VANDERBILT, WILLIAM H. 



ties. He was also identified with other rail- 

 roads, viz., the Lake Shore and Michigan South- 

 era and the Michigan Central, of both of 

 which he was president ; and he was engaged 

 in many other enterprises, including telegraph 

 and telephone lines, and electric light compa- 

 nies. He allowed himself no rest, and had no 

 time to spare for recreation. He would make a 



VENEZUELA. 



775 



WILLIAM H. VANDERBILT. 



trip across the Atlantic once in a while, but 

 generally returned in the same steamer on 

 which he sailed. In May, 1883, however, the 

 conclusion forced itself upon him that he could 

 no longer safely continue under the pressure of 

 his weighty responsibilities. He resigned the 

 presidency of the roads named above, and his 

 sons, Cornelius and William K., were elected 

 to fill the vacated offices. Practically, how- 

 ever, he continued at the head of the Vander- 

 bilt system, and was always consulted before 

 any important step was taken. Up to the day 

 of his death his thoughts were busy in arrang- 

 ing plans for increasing business facilities and 

 advantages in a new direction. The end came 

 suddenly at the last, and a stroke of apoplexy 

 removed him at once from all further share in 

 this world's affairs. 



William H. Vanderbilt was reputed to be 

 worth $200,000,000. He leaves a widow and 

 eight children. By his will six of these receive 



$11,800,000 each. Cornelius receives $58,800,- 

 000, and William K., $50,800,000. Mrs. Van- 

 derbilt gets the Fifth Avenue house, all the 

 pictures, etc., with an annuity of $200,000 a 

 year. The amount given to religious and other 

 charities is estimated to be $1,200,000. In 

 1880 Mr. Vanderbilt presented $100,000 to 

 Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn., for 

 the building of a theological hall ; 

 and in 1884 he gave to the College 

 of Physicians and Surgeons, in New 

 York city, $500,000 for the found- 

 ing of a school of medicine. He 

 was a member and communicant 

 of St. Bartholomew's Episcopal 

 Church, New York, and showed a 

 warm interest in its welfare. 



VENEZUELA, a republic in South 

 America. (For area, territorial di- 

 vision, and population, see "Annual 

 Cyclopaedia" for 1884.) 



Education. The number of Fed- 

 eral free schools had increased dur- 

 ing the last fiscal year from 1,778 

 to 1,812, and the total number of 

 pupils attending them from 92,661 

 to 94,821. 



Government. The President is 

 Gen. Joaquin Crespo, whose term 

 of office will expire on Feb. 20, 1886. 

 The Cabinet is composed of the fol- 

 lowing ministers: Foreign Affairs, 

 Sefior Benjamin Quenza ; Public 

 Credit, Setter J. A.Valentini ; Pub- 

 lic Works, Sefior Abelardo Aris- 

 mendi ; Finance, Sefior Rivas Cas- 

 tillo ; Interior, Gen. V. Amengual; 

 Public Instruction, Sefior M. F. Pi- 

 mentel. President of the Supreme 

 Court of the Confederacy, Sefior 

 A. A. Silva ; Governor of the Fed- 

 eral District, Gen. Bernardino Mi- 

 rnbal. The Minister of the Unit- 

 ed States at Caracas is the Hon. 

 Jehu Baker; and the American 

 Consul at La Guayra is Scott Bird. The Min- 

 ister from Venezuela to the United States is 

 Sefior A. M. Soteldo. The Venezuelan Con- 

 sul-General at New York is Sefior J. G. 

 Call. 



Finances. When Congress convened on 

 March 2, 1885, the Minister of Finance was 

 not prepared to submit the actual result of 

 the budget for 1883-'84, but said that it kept 

 within the limits of the estimate. The national 

 indebtedness he stated to have been as fol- 

 lows on June 30, 1884: 



Foreign 8 per cent, debt $18,608,080 



Consolidated 5 per cent, home debt 7,238,459 



Floating debt 991,641 



Total $21,888,180 



against $22,838,952 the previous year, show- 

 ing a reduction of $1,005,772. Twelve per 

 cent. Government bonds to the amount of 

 $800,000 were issued, the proceeds to be used 

 in canceling the fourth issue of treasury notes 



