1935-11-07 — Page 15

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH. THURSDAY,

VANDERBILT FORTUNE

FOUNDER

ONCE

A "PIRATE"

STARTED TO BUILD. NEW

FORTUNE AT 70

£1,200,000 IN A POCKET ANOTHER Vanderbilt has come into his own.

George, the son of Alfred Vanderbilt, who was drowned in the Lusitania, came of age last week and inherited the fortune of his father.

The figure is not known, but estimates give it as £4,000,000. Twenty-one-year-old George Vanderbilt thus takes his place as one of the headmen of that ultra-conservative aristocratic tribe that has been called the uncrowned Royal Family of America.

He will succeed men who have given fetes that recall the pageantry of Versailles, and for whose daughters' hands princes have clamoured and been re- pulsed.

his shins and put all the money" into railways.

He put his whole life's work into this grand last throw. People said it was senile mad-

ness.

Actually the septuagenarian Vanderbilt doubled and redoubled So much grandeur is tho his fortune in fifteen years heritage of a Vanderbilt.

--

From what source does it all come? From the efforts of a farmboy who started running a tiny ferry-boat and developed into a selfish, blasphemous, dyspeptic, and determined old man who lived to be probably the richest man in' America.

This old man, Cornellus, was born to a family of farmers in Staten Island, N.Ÿ., in 1794,

At the age of sixteen he began. to run blatown small sailing ferry,

railways.

of

Even in his first five years he made a clear profit of £5,000,000.

One midnight during these five years he walked home with £1,200,000, his share of profits, in his pocket in. notes.

At the age of seventy ho was just another millionaire, but radually he became something legendary, a man famous even in Europe.

Yacht Like Liner

He astounded the whole world

A. D. 1935

NOVEMBER 7, 1935.

AUSTRIA AND

These two outfits may look like diabolical war inventions, but are in reality for use by frena. One is an asbestos sult and the other a gas mask and were shown at an exhibition at Olympia, London.

ATLANTIC AIRWAY

50-TONS FLYING BOATS

AND £83 FARES

THE WAR

EVROPE

ON THE

EUE OF 1914

WHAT A GERMAN

JOURNALIST SAW

war, as seen by an influential German journalist, are described

Opening Kowloon To-night, 7th Nov.

HARMSTON'S CIRCUS

AND

ROYAL MENAGERIE

Location: Corner Chatham Road

and Cameron Road, Kowloon,

THE events that led up to the The Biggest. Brightest and Bast, still maintaining our old reputation.

Do not fail to seo this magnificent array of talent. Nightly at 9.15 p.m.

in "The Eve of 1914," by Herr Theodore Wolf.

Herr Wolf has not only the qualification of a historian's mind for sifting and interpreting avid- ence. As editór of the Berliner Tangeblatt, he saw at close quar- tera. many of the events he des- cribes.

Thus his pages are enlivened with many vivid impressions. On Aug. 2 he learned that the Minister of War would like to see him;

MATINEES

Every Saturday & Sunday at 4.30 p.m. Children Half Price to Matinces only,

Herr von Falkenhayn was stand-Full Box to hold six ing in a close-filing. white drill Single Seat in Box uniform slender, spruce, youthful,

by n table on which a large milt First

ary map was spread. The picture of the cominander standing at his ense to receive the visitor who happens to have come in. The most

handsome and elegant of the

Kaiser's Ministers of War received me with smiling amiability, and when I said I had been afraid I should be disturbing him and that ho must have so much of more im- portance to do that day, be replied: You are not disturbing me in the least, I have finished my job and have nothing at all to do."

This combination of qualities makes it the easier to accept the definite opinions which Herr Wolff, unlike some commentators on the beginnings of the War, is quite emphatic that William 11, did not desire war; he is equally sure that a strong and eventually successful party in Austria-not, however, in- cluding the Emperor-dld.

sucht which was as farge and New York to London Non-Stop ply to their ultimatum, on the

luxurious as the best. Transatlan- tie liners of the time. Nothing had been seen like it before,

boat between Staten leland and by building himself a private New York.

He sailed it sixteen hours in the twenty-four. He gave his mother £220 at the end of the first year, and bought a part interest in three more hoata,

A Doomed Trade

At eighty he was richor that ever, and still as straight as an Indian.

In 26 Hours

New York, Oct. 28.

He owned 978 miles of railway THE National Aeronautic Association an- nounces to-day detailed plans for a 50-tons

across the richest country in the

By the time ho was twenty-world from New York to Chiengo. three he was worth £1,800. He

And he had never read any book flying boat to carry loads of passengers, mail,

had been making £000 a year. But except the "Pilgrim's Progress." he sensed he was in a doomed .trade.

