Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-01
VANDERBILT IN LINE
Will Probably Be President of
National City Bank of N. Y.
HIS RISE WAS REMARKABLE
Stillman, Rockefeller's Friend,
Slowing Getting Out of Business.
REGARDED A WONDERFUL MAN
New Workers. Narrow, Not Moved
by Sentiment, But Know
Financier.
HIS RISE WAS REMARKABLE
REGARDED A WONDERFUL MAN
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.

Ely WILLIAM F.. CURTIS
Special Correspondence of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
NEW YORK, November 30. 1908
The newspa pers announce that Frank l.
VANDERBILT recently a newspaper reporter
in Chicago. will be elected president Of
National City Bank of New York at the
annual meeting Of the stockholders in De-
cember. Mr.. Nanderlip has received no
notice of this promotion and. indeed, has
no information on the subject except
what he has read in the newspapers; but
the report is very likely to be true. be-
cause everybody interested in the subject
has known for long time that Mr.. Still
man wants to retire and that the d.
rectors have picked Mr.. Vanderlip as his
successor.
The National City Bank is the largest
in the country and one of the oldest
banks in New York. 1t was organized in
1912. and has weathered every panic that
has swept over the United States. 1t was
a tower of strength in 1887 and again in
1857. and in war times was one of the
strongest financial supporters of the gov
eminent.
Its Presidents Have Been Famous.
Moses Taylor, a great merchant and a
great banker. then its president. was one
of the richest men in the world in his
DAY. He owned the controlling interest
in the National City Bank for many years,
and. when he died. left an estate Of more
than one hundred million dollars. which
was equal in value to double that amount
In these days of large fortunes. NJ. Tay-
lors heirs still have the largest interest
In the bank today and, with Mr.. Still
man. control it. The latter. however. is
OF
When Moses Taylor died MIR. Pyne, an
other famous merchant, was elected presi-
dent. and when the latter died. in 1851,
Mr.. Stilman was chosen to succeed him.
Mr.. Stillman is the son of a cotton mer
chant His fathers firm, Woodward &
Stillman. still survives in the city OF New
York, and is carrying on the same bust
ness in which it has been engaged for
two generations Mr.. Stillman himself
has not taken an active part in cotton
since he became president of the bank,
but still retains his interest. The family
have much property in Texas, and his
parents happened to be living at Browns
Vile when he was born. but he spent his
boyhood and went to school in New York.
When he was very young man his
father became an invalid and Mr.. Still
man was compelled to assume the re-
sponsbilities of the business. which he
did with great success. and soon won a
commanding position among the financial
and mercantile community. He developed
genius Tor nndnce just as MT. Wander
lip has done.
Financiers Are Born, Not Made.
1t is said that poets are born and not
made. The same is equally true of mu-
sicians artists, inventors. newspaper men
and financiers. No man can succeed in
any line of business unless he has mental
faculties adapted to its requirements.
They may lie dormant, like the genius of
Mr.. Vanderbilt until some accidental OPP
portunity develops them, they may ap-
pear in the first undertakings of life as
they did In the case of Mr.. Stillman. The
latter is the more likely to happen be-
cause people follow their inclinatons and
call it fate.
Mr.. Stillman ranks among the first three
or four financial geniuses in this country |
and yet there never was a more modest |
man. He Is actually diff1dent, and has al
ways been. He has that defect, if it be a |
defect, that Is so rare among the present |
generation. called bashfulness. He shrinks |
from publicity and from prominence, and |
effaces himself as much as possible. His |
name is known to millions of people who |
would never recognize his fame. His
photograph does not appear in the news |
papers and cannot be bought in the |
shops. He never sits on the platform |
but always takes a back seat. He never |
appears on any occasion if he can help |
1t. but accompl;shes things by suggestion |
and direction through others He Is a |
great conciliator. and many a time has
brought about peace among the several
rival factions In New York finance
Native New Workers. Are Narrow.