The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-04-03


daughter of the family had married
Ogden Goelet, multi-mllionare of
knickerbocker family. son. Orme WILL
son. hao married Miss Caroline Astor.
These and other alliances brought a
good show of socially important per-
sons to offset the bitter Vanderbilt
opposition. t
AS soon as he was married young Cor
nelius went to work quietly in the
draughting room OF the motive power de-
partment OF the New York Central Rail-
road. This department is in the depot
at Forty-second street He had thor
oughly qualified for this position. After
taking his degree In arts at Yale. he took
a course in the Sheffield Scientific School
at that university. He studied specially
the problem of locomotive construction,
upon which his family fortunes were
based. Then he worked in the machine
shops Of the New York Central and
learned how to construct a locomotive.
After that he was qualified to take a po-
sition in the draughting department,
where Inventive genius might be applied.
At the same time he led a happy family
life. His income was very limited. Chill
dren arrived in rapid succession. Every
body admired his wife's beauty and So
cial grace
Went On Working.
Cornelius was still working hard and
quietly. when his father died. That event
proved how enduring the quarrel had
been. The deceased millionaire had FIVE
children. To four OF them he left eight
million dollars apiece and to one Of those
four. Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt. he left
the residuary estate. To the fifth and
oldest child. Cornelius. he left only q
million dollars
Assuming that the entire estate was
ss0,000,000, Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt
must have received about $4,000, 900,
thus making him the official head Of the
family Cornelius. probably inspired by
his wife, threatened to bring suit to break
the will and obtained as compromise
the same share as his younger brother,
Reginald. and his sister-about 5000. 900
Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, the head OF
the family, had already begun training
for the career which was to make him a
sublimated cabdriver. He devoted all his
new fortune to his favorte pastimes. It
offered possibilities OF revelry beyond the
dreams of Sardanapalus. He became
NHO"h dS Inc greatest COACH driver III
the world and a remarkably generous
entertainer Of frivolous young women.
The head of the family lived in an
atmosphere of scandal One OF his stable
managers and boon companions ran away
with married woman. Another ran
away with an unmarried woman. Mrs
Agnes O'Brien Ruiz who had accom-
panied Alfred In his famous coaching
trip to England committed suicide. His
wife obtained a divorce.
Every time a new scandal concerning
Alfred was reported. a new and useful in
vention by Cornelius was announced. The
disinherited son worked away in his office
as hard as any $25 a week draughtsman
Thirty patents for inventions Of various
kinds in locomotives alone were taken
out by him.
Ten or twelve of them were OF serious
importance They reversed long-estab-
lished methods of locomotive building.
He Invented a patent cylindrical tank
car for transporting oil and all fluids.
The weight Is nearer the track the car
rage of the load Is easier and there IL
great economy.
He invented an entirely new boiler
and fire box. In this system the boiler
and fire box are harmonioEsiy cylindri-
Gated, doing away entirely with stay
bolts. The great trouble with all loco
motive boilers was due to stay bolts
breaking and leaks following from. the
pressure OF steam. There