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Rh sis, he recognized that lie must retire in great measure from active participation in affairs, and he turned over to his brother as many as possible of the responsibilities that had devolved upon him. When William K. assumed charge of the Vander- bilt interests he began at once, not without frank and careful consultations with his elder brother, a scries of consolidations, absorptions, changes, and retrenchments that soon showed remarkable re- sults in railroad affairs. Up to that time the vari- ous roads comprised in the Vaiiderbilt system had been oj^erated to a great extent independently. He concluded that closer relations between these roads would mean greater savings, increased usefulness to the public, and increased dividends to the stock- holders. As chairliian of the board of directors of the Lake Shore road he was perfectly familiar with its needs and its possibilities. He decided to bring it into the New York Central system, but in order to do that he knew it was necessary to absorb the Michigan Central road. After careful considera- tion he proposed to his brother a plan for attain- ing this object ; his brother approved, the scheme was successful, and the two roads came under one management. This move necessitated a further stei) — an absorption of the West Shore road, which bad hitherto been leased by the New Y'ork Central ; this, too, was done successfully. One of the most important and dramatic pieces of news in railroad matters in thisdecade was the announcement in the New York " Times " newsjiaper, in the spring of 1899, of the contemplated absorption by the New York Central of the Boston and Albanv railway. This striking step was conceived by W'illiam ft. Vanderbilt, and to him is due the credit of its suc- cess. In its far-reaching effects ujkjii the carrying trade from the west to the distributing ports of Boston and New York the consolidation is of prime importance. A steadily increasing Vanderbilt in- terest in the Chicago and Xorthwestern and the Dnion Pacific lines has le<l many shrewd observ- ers to conclude that this fnr-sighted man has in mind a great transcontinental line from Boston and New York to San Francisco entirely controlled by Vanderbilt interests. — His daughter, Consuelo, married the duke of Marlborough, and the son, who bears the same name as his father, married a daughter of .lames Graham Fair, of Nevada.

VAN DER STRUCKEN. Frank, musician, b. in Fredericksburg, Tex., 15 Oct., IS.'JS, receiving his musical education at the conservatory of music conducted by Peter Henoit in Antwerp, Holland. He was kajiellmeister of the Stadt theatre of Bres- lan, later giving concerts of his own com|K)sitions, in Weimar and elsewhere in Germany, under the patronage of Liszt. Returning to the Tnited States in 18M4, he l)ecame the leader of the Arion society of New York, conducting novelty concerts in Steinway hall and symphonic concerts in Chick- ering hall. Mr. Van der Stucken gave a scries of American concerts at the Paris exiK)sition of 1889, made a concert tour in F.urope with the Arion so- ciety in 1892, and since 1895 has conducted the symphony concerts in Cincinnati, in which city he is thedean of the College of music. His symphonic prologue to Heine's tragedy of '• William Ratclifl," which was published in Germany in 1899, was per- formed at one of the concerts of the New ork philharmonic society, and it is also on the list of several concert organizations in Germany, includ- ing the Berlin philharmonic society.

'''VAN HISE. Charles Richard,''' geologist, b. in Fulton, Wis., 29 .Mav, 1857. lie was graduated at the University of Wisconsin in 1879, and became at once instructor in metallurgy in that institu- tion. In 1883 he was made assistant professor, and in 1886 full professor of that subject. Since then the title to his chair has been changed sev- eral times, until in 1892, when he became professor of geology, since which date he has also been non- resident professor of structural geology in the I'ni- versity of Chicago. During 1881-2 he served as an assistant on the Wisconsin geological survey, and in 1888 he was an assistant geologist in the service of the U. S. geological survev, after which, with the rank of geologist, he was given charge of the Lake Superior division by the U. S. geological survey. His scientific work has included princi- pally the elucidation of the stratigraphy of the North American pre-Cambrian formations; de- velopment of the principles of the deformation of rocks; and discover)' of principles of concentra- tion and occurrence of iron in deposits of the Lake Superior region. Prof. Van Hise has been one of the editors of the "Journal of Geology" in Chi- cago since its formation, in 1893. Fie is the au- thor of the following monographs: (with Roland D. Irving) "On Secondary Enlargements of Min- eral Fragments in Certain Rocks" (Washington, 1884); (with Roland D. Irving) "The Pcnokee- Gogebic Iron-bearing .Series of Michigan and Wis- consin " (1892) ; " Correlation Papers. Arcliean and Algonkian" (1892); "Principles of North Amer- ican Pre-Cambrian Geology " (1896) ; and (with W. S. Bayley and H. L. Smyth) "The Marquette Iron-bearing District of Michigan " (1897) — all pub- lished by the U. S. geological survev.

VAN RENSSELLER, Mariana Griswold, author, b. in New York city about 1853. Twenty years later she married Schuyler Van Rensselaer, of New Brunswick, N. .1., where she resided until his death, when she returned to New York to re- side with her mother, Mrs. George Griswold. Mrs. Van Rensselaer is jiresident of the Public educa- tion association of New York, is a frequent con- tributor to the magazines, and the author of " Henry Ilobson Richardson and his Works " (Hoston, 1888) ; " Six Portraits " (1889) ; " English Cathedrals " (New York, 1892) ; " Out of Doors " (1893) ; and " One Man who was Content " (1897). VAN RENSSELAER. MaiinseU. I>. E. clergy- man, b. in Albany. N. Y., 15 April. 1819. He was graduated from Ilobart in 1838, and from the General theological seminary in 1841 ; was or- dained priest two years later, and has held the rectorship of Grace church, Albany; St. Paul, Kochester, and other fmrishes. From 1872, for four years. Dr. Van Rensselaer was president of Hobart college, and since 1882 has been chaplain of House of the holy comforter. New York. 1 le is the author of " Sister Louise " (New York, 1883) and interesting " Annals of the Van Rensselaers in the United Slates" (.lbanv, 1888).

VAN REYPEN, William Knickerbocker, surgeon-general, b. in Bergen, N. J., 14 Nov., 1840. He was educated at the University of New York, and graduated from the medical department in 1802. He was aiipointed a.ssistant surgeon in the navy, December, 1861, passed assistant surgeon in 18<>5, and three years later full surgeon. In 1887 Dr. Van Reypen became medical inspector, in 1895 medical director, and in December. 1897, chief of the bureau of medicine and surgery. Regarding war with Spain as inevitable before such a ship as he wished could be built, he immediately set about selecting a clean new merchant vessel, which could be adapted to the s<'rvice with slight modification. When a<^tual preparations for war began he had his plans perfected, and the ambulance-ship "Solace, which performed such excellent service dur-