Evening star., 1939-12-24

garet Emerson, and they shared
equally in the residue. At the age of
81 they received the accumulated
income (their father specified the
residue was to be invested and re-
invested and one-fourth of the
principal.
Original Amount Rises.
When Alfred was Is he received
another fourth, and at 80 he will
get another, and the last when he
Is IS. The same is true of George.
1t isn't known just how much this
original inheritance has grown, but
reliably informed persons say
Alfred's fortune now totals between
$20.000,0 900 and S30,000,000
Besides, Alfred and George some
day should share in most of their
mothers estate.
It is difficult thing for a young
man with a pocketful of millions to
be democratic and a hale-fellow-
well-met without seeming to be con-
descending. But Vanderbilt has
done right smart job of ringline
with people who work for living
perhaps because the race folk-the
Jockeys and owners and trainers and
even the gamble. e.s-accept him as a
horseman and not because he has
money.
Down through the years Belmont
Park has been the retreat of in
herited wealth, with a rallied off turf
and field club inclosure where even
the clubhouse customers got nothing
better than a scowl.
Once upon time an earlier Van
derbilt, William, it was-went his
own roughshod way, even shouting
vindictively in an angry moment:
THE public be damned"
Named to Head Belmont.
Run-of -the-mill horse players have
more often than not had a huncf
that Belmont was operated on thi:
theory, with John Public tolerated
rather than welcomed. Not that
racing didn't have quality. It did
So much. in fact, that we doubt
whether the average customer. in
tent upon his 50 bet, appreciated
what he got to see.
This fall. because of poor health
Joseph E. Widener. the Philadelphia
sportsman, decided to retire, anc
Belmont's directors, casting about
for new president, named Wander.
bilt to succeed him. They wanted 8
young man with ideas It's a gooe
bet he will give them what they
wanted.
Pimlico was eaten up with dry ROT
and tottering with old age when AL.
fred took over there a few years
ago, and money was hard to fine
around the place.
First of, stake-a day policy was
inaugurated, and the best horses
started showing their wares dowr
in Baltimore. The mutuel handle
climbed, too. He changed the con.
ditions for the Preakness, tossed
more money into the pot, and addec
to the staff a director who could gel
the old hilltop course some atten.
ton in the public prints-David F
Woods.
This fall Pimlico became the first
Eastern track to use the new electric
starting gate, and also the first ir
the East to have an electric timing
device which would show the running
time of a race Immediately, ever
breaking it down into furlongs.
Informal Dinner Arranged.
These then may be some of thu
things New York patrons may lool
forward to under the Vanderbilt re.
gime. He didn't waste any time ir
deciding to get better acquainted
with the sports writers in Manhat.
tan. Woods, who now serves as 6
sort of personal representative ir
track matters, got busy. An infor.
NAL dinner would be the thing, they
decided
This was the first time most O.
the racing writer's had ever had 9
chance to get within shouting dis.
tance 0iterally) of a top man al
Belmont, and naturally the privat.
cellar at Icons in midtown wa.
crowded that night.
At the foot of the stairs was Van.