The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-02-13
HOW VANDERBILT
GOT HIS START
New York Journal)


The marriage Of a young Vanderbilt has
set all the gOssips OF New Brunswick, n.
J., talking about the days when one OF me
millionaire's ancestors kept d very good
hotel on the Rartian river, near that
classic city.
Z 1t was here that Commodore Vanderbilt,
the great grandfather of Alfred Gwynne,
who married Miss Elsie French, was mine
host of the old BellOnia hotel. The great
grandson had q haiI-miliiOn-dOllar we'd
ding. His Shrewd foTebear dealt whisky
over the bar at 10 cents glass, and IN
this way helped to make his first thou
sand dollars and found the colossal family
fortune.
The old hotel is a New Brunswick land
mark now. Half the old liars and most
aged inha bitants in town Will tell now
they drank with him, but rarely at his eX-
pense, for that is not the way I'm which
fortunes are founded.
The hotel is now a tenement house. Tt
shows the wrinkles of age. Its ancient
glory IS gone Its only use, except as a
tenement, is that it serves 10 point a
moral and adOrn the tales of the chin
whiskeTed fraternity who retail remin-
iscenCes to all Corners
But in the old days when the Vanderbilt
who was TO become commodore by and
by ran it. the BellOnia hotel was one OF
the most important stopping places and
one of the best paying properties IN the
state The New York & New brunswick
Freight company ran d line of passenger
and freight sIoops between New Bruins
wick down the karitan river to the bay
and thence to New York City, landing at
the Battery every alternate day
trip by sloop from New York to
Brunswick in those days was almost as
momentous an event as is a launt to
Europe now. MT. Vanderbilt caught the
passengers going and coming and put
them up at his well appointed Inn. TraV-
eleFs waited at the Bellonia for arriging
or departing boats or Tor the coach TO
Philadelphia. stretching their legs before
a big log lire or drank hot toddv in the
barroOm, mixed by the good wife of the
original Vanderbilt, a buXOm, hOmCly soul
knew brew a
would warm the heart of the weary
guest.
Vanderbilt roof and statesmen of the
Burr and Hamilton type who loved the
cheer OF the Bellonia
q e, s.
1t was while conducting this hotel that
Commodore Vanderbilt took his first les
sons 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 &
! New Brunswick Freight company. The
/ hotel was built in 1903 and has passed
/ into the hands of the company
Be ore he became a b3niiace he dredged
! oysters for living in the Raritan be-.
! He was noted for his skill and daring as
J an OySterman.
One stormy night in winter President
| Gibbons of the TRANSPORTATION company.
arrived at Perth AmDOy and wan ed to
/ cross the Statan island sound to Totem
! Vile None of the bOatmen al Perth Am
! boy WOULD COnSlQer an OIIer 10 row MIN
across until Vanderbilt was seen. He said
/ that he would take the Job. The sea in
the sound was running high and the triv
! was very dangerous, but both men finally
! landed in safety on the Statan island
/ shore. As ii happened, Gibbons had ar
! appointment with a lady among the fash
( ionable Statan islanders this night and
/ he appreciated the bravery of young Van
/ derbilt in rowing HIM across the danger
| Gus waters in time not to disapp0int the
I lady, and thereupOn made him the captain
/ and part owner of a small oyster slOOp.
/ One successful season put young Van
/ derbilt in control of a little capital. and
! Gibbons, who had always remained hi
I firm friend advised him to assume the
management Of the Bellonia hotel, which
was then in nesd of a manager.
Vanderbilt did this and began to make
J money at once. His wife attended tbs
/ hotel and served the increasing trade
/ with good, well cooked food and entfcing
| drinks, while Vanderbilt wroked rs cap
tain on one Of the freight boats of tn.
/ transportation company. this position
too, coming to him through Gibbons pat
{ ronage-
1t was in 1925 that Vanderbilt. assume,
] charge of the Bellonia hotel. For man,
I years he conducted it, aided bv his wife
/ Then, with increasing good fortune. Mrs
/ Vanderbilt desired to change the hOte
/ quarters for a private residence. and tn
( lamiIy moved to a house a few hundre,
Yards north of the hotel TEerer the
! lived for many years.