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

The marriage Of a young Vanderbilt has
set all the gOsSipS OF New brunswick, n.
J., taking about the days When one OF me
milliOnaire's ancestors kept a very good
hotel on the Rartian river, near that
classic city.
1t was here that Commodore Vanderbilt.
the great grandfather Of Alfred GWynne.
who married Miss Elsie French, was mine
host of the old Belonia hotel. The great
grandson had million-doliar 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
The old hotel is a New Brunswick land
mark now. Half the old liars and most
aged inhabitants in town will tell how
they drank with him, but rarely at his eX-
pense, for that is not the way in 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 d
tenement, is that it serves TO point a
moral and adorn the tales Of the chin
whiskeTed fraternity who retail remin-
ISCcnCeS to. all corners.
But in the old days when the Vanderbilt
who was TO become a commodore bv 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 a line of passenger
and freight slOOps between New Bruins
wick down the kar1tan river TO the bay
and thence to New York City, landing at
A trip by slOOp from New York to
Brunswick in those days was almost as
mOmentous an event as IS Jaunt to
Europe now. Mr. Vanderbilt caught the
passengers going and coming and put
them up at his well appointed inn TraV-
elers waited at the Beilonia for arriging
or departing boats or for the coach to
Philadelphia, stretching their legs before
q big log tire or drank hot tOddy in the
barroOm. mixed by the good wife of the
original vanderbilt, d buXOm, hOm6ly soul
who knew how to brew punch that
would warm the heart Of the weary
guest
EIoping couples sojourned under the
Vanderbilt roof and statesmen of the
Burr and Hamilton type who loved the
cheer Of the Bellonia.
It was while conducting this hotel that
Commodore Vanderbilt took his first les
sons in the field there was for 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 1853 and has passed
into the hands of the company.
Before he became baniface he dredged
oysters for a living in the RaTitan ba-.
He was noted for his skill and daring as
an Oysterman.
One stormy night in winter President
Gibbons OF the TRANSFORMATION company.
arrived at Perth AmbOy and wanted TO
cross the Statan island sound to Totem
vile. None Of the bOatmen at Perth Am
across until Vanderbilt was seen. He said
that he would take the Job. The sea in
the sound was running high and the trip
was very dangerous, but both men finally
landed in safety on. the Statan island
shore. As It happened. Gibbons had an
appointment with a lady among the fash
fOnable Statan ISLANDERS this night and
he appreciated the bravery Of young Van
derbHt III rowing h m across the danger
Gus waters in time not to diSappOnt the
/ lady, and thereuDOn made him the captain
One successful season put young Van
I derbilt in control of a little capital. and
/ Gibbons, who had always remained his
/ firm friend, advised him to assume the
management of the BellOnia hotel, which
was then in need of manager.
Vanderbilt did this and began 70 make
money at once. His wife attended the
hotel and served the increasing trade
with good, well cooked food and enticing
drinks, while Vanderbilt wrOked as ca D.
tain on one of tho freight boats OF the
transportation company, this position
too. coming to him through Gibbons pat
rOnage.
1t was in 1873 that Vanderbilt assumed
charge of the BellOnia hotel. For many
years he conducted it, aided by his wife
Then, with increasing good fortune Mrs
Vanderbilt desired TO change the hotel
quarters for private residence. and the
tamlly moved TO a house a few hundred
Yards north of the hotel TEerer they
I lived for TnanV wears