The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-03-27
A MILLIONAIRE CIRCLE
THOSE WHO HAVE MARRIED INTO
THE VANDERBILT FAMILY.
Some Have Figured In Divorce. and
Some Have Furnished Scandal Mon.
gers Much Food for Gossip.
New York Press.

Vanderbilt family have all been capable of
adding social distinction TO that already
acquired by means of great wealth. IT is
! true that neither Miss Alice Gwynne who
| became Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt nor Miss
Alva Smith. who married William h Van
derbilt. was prominent socially before mar
| riage, but that was due mainly TO the fact
| that their limited means did not permit
| them TO take the active part in society for
which their tastes and talents fitted them
| Both were of excellent family, although it
| is only recently that the effort has been
made to prove by elaborate and complicated
| charts and ables that Mrs. Cornelius Van
derbilt is descended from Charlemagne. AL
fred the Great and other royal ancestors
| In justice to her il may be said that she
| has never been responsible for the publica-
| ton of these royal claims, but has distinctly
| and repeatedly refused to be identified with
| such societies as the Order of the Crown
! etc. She finds glory enough in the realm
| in which she has undisputed sway. Her
father was an able but by no means cele-
! brated lawyer of Cincinnati, o.. and her
| grandfather was clergyman. She married
| Mr.. Vanderbilt when quite young and has
| ever since been a conspicuous figure i'm New
York society. She has given largely to
\
ways Stunned official connection with them
on account of the unavoidable notoriety at
tached thereto. While never failing in any
| of the requirements entailed by her con-
spicuous social position. Mrs. Vanderbilt
has been noteworthy in her devotion to her
children and in late years to her invalid
husband.
Her eldest daughter, Gertrude, married
so soon after her debut that Mrs. Vanderbilt
received little assistance from her in the
exercise of the hospitality for which the
great mansion on Fifth avenue and the
| Breakers at Newport were so admirably
adapted 1t was thought that the lavish
entertaining in these beautiful houses
| which had been interrupted by Mr.. Wander
| bits i'll health and by the marriage of their
| son against his parents expressed wishes
was about to be resumed this winter when
the magnificent ball was given to celebrat tie
the coming of age of their son Alfred but
the death of "a sister of Mrs. Vanderbilt in
Paris caused the family to retire for the
rest of the season.
When Cornelius Vanderbilt married Miss
Grace Wilson it was said that the strongest
opposition came from his mother, and il is
believed that she is responsible for its con-
tinuance quite much as her husband. On
the other hand. she is delighted with her
second sons. Alfreds, fiancee, Miss French.
and on all public occasions shows her
marked favor and attention. Next winter
| Mrs. Vanderbilt will bring out her second
daughter. Miss Gladys, and If no further i'll
ness or death intervenes there will be a gay
season for this fortunate young lady under
| the guidance OF her distinguished mother
| and her brilliant married sister.
WILLIE X. UNLUCKY
William *. Vanderbilts matrimonial alli-
ance proved TO be less happy one than his
brothers, although there were years in
which he and his wife entertained brilliant
ly. She was Miss Smith. u Southern girl of
good. but impoverished, family. possessing
| good looks and boundless social ambition
She needed only money to become a leader
Mrs. Willie X" soon set the fashion in en-
| tertainments, in dress and i'm various fads
All the world knows how her ambition
| found its elimination in the marriage OF
| her daughter to the Duke of Marlborough
| and how she terminated her own marriage
and contracted another, and is now Mrs
| Oliver II. p. Belmont, and only an eX-Van-
| derbilt daughter-in-law.
| AS usual, the NanderbiltS all hung to-
gether and stood by w. X. in his matri-
| monial difficulties. and have persistently
turned the cold shoulder upon the Belmonts
| although ii is frequently reported that the
| present and past husbands OF the lady borr
Smith bear each other no i'll will. Besides
| Mrs Belmont retains so many and such in
fluential friends that the loss of even the
powerful Vanderbilt contingent does not ser
iously trouble her. The marriage of Con
suelo only daughter OF Mr.. and Mrs. w. X
Vanderbilt, being approved on all sides has
helped to bring about an amcabe feeling
between the two factions. Now the unior
of w. X. Vanderbilt. jr.. with Miss Fair
which is about to take place, contribute:
{ another, element to the general complaceneN
Aside from her abilities as social cam
| paigner. Mrs. Belmont is said by her friend:
to have fine LIT tasse hnd 5n b fae
Marble Palace at Newport is still the prop
erty of Mrs. Belmont. she has not liveo
| there since her daughters marriage resid
ing at Belcourt or at Hampstead. and thi:
t past winter lived in hired house in Fiftf
| avenue.
| would live and die bachelor. his devotion
TO his mother and his Indifference 10 societ!
| having encouraged this opinion. and the an
= nouncement Of his engagement to Mis-
e Edith Dresser came as surprise to society
| Although not WealthX as the NanueTpi st !.
, more money than had come to either of III
l | older brothers through their marriages. He
: dover was probably very far short or tn
| her veins that of the Kings. the Stuyves
5 | ants and the lie Roys, and her father wa
| | an honorable officer i'm the United State
| army Moreover. while not strictly beauu
| full. she had a graceful and distinguishes
} bearing. and was thoroughly cultivated a
| TO preside over splendid Biltmore and tn
| Vanderbilt town mansion. This was an
| other alliance that pleased the whole van
; | Gerbilt connection, most OF whom went L
| Paris to witness the wedding ceremony.
H. NIX. TWOMBLY.
) In some respects II. Mex. Twombly is TIL
2 | most entertaining of the men who hav
| married into the Vanderbilt family. Th
| readers of the Press must still remembe
, | the story of his house in New Jersey. tn
building of which was begun years ago am
> | only recently completed. Although its frs
r | design was beautiful and convenient enough
r | to satisfy almost any one. Mr.. Twombl,
| discovered before the house was completed
| that the plan might be vastly improved
| He therefore promptly tore down a part o
| n and began to rebuild on modified lines
| This operation was repeated several time
| before the house was finished. and when a
l | last the final touches were given IL had cos
y | many thousand more than was original,
! | contemplated.
I Mr. Twombly has been "A good deal Of
| mystery to the farmers in his neighborhoOd
. | Some wears ago he started extensiv
A | breeding farm for hackney horses an
e / raise high-bred cows The butter produces
J | i'm his dairy cost nearly a dollar pound Z
! | make and the milk 50 or 40 cents quart
!, | When his neighboTs learned that he pur
e | posed selling his dairy products in the ope
z | market ar regular prices they protested
| Whether their protests eventually availe
| is not Of record.
s. Mr. Twombly is interested i'm many bust
' | ness enterprises, but, unlike DIR. w. Sewar
= 4 or u Ua1 in