Evening journal., 1911-02-14
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Lesson in Bookkeeping
That Vanderbilt Taught
BY "Holl8nd."

"In my early manhood" said the
late Samuel Barton, nephew OF Com
modore Vanderbilt and one of the eX-
ecutors of Vanderbilt's estate, 1T was
my ambition to become a great lawyer.
/ thought that in the family and its
various connections there ought to be
someone who was neither a merchant,
a financier nor a steamboat man.
so ] studied law, was admitted to
the bar, and became managing clerk
for one of the greatest law firms Of
New York city of that time, Barlow,
Shipman, Laroque and Mcfarland. At
that time the Commodore was very
much occupied with his own steam
ship lines, and with his Long Island
Sound steamboats, as we'll, although l
learned afterwards that he was just
then beginning to think of changing
his career from that of a steamship
owner and manager to that of rail-
ways.
THE Commodore had placed in
charge of the steamship lines as his d.
rect representative his sonrin-law.
Daniel Torrance. He was pretty much
everything under the Commodore
cashier, bokkeeper. manager. and all
that knew that Torrance was becom-
ing q little tired of the work and was
looking around for an opportunity to
go into business for himself. But
didn't believe he would ever be able TO
break away from the Commodore.
"One morning the Commodore ask
ed me to call upon him at his offices,
which we're then in a building which
faced Bowling Green. very near the
Battery He was not in his office when
l called but he came in a few min
utes later and greeted me with his
customary salute: Hello. Sammyr
Then, when we were alone, he asked
Sammy, do you expert TO make a
lawyer?
Il replied that / was one already,
in the bud at least.
Sammy. you know enough law,
now, don't you, to keep out of jail? ? the
Commodore said; and I knew from his
manner that behind the pleasantly he
had some serious purpose.
Yes. Commodore, I replied, I
think that | know enough law TO keep
out of jail. but ! also think l know
enough to keep out even though ! were
not lawyer.
Sammy he said I want you to
give up the law. Dan Torrance is go
ing to quit the steamboat business.
have got to have somebody that l can
trust in his place. and | want to put
you there. / want you to begin next
week
But, Commodore / protested. I
can't take Dams place. I don't know
the first thing about bookkeeping
"The Commodore looked qulzzically
at me for a moment. and then he told
me that he could find out in an instant
whether / had told him the truth or
not when I said that ! didn't know
anything about bookkeeping.
Sammy he said, you know
enough to take in all the money that's
coming, to say how much you have
taken in, don't you?'
Why, of course | do, Commodore.
Well, Sammy, you know how to
pay out what I tell you to?'
" OF course. | can do that
" Well, you know enough to pay
over to me all that is left. don't you?
OF course; that's easy ! said.
Well, that's all there is to book
keeping. Now, you quit over there with
Sam Barlow. as soon as he'll let you
go, and come over here and take Dan
Torrance's place
"Of course, there was nothing TO do
hut to accept the Commodores offer,
aud that's why I gave up the law for
business"
Copyright. 1911, by r. j. Edwards All
rights reseryed.)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell Of
"The State that Had Two Shooting
Senator's"