ROMANCE OF MILLIONS

Horowhenua Chronicle, 22 November 1928, Page 2

ROMANCE OF MILLIONS

PROM £2O TO £20,000,000

TASK BEFORE A BIRTHDAY,

Among the life stories of America’s famous millionaires there is none more remarkable than that of ' Cornelius Vanderbilt, who died a little over 50 years ago, leaving." a fortune worth more than £20,000,000. How he set about creating this wealth with £2O, which his mother took from her lijttle hoard inside the clock of their home is described in a fascinating book. byMr. Arthur D. Howden Smith. Vanderbilt hsed to declare there was no money in; dishonesty, and made everv penny of his great fortune in a perfectly legitimate way. He began with a small sailing boat that .he bought with the £2O, and launched his career as a transporter on his 16th birthday, taking passengers to and fro between Saten Island and I<ew York. His mother was proud of the fact that Cornelius practically. supported himself by doing odd jobs ever since ho was six.

At the age'-'of 13, Cornelius took oyer from his father the task of lightering the cargo out of a stranded vessel near Sandy Hook. By the time he wa« IQ, he was too go-ahead to be satisfied, with his father’s ideas, and insisted on . setting up for himself. His father and mother made it a condition that he should plough and sow an eight-acrp field before his' birthday, in order to have the £2O for a boat. The enthusiastic lad rounded up all his " churns ’ ’ bribed them with offers of free sails in his craft, and got thm to work clearing tho field of great stones. He finished the job on the day before his birthday. Next morning he ms at the ferry, ready^iiaf^gg^-. Twelve months later Corneel stalked into the kitchen where‘his mother was cooking supper. He handed her back the notes, she had . given him to buy the boat. “No, No!” she protested: ‘*YoU ftc'cp that, Corneel. You have done all And here’s a thousand here’s ;a thousand dollars I, saved, beside;” added the young man. "Guess that ’ll easA thiugs for pa, cM” On 23,' Cornell balanced ledger, and found he had-three ycsshls and ftlfw in cash, bound io ; beat sails,’ ’ 1 'hh ':.rtfieeted, when deciding' bbats,.^f *if v yc give -folks r«on^o^.^d;Mo^£f£' ’ Then into*’: rivet ‘ ‘ steam-bofitfri nearly 70 [years old he made another leap out Jf ■ steanirboats into railways. He? his , ?tO ai h s bips,' and . secured i . control of the 'Harlem line/ At the time- of $s death,.Mr. Vanderbilt was the dominating figure -in - j ( railways and controller of Wall Street.