kelloq, Of Wytheville; !
\. 4. Mathews. Nelson county, Va