Year: 1877

Commodore VanderbiIts Personal Habits,

 Characteristics and Business Methods.

 The childhood of Vanderbilt was spent amid scenes of toll, frugality and rigid simplicity And so, when at sixteen years of age he voluntarily took upon himself to be man, he was prepared for the application and labor of manhood. Thenceforward for twenty years he gave himself no leisure when there was work to be done. Neither on Sundays nor holi- days, nor at night more than in day time, did he allow himself respite. Places of amusement were unknown to him. This portion of his life was simply continual round of hard work. He courted no so- ciety, assumed no style, and seemed to care for nothing beyond money making. He was secretive to an extreme, never permitting his plans to become known until they were made public by their operation. He was cumulative, and, be- ing endowed with @ powerful frame, never feared to test his muscle with any one who was bold enough to submit dispute to such arbitration. And it is but fair to say that he was seldom if ever worsted in personal encounter.

 As an employer he was exacting; in- sisted tkat his orders should be respect ed without questioning; violent in his manner and language, and yet withal he invariably attached those he employed to him so strongly that they seldom sought other service when they could remain with him. The unanimous verdict of these men is that he was hard master, but @ just one, kind to his men, but al- ways careful to make all the money he could out of them. During the first pc riod of his active life, covering the years of his application to steamboating on inland waters, his children, thirteen in , all, were all born. These were committed 1 to the care of their mother, and were trained by her to habits of frugality and independence. The commodore had no time, if he had the inclination, to de- vote to these domestic cares. But he faithfully seconded all his wife's plans re- garding the children, and furnished her, without stint, with whatever money she required to provide for them.

 HIS IDEAS EXPANDING.

 In the second period of this remarkable mans career, covering his steamship enterprises, he indulged more in the com forts and enjoyments of life. He built | him fine house. furnished it handsome ly, and began to live like man of means rather than as laborer. A carriage was 1 placed at the disposal of his wife and daughters, while an ambitious trotting horse occasionally ministered pleasure to the millionaire after hard days work. And finally, toward the end of this period, the commodore was inveigled into club life and enticed to spend an evening at whist.

 But with all these enioyments he never neglected business. He had no imposing array of bookkeepers, cashiers and clerks. 1 His office, even when his business was most extended, comprised but two rooms, and three clerks did all the work, under his immediate supervision. He knew nothing of bookkeeping himself, and when it became necessary that his vast operations should be recorded in some form, he employed man who was good at figures, and could write 8 plain hand, to keep the accounts. He never owed any floating debts and never allowed any body to be indebted to him unless he had collaterals to show for it; and these trans actions he considered required no book ing. As he acquired ready money he in vested 1t without consulting anybody. As time passed along and his means in- creased, rendering larger operations necessarry for the employment of his cap- ital, and stock companies more conven- tent or desirable for the management of these grander enterprises, he had num- erous company of sons-in-law from among whom to select officers and directors. Thus he contrived to manage all his af- fairs himself, or at least with the aid only of members of his own family.

 ! THE DIVERSIONS OF RAILROAD KING.

 There came third period-the grand period in which he became the giant stock operator and the railroad king of his age. During this period he indulged himself in leisure and pleasure more than at any former time. In the rear of his house on Washington place he built @ commodious stable for his horses, with ment; bought costly stock; provided himself with team of matched trotters which were marvels of speed; drove daily through the park and on the road, birding himself on his ability to pass anything travelling; patronized horse races; was occasionally to be seen at the opera or theater; dined regularly at the Manhattan club, and spent his evenings there at the whist table until he married his second wife, and seemed really to en- joy life;

 Yet during these years he remained dlhgent in business. When he gave up navigation he removed his office to building adjoining his stables on Fourth ! street, and here, as late as 1870, he could always be found from nine in the morn ing until three in the afternoon. After leaving his office in the afternoon he made it rule to refuse all business calls except those of confidential nature His aim was to leave his business at his office, retire to his residence and enjoy a short nap, then take drive on the road with his trotters and return to his club house for dinner, where he usually re- mained through the evening. This rou- tine continued up to the time of his sec- ond marriage. HIS DOMESTIC LIFE.

 It has been seen that when yet but a lad young Vanderbilt withdrew himself from parental control. He never. seems to have manifested much regard for his father, but for his mother, who lived to good old age, he always displayed the most solicitous affection and respect Her influence was always more potent with him than any other. Even she never succeeded in exciting in her sons breast any great regard for religion and spiritual concerns, though her example l as pious woman was not wholly lost on him. Though the family were of Dutch descent, this good woman was connected ! with the Moravian church on Staten Island, and her remains now lie entomb- . ed in the cemetery attached to that church. Since her death, which occurred upward of twenty years years ago, the . commodore has manifested warm re- gard for that particular church and ceme- tery. He voluntarily conveyed to the congregation a very valuable piece of . land adinininp their ornunds fni thn nn