Cornelius Vanderbilt Quotes
115 Cornelius Vanderbilt Quotes
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[At the age of almost 70. ‘We’ve got enough money, ain’t we? Why don’t you lay off – and live like a gentleman? – Sophia.] No, Sophia, we ain’t got enough money yet. And I ain’t what towny folks would call a gentleman, neither.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
[‘But you’re getting on for seventy.’ – Sophia.] Huh! Don’t feel it. I ain’t satisfied with this steamship business. Got to do something worthwhile. Might be railroads. Yes, might be railroads.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
I made money out of steamships but the lines I started are gone – all gone in a little more than ten years. Why, folks won’t remember they ever was in another ten years. I guess I got to begin all over again. [‘You always was so restless, Cornelius. Getting on for seventy and you might be a colt with a burdock in his tail.’ – Sophia.]
Cornelius Vanderbilt
[On lending the Vanderbilt (Which was a 5,000 ton steamer that cost him $800,000.) to the Union Navy, but the government seeing the transaction differently and giving him a gold medal and thanks of the nation for his ‘gift’.] The damn, dirty thieves. What in h*ll do I want with their twenty-five dollar gold medal? What’s a medal, anyway? I want my steamer! I never said I’d give them the Vanderbilt. They took her. They stole her…
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Fight! You’ve got to fight.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
We got the money, we got the men. All we want is guts and by God we ain’t going to quit for want of them.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
[On shares during the war.] Never sell short. When you buy, buy for investment.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
[On Daniel Drew urging him to sell a stock which had sustained a considerable rise.] She’ll hit par some day Daniel. What’s the use in letting her go?
Cornelius Vanderbilt
[To his son ‘Billy’ (William Henry Vanderbilt) when he asked for his influence to be made the receiver of the Staten Island railroad after it had acknowledged bankruptcy.] You never amounted to a hoot in h*ll, Bill. Hadn’t been for me to look after you, I dunno but what you’d be loafing on the ferry-dock, barefoot. [‘I don’t know if that’s altogether true, father. I’ve made my farm pay. It brings in $12,000 a year.’ – Billy] Twelve thousand dollars! Dear God! When I was your age – Well, go ahead. Aint’s no use arguing. I’ll speak to the creditors; see what can be done. If they’re agreeable, I’ll get you named receiver. But if you botch it… [‘I won’t.’ – Billy.]
Cornelius Vanderbilt
[On debating with his wife Sophia on his son Billy running the Harlem railroad. ‘You talk like you was the Lord Almighty, Cornelius. Don’t you never make mistakes?’ – Sophia.] Not often, I don’t. Can’t afford to. Too many folks can do it better than me. [‘Well, you’ll give Bill a chance, won’t you? He’s awfully set on railroading.’ – Sophia.] Yes, I guess I’ll keep him on. He’ll do what I tell him to anyway. Got to have someone I can trust.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
I got to have someone to carry on my name. I got to have someone to keep up my work.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
[At the age of 70.] Stiffen your back… Age don’t bother me!
Cornelius Vanderbilt
H*ll, everyone knows I ain’t going to stop with Harlem (Railroad). Buy in the open market, boy, buy in the open market.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
I’m going to bust them thieves. All I got is in this. And I’ll take all they’ll give me.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
[To Daniel Drew on foiling his attempt to short-sell through creating more stock when Cornelius already owned all the issued stock.] I ain’t interested in your religion, but your money!
Cornelius Vanderbilt
[To Daniel Drew who lost $500,000.00 on his short-sale with ‘watered stock’ with the share price going up from 90 to 285.] Pay up or shut up! I’m busy.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Serve the public and you make money. Fool the public and you get to be like Daniel Drew. It ain’t sense to steal.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
[To Daniel Drew on him saying that he and Cornelius have fed out of the same manger for almost forty years.] It ain’t in nature for a man to feed with a hog.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
[To Daniel Drew.] Millions ain’t no use if you steal ‘em.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
[To Daniel Drew on the Erie railroad.] I ain’t figuring on your conscience. I’m figuring on your eye for profits. You know the Erie finances, and if you’re honest she ought to make a sight of money.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Tell them fellows to support the market. Support the market!
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Buy every God-damn share of Erie that’s offered!
