New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-09-12
BY Arnold Prince

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mausoleum in the placid,
inconspicuous little hamlet Of New
Dorp, Staten Island.
When alive he was, in q sense, a
citizen Of the world, although, Of
course, he never severed his ale
glance to the United States, the
land Of his birth. His great wealth
enabled him to move about at will.
For this good fortune he was an
debted to the thrift and energy Of
his sturdy grandfather of Dutch an
tecedents, who piled up an amazing
lot Of money in a few years. He
was able to go where he liked, and
he liked the interesting places. In
New York he had home built after
a famous chateau which is still
pointed out by megaphone to visitors
on sightseeing buses. He had an
other at Newport, the social capital
Of the country, and third on Long
Island. He had residence in Paris
and two estates in France outside
the capital.
Knew the Worlds Capitals
He was familiar with the CAPT
tails Of Europe, had more than q
speaking acquaintance with royalty,
and in his more youthful days at
least, when he desired to make a
trip across any Of the seven seas,
did not have to wait for the car
riers catering to ordinary travellers.
He had a yacht generally described
in the newspapers as floating pal:
ace," and could go where and when
he liked, without stopping to make
reservations or troubling to find out
whether his stateroom had a port
opening on the ocean or was too
near the propeller to be comforta-
BILE.
He lived in the splendid places
Of the world, but after death his
body, in keeping with the family
traditions, was taken back to New
Dorp, the small community on the
outskirts Of Staten Island where he
was born. 1t rests there now in q
tomb which is impressive enough in
appearance, but in surroundings
contrasting sharply with the bril-
1iance usually associated with the
name Of Vanderbilt.
From New Dorp he had come
and to New Dorp he returned.
The name of this Vanderbilt was
William Nissan Vanderbilt. He died
in his home at Paris on July % last.
His father was William Henry Van
derbilt, eldest son of that Commo-
dore Cornelius Vanderbilt who built
up the transportation system and
with it the family wealth.
Loyal to Staten Island
Although Willie T., as he was
called in former days, travelled about
@ great deal and lived most of his
later years in Paris and other Euro
pean cities, he remained loyal to
America and New Dorp. In this he
displayed some Of the Dutch char
acteristics which distinguished his
father and grandfather. There was
a great similarity between the three
men, and, in fact, they looked much
alike. They were good looking, and
1T was this very fact, perhaps, that
caused the old commodore to enter
tain some doubts as to the business
capacity Of Willie X. and his brother
Cornelius. who died twenty-one years
ago.
The old commodore was what we
in this age are pleased to call an old
fashioned man, with ld-fashioned
ideas as to thrift and character, and
once when discussing his two grand
sons in general and his views on
boys in particular, he said:
III boy is good for anything you
can stick him down anywhere and
he'll earn his living and lay up some
thing; IL he CANE do it he amt worth
saving and you can's save him."
True TO Family Traditions
The old commodore had no reason
to worry about either Willie X. or
his brother, Cornelius, however, for
each, when In his turn he became the
head Of the family, conducted him
SELF 80 became % Vanderbilt. Each
took care Of the family fortune. re-
naatned faithful TO the standards e.
tablashsd by the old commodore and
faithful also to the tiny. inconspicu-
Gus hamlet that saw their birth.
Cornelius was the older OF the
brothers, and while he lived William
KdsSan remained somewhat in the
background, as 10 the case In Eng.
Hand and now generally In this