Steam had arrived. So ho gave up all the position he had created for himself and took a poorly-paid position as captain of Д small steam boat in another man's fleet. He stayed, learning all there

The Austrians withhold for two days, even from the Germana, the text of the almost abject Serbian

next day they published It and de- clared war at the same time. William said it was "a great moral success for Vienna; but with that every repson for war disappears."" But for those two vital.days he had been cajoled blindfold along the path which led to the cataclysm..

Emperor's Delusion

At the age of eighty-two ho died, and express freight between New York and Lon-of the Emperor receiving from the

leaving £20,000,000.

The bulk of his money went to don on regular overnight schedules.

his son, William K. Vanderbilt.

Out of it W. K. built the The association states that the new boat is to finest house in America on be developed by the Glenn L. Martin Company,

Fifth Avenue.

Six hundred men worked on was to learn, for twelve years, 11cit, and it cost £500,000. ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ů. saved money steadily.

flowers came from the

When he gave a banquet in it They were exciting years. the guests nte off gold plate and His steamer

a "pirate" the Was running without a licence, and the Southern States at a cost of £800. New York City officials were He only lived eight years after constantly trying to catch him. his father. In that time he had, so tended the fortune that his will

For sixty consecutive days

officers' boarded his boat with writs to arrest him. At first he would hide near the gangway;

disposed of £10,000,000.

and then, as soon as they had Crusaders'

come aboard, slip off on to the dock.

Later he had a secret

cham- ber, with a sliding panel, con- structed in the hold.

In 1829 he started to build

steamboats on his own account.

His boats were faster and more

Pledge In Cathedral

of Baltimore..

Twice as large as the 51,000lb. "clipper" ships now being built for the Pan-American Airways for use on the Transpacific route, it will weigh, empty, 48,000lb., and will carry a useful load of 52,000lb.

Equipped with four Diesel engines, developing 6,000-h.p., the giant flying boat will have a wing span of 180ft.

Air Mail 3d. An Ounce

The average number of hours for the eastbound trip is estimated at 26.7, and for the westbound trip at 31.5.

Perhaps the most revealing ple ture in Herr Wolff's book is that

hands of Sir Ernest Cassel the British Government's proposals for

an agreement. They went no far-

ther than a suggestion of reciprocal assurances debarring either Power from joining in aggressive designs or combinations against the other." “William_chose to read this as "a formal offer of neutrality in the

event of Germany being involved in war at any future date" and he and Bethmann-Hollweg and Ballin -evidently, anys Herr Wolff, "in a state of pleasant excitement”—set"

to work to draft a reply on that quite unfounded assumption. With such pathetic frivolity did the Government of the Empire stray towards its fate.

Writ Issued

According to technical reports, first class passengers will By A

pay as little as £83 for the one-way trip from New York to Lon- don at the start of the service of two round trips a week, but this

each week.

A sword was laid upon the rate may be reduced to £68 when nine or more trips are made Prince

luxurious than those of his rivals, altar at Southwark Cathedral

whom he gradually bought up.

lust month.

Before he was forty he had

£100,000.

-For Afteen years more ha tended his steamboat lines,

Then

It was the sword of the Tenth

Air mail will be carried for as little as 3d. an ounce.

twenty boats, and WAS worth Crusade, founded in 1921 to carry The promoters of the service estimate it would increase in

on the chivalrous ideals of the frequency with gradual increases in traffic until, with 169 round A ex Crusaders of eight centuries ago, trips weekly, using 210 of the projected new flying honts, it

and while it lay in state 200 came the great Call-modern crusaders from all parts would be possible to carry by air the entire passenger traffic at fornian gold rush of 1849. Van- of the country renewed their vows present handled by the six largest Transatlantic ocean liners. derbilt found a shorter way of of service to "King, country and getting to the West than any one fellow-men." else. It involved sailing down to Central America, going up a rapid, dangerous river, and crossing to the Pacfic coast by coaches.

"Jumped" Rapids

moment

Was the

A Day Saved

ALLEGED LIBEL IN 'RASPUTIN' FILM second sensational lawsuit arising out of the "talkie" film "Rasputin" is pending in the High Court in England.