Cornelius Vanderbilt
It takes a bigger man than Daniel Drew to bust Cornelius Vanderbilt.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
[On fighting a substantial printing of new shares (Appearing to be illegal printing.) in Erie railroad and losing $2,000,000.] Can’t beat a printing press, and if the law ain’t honest a fellow has to get from under. I don’t reckon on playing with thieves any oftener than I have to.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
We’ve gone far enough. Buffalo’s my limit. If we go on west to Chicago, we might as well go clear to Frisco and China.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
[On being asked his opinion about the panic of 1873 at nearly 80 years of age.] Ever drive a horse? Ever have him get his head, and make a break for it, hey? Well it ain’t no use to haul him in right away. Just keep a hold of the reins, feel him, pull him in slow. If he don’t pitch ye out, you’ll pretty soon have him trotting again.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
[To those who wrung their hands and sobbed in the panic of 1873.] If you got to go, you got to go. Might as well make the best of it. I’m doing all I can for you. It won’t help none to pull me down with you.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
[On being asked in 1873 by a reporter. ‘What do you think of the panic?’ – Reporter] I don’t think about it at all. [‘What do you intend to do about it, then? – Reporter.] I don’t intend to do anything at all. [‘Well, haven’t you got anything to say about it?’ – Reporter] Not a word. [The reporter crestfallen started to walk toward the door, and Cornelius relented.] Say, sonny, lookahere. Let me give ye a word of advice. Pay ready money for everything ye buy, and never sell anything ye don’t own. Good morning, sonny.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
[To Chauncey M. Depew a young lawyer he had employed on the New York Central’s legal work when he was offered a nomination for governor.] Stick to railroads, young man. Railroads are the career for young men. You’ll never get anywhere in politics. Don’t be a damn fool. [Depew accepted the advice, and never had cause to regret it.]
Cornelius Vanderbilt
[On not having patience for long-winded or footless callers.] Get to the point, Mister. What? What? You said that before. All right, all right. I understand. No, I can’t talk to you any longer. I’m a busy man. Good morning.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
[On being asked by Sir Henry Holland, Queen Victoria’s surgeon after looking at his bare Fourth Street office (His office consisted of only himself, Lambert Wardell and an office boy.) ‘I should like, if you will permit me, sir, to see your bureaus of affairs.’ – Sir Henry Holland. Cornelius Vanderbilt was puzzled.] What bureaus? [‘Your departments of business. Where do you conduct your affairs? – Sir Henry Holland. (Cornelius pointed to the office boy sitting at a plain table at the opposite end of the room.)] There. [‘The rest is in the Commodore’s head. But come, Commodore, pull out your business drawer for Sir Henry. Show him your materials for work.’ – Thurlow Weed (Who had come with Sir Henry Holland.). Cornelius complied with a slight smile and Sir Henry looked at a checkbook and a box of cigars.]
Cornelius Vanderbilt
[On being asked for a loan of $27,000 for a rational proposition. Cornelius had every intention of granting the loan, but the man was inclined to take his case for granted, and Cornelius revolved to ‘toll him on a mite.’ However Cornelius had an idiosyncrasy of only writing cheques on half-sheets of plain paper and his banks were all used to this form and were instructed to honor nothing else. ‘See here, Commodore. It’s only $27,000.’ –Would-be borrower.] That’s a heap of money, $27,000. [‘Nonsense, all you have to do is write me out a check for it.’ –Would-be borrower.] Think so? [‘Of course! Here’s a blank check. I’ll fill it in, and you sign.’ –Would-be borrower.] Well, well, it does seem easy, don’t it? [Cornelius then scratched a bold ‘Cornelius Van Derbilt’ at the bottom of the proffered check and the man left. The next day the ‘Would-be borrower’ burst in upon him aggrieved and irate. ‘The bank won’t pay your check, Commodore. They say it ain’t good.’ –Would-be borrower. Then Cornelius with a twinkle in his eye.] What check? [‘Why, that check for $27,000 you - ’ –Would-be borrower.] Humph. Though you said all I had to do was write a check to get you that money? [‘Yes – I Know – That’s true, but - ’ –Would-be borrower.] Ain’t so easy as you figgered, hey? Here, try this. [Then Cornelius scrawled an order to pay $27,000 on one of the little half-sheets of paper always ready on his desk.]
Cornelius Vanderbilt
[On Dr. Linsley’s prescription of a pint of champagne a day for his dyspepsy. (Dyspepsia – Indigestion)] Oh, no, doctor, I can’t afford champagne! Won’t sody-water do?
Cornelius Vanderbilt
[On May the 11th 1876 at the age of almost 82 on a newspaper reporter saying he was dying after having been taken ill suddenly and then knocking on the door the next day to inquire after him. Cornelius then roared when told who was at the door and roaring.] I’ll answer the ruthless rascal. [Then he got out of bed overcoming the doctors restraining efforts and went to the top of the stairs.] Come to see me, young feller? Well, here I am. I’m Commodore Van Derbilt, and I ain’t dying. The doctor says I’m about well. But if I was dying I’d have strength enough to knock all this abuse down your lying throat and give the undertaker another job.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
[At the age of almost 70.] A fellows remembered by what he leaves behind him…
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Bonus
[To Sophia on her husband getting back to work after the railroad accident.] That boy never would do what anybody else wanted. His own way is his way, and you might just as well be agreeable as fretting, seeing you can’t hinder him, once his mind’s made up.
Phebe Hand (His mother).
Money, to Cornelius, didn’t connote luxury; it was power, a means to an end. It mustn’t be abused or wasted.
Arthur D. Howden Smith
A man whose ambition was to build up, not to tear down. According to his own standards, an honorable man. And always, a fighter: fighting for steamboats, fighting for railroads, fighting for life.
Arthur D. Howden Smith
Cornelius could be either a Bull or a Bear, at need. Fundamentally, he was a builder…
Arthur D. Howden Smith
The biggest single factor in Cornelius’s success was his willingness to learn.
Arthur D. Howden Smith
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