547

CORNELIUS VANDERBILT

Currency:USD Category:Everything Else / Other Start Price:NA Estimated At:2,000.00 - 3,000.00 USD
CORNELIUS VANDERBILT

<b>547. CORNELIUS VANDERBILT</b>
<hr align=left size=5 width=33% color=#778899>(1794-1877). American industrialist who amassed a fortune through his railroad and shipping interests. Late in life he became an important philanthropist, among other interests endowing Vanderbilt University. Superb early manuscript DS “<i>C VanDerbilt</i>,” 3pp, legal folio, Aug 1, 1822. Approval of balance sheet for the month of July “<i>in account with the Steamboat Bellona</i>” listing expenditures and receipts, including regular and stage passengers. Boldly signed with paraph beneath signature of <b><font size=-1>William Gibbons</font></b>. Minor toning; else Fine. Vanderbilt did not own his own steamboat until 1829. In 1817 he sold his sailing vessels and went to work as captain for <b>Thomas Gibbons</b> who owned a small ferry. Once he learned how to operate the steamboat, he persuaded Gibbons to build a steamboat that he himself designed—the <i>Bellona</i>. Vanderbilt began ferrying passengers from New Jersey to Manhattan in violation of the legal Fulton-Livingston monopoly. He charged $1—which was below cost—rather than the monopoly price of $4, but made up his losses by raising the price of food and drink in the steamboat’s bar. In an 1824 lawsuit, <i>Gibbons vs. Ogden</i>, in which Daniel Webster was Gibbons’ attorney, the monopoly of steamboats was declared illegal and opened the way for competition and new technology of which both Gibbon and Vanderbilt took full advantage.

<table border=1 cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=100%><tr><td width=50%><center><font size=+1 color=red><b>Register Early !!!</font>
<b>Signature House cannot guarantee that registrations received after
10PM EST, Friday, 09/013/02,
will be processed.</b></center></td><td><table border=0 cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=100%><tr><td colspan=2><center><b>Approximate Selling Schedule (EST)</b></center></td></tr><tr><td width=200><font size=-2>10:00-11:00...Lots 001-100
11:00-12:00...Lots 101-200
12:00-01:00...Lots 201-300
01:00-01:30...Lots 301-359
01:30-02:00...Break</font></td><td width=200><font size=-2>02:00-03:00...Lots 360-459
03:00-04:00...Lots 460-559
04:00-05:00...Lots 560-659
05:00-06:00...Lots 660-759
06:00-Fini...Lots 760-840</font></td></tr></table><tr><td colspan=2><center><font size=+1><b>After the Sale</b></font></center>We will email you an invoice by 5pm EST, Wednesday, 09/18/02, using the information you gave on your registration form. Please <u>do not</u> try to contact us before then.</td></tr></table>