Evening journal., 1914-01-21
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
z----
The Man Who Died With
His Boots On
By Holland.

William II. Vanderbilt Inherited.
was going to say, one particular
hobby which was characteristic of
his father, the great commodore, q
said Captain Frederick c. Wagner,
who was an intimate friend of the
Vanderbilts. and who was the pro
yost-marshal OF New York City dur
the four years OF the Civil War.
william II. Vanderbilt, like his
father, could not be persuaded to
wear anything in the form of leather
upon his feet excepting the old-fash-
ioned nigh boots. For some twenty.
or thirty years before the mid-siXties
every gentleman or every man who
wanted to be well dressed wore calf
skin boots. They we're high-reaohing
things. They came Up SO as to cover
almost all of the legs below the
knees The trousers were worn over
them. II was customary FOR tnose
who were fastidiOus to have their
boots made by some favored boot
maker and the choicest kind OF calf
skin was utilized in the manufacture
of them. Many men kept their boo,
lasts with their bootmakers for years.
and the lasts sometimes passed Oh
from one generation to another, rep
resenting part of the good assets OF
the bOOtmaker's shop.
William II. Vanderbilt was espe-
cialiy particular about his boots.
They we're splendidly made and were
so fitted as to make his feet appear
shapely. They were always very
highly polished. He never could be
prevailed upon TO try to wear a pair
OF congress CATERS, a shoe made with
an elastic side so that il could be
slipped on and off easily. These were
very popular. at one time, and led to
the ultimate supplanting of the high
topped boot by the modern shoe.
1T was a curious thing, observed
by some of those who were brought
in touch with Mr.. Vanderbilt, thai
many of his subordinates, especially
men who were at the head of execu-
tive departments, were strongly dis
posed to initiate some of Mr.. Wander
bits habits with respect TO dress.
Almost all the heads of departments
invariably wore boots - at least as
long as Mr.. Vanderbilt lived. Some
OF his subOrdinates kept up that Gus
tom until they, too, passed away. Al
the head of the real estate depart
ment OF the Vanderbilt lines for many
years was "A man in whom William h.
Vanderbilt had the utmost confidence,
William Van Arsdale.
In the course of his long career
as the head of the real estate depart.
ment, Mr.. Van Arsdale conducted
with great skill some real estate ne
gotiations involving large amounts OF
money.
II do not recall that he Initiated
Mr.. Vanderbilt's dress in any other
way than that he always had the
same kind of boots which Mr.. Van
derbilt wore. made, / think, by the
same bOotmaker.
1T must have been some ten on
twelve years after Mr.. Vanderbnrs
death that Mr. Van Arsdale was sud
denly stricken by an attack some
what similar to the one which proved
mortal for William II. Vanderbilt.
think IL was evening, and about the
hour when Mr.. Van Arsdale usually
retired, when just after he had taken
off, by means of a bOotjack, one OF
his boots, he succumbed to the at
tack. He was still conscious when
his wife found him. He saw the boot
WHANh hN hou ieAioNtu lsiub upon lnt
floor and he realized that he had
taken off only one Thereupon in 4
faint voice, he asked his wife to draw
on the boot again, for he wanted TO
have both boots on when the doctor
came. Those were his last words
He fingered for only an hour ana
then passed away having died liter
ally with his boots on"
Copyright 1914. by e. J. Edwards.
All rights, reserved.)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tea
The Railway Engineer With a Rul-
ing Ambition.