A writ claiming damages for alleged libel has been issued against Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Ltd, by Prince Jacob. Chegodieff, a Latvian barrister, who contends that his character has been defamed in the film. He alleges that "Chegodicff” in the film is depicted as the While the non-stop route would be more expensive than stop-murderer of Rasputin and says Much valuable volunteer work ping in the Azores and Bermuda, the time saved a whole busi- that he did not know the "Holy Monk" and was never in any own beat, tied down the safety has been done throughout the ness day would be more important. valves, hauled the boat over the country by Crusaders, including

Mr. Martin adds: "The non-stop direct route is 3,600 miles position in the court of the Taar rocka in the river by cables, and an organised blood transfusion to be covered by our boats at an estimated average speed of 180 of Russia. "jumped" the rapids.

Hearing Next Yoar? Having proved that the passago

Imiles an hour."

Prince Chegodieff's name was could be made he started carrying

frequently mentioned during the such adventurous souls as would risk the journey.

hearing of a High Court case brought in March last year by Princess Irina Alexandrovna ¦ Youssoupoff. She was awarded £25,000 damages against Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Ltd.,. the alleged libel in "Rasputin" film.

A solemn

Mr. Glenn, L. Martin declares that no addition to present' minute's silence in memory of the knowledge or technique is needed to build the ships. dead. During it the aword and

the pennous of the different con- They can be constructed, he says, in the next few years, and claves with their gilt symbolic will be independent of the control exercised by foreign Govern- figures of the star, crescent, ments over Bermuda and the Azores.

The engineers reported that the porteullia and visor, were raised river could not be ascended. So loft. Vanderbilt took the wheel of his

This Fno was soon paying its founder £100 000 a year!

He

In his fifties he was one of the richost men In New York. came to be known as "tha com-{ modore," and no one had any reason to expect that this elderly man would be remembered as any thing but a successful steamboat -1owner.

But Instead, a few years, Inter! he did an extraordinary thing.

He was nearly soventy. He was worth £5 000.000. He had always

service.

Prince Nicholas ··

Father of Duchess of Kent Writes a Film

Prince Nicholas duction, which will bu

personally

of Greece, father supervised by Prince Nicholas, at of the Duchess of Elstree towards the end of the year. Kent, has written

Ile is negotiating with two famous be produced by a British actresses for the leading role British company.

of a middle-aged woman in love with

a fim which is to

The titia isa young sculptor, who, in turn, is in "The Glow. Be love with a girl of his own age. neath the Ashes," "Prince Nicholas has writton some

declared he would never go into the Battings modern Greece really first-class dialoguo," said Mr.

railways.

Then without- a qualm changed his mind. He sold

and the Bohemian quarter of Paris, | Schacht. with a good dramatic plot.

"I am much impressed with the

ho Mr. Max Schacht, of Capitol Films, effective way he has handled his all says that he proposes to start pro-youth calls to youth' achamo,"

AUTOGIRO AIDS GOLD PROSPECTORS

Having formed a company te, prospect for gold in Central and north Australia, Mr. Smith No- berts, a geologist and mining en- gineer intends to do it na scionti-

·fically as possiblo.

He will use autogiros, for the first time in gold-mining history, says Austral Newn. He is con- vinced that fust landing and take- off peronlnnes are unelen, na the most likely spots for the occur rence of gold aro innecernible to 'anything "except' an aeroplana

that can land, vertically,

for.

Prince Chegodieff was born of

a princely Tartar Russian family

in 1886.

IN

Chairs,

PRICES OF ADMISSION

(Including Tax)

$20.00 Second Chairs

$ 2.00

4.00 Carpots Gallery 3.00 Gallery

1.00

.50

Booking At Moutrie's, Sundays At The Circus

Soldiers and Sailors in Uniform

Half price to Carpets Gallory and Second Chairs only. Menagerie Open Daily From 8.00 am to 6.00 p.m.

Adijā Brīves pemuda

"THREE SWEETHEARTS

Ene

HAVE I. THE FOOLS!"

DIETRICH

{Markowaty mora d'irtebing, more bevhchlag kan over, as Jasoostures Concha, the teasing, berseding seast of Spelel.

THE DEVIL IS A WOMAN

with

LIONEL ATWILL • CESAR ROMERO EDWARD EVERETT HORTON [AUSON SKIPWORTH - DON ALVARADO Directed by Josef von Sternberg

A Paramount Picture

QUEEN'S

COMING

BRITISH MALT

BRITISH

HOPS

THERE'S NO FAULT.

ALLSOPP'S

SOLE AGENTS:

The action he is bringing Caldbeck Macgregor & Co., Ltd.

against Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

will probably be heard by a special jury in the King's Bench Division.

It is not likely to come on for trial till next year,"

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