Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 January 1885 — VANDERBILT AND GRANT. [ARTICLE]

VANDERBILT AND GRANT.

Mrs. Grant Refuses to Accept the Generous Offer Made by the Money King. (New York telegram.] The physical condition of Gen. Grant has created much alarm in this city, where it is generally reported that he is •suffering from a cancerous affliction of the mouth similar to that which caused the death of Senator Ben Hill. Last rammer, at Long Branch, Gen. Grant suffered from a swelling tongue. At first he paid but little attention to it, but later when it interfered seriously with his speech and the partaking of food he consulted physicians. The conclusion of thedoctors was that the affliction was aggravated by smoking, and they recommended that the General curb his appetite. Thia he did, reducing his quota- of cigars to half of one a day. Under this abstinence he improved. The trouble has now returned in a more violent form, and the belief prevails that it is a cancerous affection. That, it is so the doctors do not deny. Gen. Grant’s financial affairs were materially straightened yesterday by the generous gift of William H. Vanderbilt, whotransferred the bills of sale and mortgages; on Gen. Grant's estate to Mrs. Grant in trust The money king’s generous intentions were first revealed in the following letter: No. 640 Fifth Avenue, Jan. 10, 1885.— Mrs. Ulysses & Grant— Dear Madame: 8o many misrepresentations'have appeared in regard tothe loan made by me to Gen. Grant and reflecting unjustly upon him and myself that it eeem» proper briefly to recite the facts: On Sunday. May 4 last, Gen. Grant called at my house and asked me to lend him $150,000 for one day. X gave him my check without question, not because the transaction was business-like but simply because the request came from Gen. Grant. The misfortunes that overwhelmed him in the next twenty-four hours aroused the sympathy and reglet of the whole country. You and he sent me, within a few days after that time, deeds to your joint properties to cover this obligation, and urged my acceptance on the ground that this was the onlydebt of honor which the General had personally Incurred, and these deeds I returned. Duringmy absence in Europe the General delivered tomy attorney mortgages upon all his own real estate, his household effects, and swords, medals, and works of art, which were memorials of his victories and presents from governments all over the world. These securities were, in hia judgment, worth $150,900. At his solicitation the 'necessary steps were taken byjudgment, etc., to reduce these properties topossession, and the articles mentioned have been-, this day bought in by me, and the amounts bid! applied to the reduction of the debt. Now that. I am at liberty to treat these things as my own, th? deposition of the whole matter most in accord with my feelings is ibis: I. present to you, as your separate estate, the debt and judgment I hold against. Gen. Grant, also the mortgages upon hist real estate and all his household furniture and ornaments, coupled only with the condition that the swords, commissions, medals, gifts from theUnited States, States, cities, and foreign governments, and all articles of historical value and interest, shaD, at the General’s death, or, if: you desire it, sooner, be presented to the Government at Washington, where they will remain.: as perpetual memorials of his fame and of the - history of his time. I inclose herewith assignments to you of the mortgages and judgments, the bill of sale of hispersonal property, and the deed of trust in which the articles of historical interest are enumerated. A copy of this trust deed will, with: your approval, be forwarded to the President, of the United States for deposit in the proper department. Trusting'this action will meet, with your acceptance and approval, and witU the kindest regards to your husband, I am,, yours respec'fully, W. H. Vanderbilt. Mrs. Grant found herself unable-to accept the gifts, and in respect to her feelings of gratitude for the offer of Mr. Vanderbilt, Gen. Grant sent in reply the following letter:

New Yobe City, Jan. 10,1885. Dear Sir :—Mrs. Grant wishes me to answer" your letter of this evening to say that while she appreciates your great generosity in transferring to her the mortgage given to secure my debt of $150,000, she cannot accept it in whole. She accepts witn pleasure the trust which applies to tbe articles enumerated in your letter,, to go to the Government of the United States at my death, or sooner, at her option. In this matter you have anticipated the disposition which I had contemplated mak ng of the articles- They will be delivered to the Government, as soon as arrangements can be. made for their reception. The papers relating to all the other property will be returned, with tbe request that yon have it sold and the proceeds applied to the liquidation of the debt which Iso jnstlyowe you. You have stated In your letter, with the minutest accuiacy, the history of the transaction which brought me in your debt. I haveonly to add that I regard your giving me your check for the amount without inquiry as an act. of marked and unusual friendship. The loan was to me personally. I got the money, as I believed, to carry the Marine National Bank over a day, being assured that the bank was. solvent, but, owing to the unusual calls, needed assistance until it could call in its loan. I wasassured by Ferdinand Ward that the firm of Grant & Ward had over s<>6o,-000 to its credit ate. that time in the Marine Bank, besides $1,300,000 of unpledged securities in the firm's own vaults.

I cannot conclude without assuring you that Mrs. Grant’s inability to ava 1 herself of your great kindness in no way lessens either her sense of obligation or my own. Yours tiuly. To W. H. Vanderbilt, Esq. U. 8. Grant. When Mr. Vanderbilt found that his. offer was defeated by the refusal of Mrs. Grant to accept he determined to take tho matter into his own hands and apply tho estates to the creation of a trust fund that would accrue to her benefit He announced, this intention in a letter as follows: No. 610 Fefth Avenue, Jan. 11,1886. Gen. U. S. Grant: Deab'Sir: On my return home last night I found your letter in answer to mine to Mrs. Grant. I appreciate fully the sentiments which actuate both Mrs. Grant and yourself in declining the part of my proposition relating tothe real estate. I greafly regret that she feels, it her duty to make this decision, as I earnestly hoped the spirit in which the offer was made would overcome any scruples she might, have in accepting it. but I must insist, tliat I shall not be defeated in the purpose to which I have given so much thought and in. which I have so much at heart. I will, therefore, as fast as the money is receive! from the sales, of real estate, deposit it in the Union Trust Company. WiWi the money thus realized I will ar once create with that company a trust with the proper provisions for the income to be made to Mrs. Grant during her life, and giving the power to her to make Buch disposition of theprincipal by her will as she may elect. Very truly yours, William H. Vanderbilt. Gen. U. 8. Grant. Gen. Grant at first accepted this last letter, but Mrs. Grant, on further deliberation, decided to refuse all gifts, treating the debt as one of honor, which the General should pay without attracting compassion or deserving it: New York City, January 11. 1885. Dear Sir: Your letter of this date received. Mrs. Grant and I regret that you cannot accept our proposition to retain the property which, was mortgaged in good faith to secure a debt of honor. But yonr generous determination compels us to no longer resist Yours truly, W. H. Vanderbilt. U. 8. Grant. New York, Sunday, January 11, 1885. My Dear Mr. Vanderbilt: Upon reading your letter this afternoon General Grant and myself felt it would be ungracious to refuse your princely and generous offer. Hence his note to you. But upon reflection I find I cannot I will not accept your munificence in any form. I beg yon will pardon this apparent vacillation and consider this answer definite and final. With great regard, and a sense of ob igatlon that will always remain, I am vours very gratefully, Julia D. Grant. To Mr. William H. Vanderbilt

Mark Twain travels dually in palace cars, claiming one seat in the smoking apartment, where he issues volumes of smoke from his brierwo’od, and another seat in the saloon, where he can retire to get rid of the smoke he has raised. Mr. Gladstone’s son, the rector, is to wed a Miss Mary Wilson, the daughter of a Liverpool 'doctor of large practioe and means, but a savage Tory. Love knows no politics. ' Spurgeon’s eighteen hundredth sermon has just been published.