Business: Vanderbilt to Brown

Some 30 years ago, the late Cornelius Vanderbilt conceived the idea of building himself a $1,000,000 home. He did. Its red brick facade with white stone facing, its handsome wrought iron fence, rise in all their French majesty on the south of Plaza Square, Manhattan, a magnificent pile. "But who," you ask, "would want to make it his private home?" Just so. The shutters are up.

The taxes on the building in 1899 were $38,446. Last year they were $129,120. Naturally Mrs. Vanderbilt wanted to get rid of it. Last year she secured a...

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