The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-02-13
VANDERBILT KEPT HOTEL
His Descendants are Now Worth
Many Millions of Dollars.

His Descendants are Now Worth
Many Millions of Dollars
The marriage OF young Wander
bilt has set all the gossips of New
brunswick, n. j., talking about the
days when one of the millionaire's an
cesiors kept very good hotel on the
Raritan river, near that classic city.
III was here that Commodore Van
derbilt, the great grandfather Of Alfred
Gwynne, who married Miss Elsie
French, was mino host Of the old Bel
lonia hotel. The great grandson had
a half million dollar wedding. His
shrewd forbear dealt whiskey over the
bar at ten cents a glass, and in this
way helped TO make his first thousand
dollars and found the colossal family
fortune.
The old hotel Is New Brunswick
landmark now. Half the old liars and
most aged inhabitants III town Will tell
how they drank with him, but rarely at
his expense, for that is not the way in
which fortunes arc founded. The
hotel is now a tenement house. 1t
shows the wrinkles of age. lis ancient
glory Is gone. Its only use, except as
tenement, is that it serves to point a
moral and adorn the tales of the chin
whiskcrcd fraternity who retail rcmini-
SCIENCES to all corners.
But III the old days when the Van
de"bllt who was to become commodore
by and by, ran it the Bclonia hotel
was one of the most important stopping
places and one of the best paying prop
| prIIpS N tho tntn
and New Brunswick Freight company
ran line of passenger and freight
sloops between New Brunswick down
the Ralitan river to the bay and thence
to New York city. landing at the Bat
terry every alternate day.
| ~ trip by sloop from New York to
Brunswick iii those days was almost as
momcntouS an event as Is a aunt to
Europe now. Mr.. Vanderbilt caught
the passengers going and coming and
put them up at his wcll-appointcd inn.
Travellers waited at the Bcllonia for ar
'lVlng or departing boats or Tor the
coach to Philadelphia, stretching their
legs before big log fire or drank hot
toddy in the barroom, mixed by the
good wife of the original Vanderbilt, a
buXom, homclv soul .who knew how
to brew punch that would warm the
heart of the weary guest. Eloping
couples sojourncd under the Wander
bilt roof, and statesmen of the Burr
and Hamilton type who loved the cheer
of the Bclonia.
II was while conducting this hotel
that Commodore Vanderbilt took his
first lessons in the field there was for a
railroad. He saw the demand for a
better mode of travel than coach and
SlOop. He had taken the hotel by the
advice of William Gibbons, president
of the New York and New Brunswick
Freight company. The hotel was built
in 1903 and had passed into the hands
of the company. Before he became a
boniface he drcdged oysters for a liv-
ing in the Raritan bay. He was
noted for his skill and daring as an
oysterman.
One stormy night in winter Presi-
dent Gibbons, of the Transportation
company, arrived at Perth Amboy and
wanted to cross the Staten Island
sound to Tottenvillc. None of the
boatmen at Perth Amboy would con-
slider an offer to row him across until
Vanderbilt was seen. He said that he
would take the job. The sea i'm the
sound was running high and the trip
was very dangerous, but both men
finally landed in safety on the Staten
Island shore. AS it happened Gibbons
had an appointment with lady among
the fashionable Staten Islanders this
night and he appreciated the bravery
of young Vanderbilt in rowing him
across the dangerous waters in time
not to disappoint the lady, and there
upon made him the captain and part
owner of small oyster sloop.
One successful season put young
Vanderbilt in control of little capital
and Gibbons, who had always remain.
ed his firm friend, advised him TO as.
sumo the management of the Bellonia
hotel, which was then i'm need of q
manager. Vanderbilt dit this and be.
gan to make money at oucC. His wife
attended the hotel and served the in.
crcasing trade with good, cl.cookcd
food and entcing drinks, while Van.
derbit worked as captain on one OF
the freight boats of the Transportation
} company, this position, too, coming tc
him through Gibbons patronage.
1t was in 1925 that Vanderbilt as
sumed charge of the Bcllona hotel
For many years he conducted it, aidet
by his wife. Then, with increasin!
4. good fortune, Mrs. Vanderbilt desired
to change the hotel quarters for pri
vate residence, and the family movct
4 to house few hundred yards nortl
: OF the hotel. There they lived fo
]. many ycars.--N. Y. Journal.
The chief supply of drink to grow
n ing plants is moisture brought up fror
" below by capillary action, and therei
C consists the necessity of pulvcrizin