People's Pilot, Volume 6, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 December 1896 — VANDERBILT’S TASK. [ARTICLE]

VANDERBILT’S TASK.

HEAD OF THE GREAT HOUSE LEARNING TO WRITE. Since* His Paralytic Stroke He Has Been Unable to Sign His Name—Now He Is Engaged In Learning to Write With His Left Hand. A man who is worth $100,000,000 and who controls more than $400,000,000, yet cannot write his own name, is something of an oddity. Bnt this is precisely the position that Cornelius Vanderbilt, head of the most powerful family in the country, is in. Moreover, he is now learning to write, and for that purpose has been laboring with pen and paper just as studiously as the very small boy in a schoolroom. Mr. Vanderbilt lost his ability to write when he was stricken with paralysis last summer. As all tbs world knows, his affliotion was brought about by worrying over tho engagement of his son Cornelius, Jr., to Miss Grace Wilson. It was while argning with the. boy that the tiny clot of blood settled upon his brain, producing the paralysis which almost cost him bis life. This happened five months ago. Since then Miss Wilson has become Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt, Jr. f and the eldest danghteNtof the afflicted millionaire has become Mr. Harold Payne Whitney. These domestio excitements, together with the recent death of his mother, have retarded his recovery seriously, and today he is far from being a well man, although he has had as much progress as conld reasonably be expeoted. For several months he gave no attention whatever to business matters, bnt about two months ago, when he was still at his Newport palaoe, the Breakers, it became neoessary to attend to certain financial affairs. He is practically in control of the fortunes of all his sisters and brothers, as well as his own, and there are certain matters in relation to the management of this wealth which devolve personally upon him. He must either perform these duties or the intricate machinery which keeps the Vanderbilt millions in motion must be completely altered. One of the first requisites, of course, was his signature to various documents. This Cornelius Vanderbilt was unable to perform. The paralysis, had attacked his right side, and today his right arm and hand are practioally nselesa A misfortune of this kind might have unnerved some men, but Mr. Vanderbilt was unwilling to give np the struggle and retire from the business world to live a quiescent life amid the luxuries of his wealth. Ohannoey Depew was with him at the Breakers when he made the attempt to write his name and failed. Turning to his ohief adviser, Mr. Vanderbilt said: “It seems, Depew, that I cannot write with my right hand, bnt my left side is good and strong. Other men have learned to write with their left hands, and I will have to do it. ” That same day his private secretary was sent out to hire the beet instructor of penmanship in Newport, R. I. He was directed to hunt np Colonel John R. Leslie, head master of the Rogers high school, and when that gentleman was informed that his professional services were needed to teach Mr. Vanderbilt how to write he was naturally surprised.

But the lessons began the next day, and for two hours each day thereafter the millionaire papil received the same instructions that had been given him forty odd years ago, when he was a small boy living in a very modest house* in the down town section of New York. Mr. Vanderbilt was not content to write his signature with facility. He wanted to be able to write letters and to write them rapidly too. So Colonel Leslie put him through a complete course. Copy books with various commendable words faintly outlined were furnished him, and he traced the letters as carefully as the small boy around examination time. He was shown how to hold the pen so that the end of the holder pointed toward his left shoulder. He practiced making strings of the letter O for half an hour at a time and then made a long succession of loops ranging from a big one down to a very small one. He was progressing finely when the death of Mrs. W. H. Vanderbilt occurred, and then he went to New York to attend the funeral.

Since his return to his Fifth avpnue home he has praotioed penmanship daily, but without the supervision of an instructor. Now he is able to sign checks and other documents, and it would almost require the eye of an expert to detect any difference between bis left handed signatures and those exeouted by his right hand prior to his illness. The physicians are hopeful that in time Mr. Vanderbilt will recover the use of his right side, but even at the •best this will be a matter of considerable time.—Washington Post.