The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1881-03-05
JAY GOULD.
A GraDhic sketch OF the Career of
the American Napoleon.
incinnati Gazette Correspondence.


a was born forty-five yeare ago, in RoS
: bury, Delaware county, n. Y, a rougl
and sequestered spot, where povert.
f, was the general condition, with fey
opportunities for education and i'm
provement. His parents were poor
1 and being early thrown upon his owl
resources, he soon displayed ihat facul
ty foE acquisition which has thus ia
marked his history. His father was ,
, farmer, and as Jay was Duny and un
able to work, his parents were dis
cOuraged at his poor prospects. HI
lost his mother in his tenth year, ant
as home had no charms for him he de
termined to go to Hobart and attent
school. In order to pay his board ht
aided man in bookkeeping and gen
eral accounts, in which he was remark
ably expert. Indeed every one he
met was soon convinced that farmer
Gould's boy was keen at everything.
ANOTHER STEP.
Two years afterward Jay Gould was
clerking in Roxbury store, where he
made his mark as the liveliest, sharp
est, and manifest fellow of his size ever
seen in that place. Squire Burhall
his employer, is still alive and keeps
one of the o'd-fashiOned country stores
where one finds almost everything re-
quired. The Squire little thought
that his clerk, smart as he was, would
ever make such figure in the world ;
but Jay. even then, was looking far
ahead. Every spare moment he de-
voted to the study of surveying, which
he intended to make his profession.
Before he was eighteen $40 a month
was offered him to assist in making a
map of Delaware county, which he
readily accepted. His employer failed
Just before the work reached compile
tion, and Gould finished the job, which
proved remunerative, and, no doubt,
yielded 5000 clear profit. This en-
couraged him to continue surveying,
and he did some work of this kind in
adjacent counties, after which he made
surveys in Michigan and Ohio. He
also had turn for writing, and the
first history of Delaware county was
from his pen. We thus see him be-
fore he reached full manhood, light
built energetic pedestrian, who mas
tered every difficulty, and surprised
the public by the contrast between his
diminutive size and his rare ability.
His maps and his surveys gave him a
capital of $1,000 before he was of full
age. One of the above mentioned
maps is in the possession of Geo. Gator,
Il well known citizen of Delaware
county. 1t was published in 1856, by
c. G.. Keeney, of Philadelphia, and
bears in large letters From actual
surveys by Jay Could" This Is con-
sidered remarkable relic, and hence
is highly valued.
OTHER MOVEMENTS.
While tramping through the will
derness as a surveyor he became ac-
quainted with Zadoc Pratt, who then
was the leading man In that part of
the State. Pratt had made a fortune
in tanning, which formed the chief
business of Prattsville, where he WIS
for so many years almost sole mag
nate. He was then the most extensive
tanner in the world, but was ready to
increase his operatoions, and having
noticed the rare ability of the young
serveyor, he proposed partnership.
Pratt established him in Pennsyl-
vania, and the place was designated
Gouldsboro, il may be said that Gould
had at twenty-three changed will
derness into "a local habitation and a
name.n He found tanning highly
profitable, but he did not like so con-
timing business and hence sold out
and came to this city. He had been
favorably known in the swamp, or
leather mart, and married the daugh-
ter of leading man in the craft, ID. $.
Miller. The latter owned an interest
in the Troy and Ruthland road, and
employed Gould to give IL personal
attention.
The experience of the latter as a
surveyor was now very valuable. He |
took up his residence on the line of |
the road, and soon obtained almost |
entire control. He thus displayed |
that peculiar faculty for manipulate
ing men and capital which has |
enabled him TO become the railway |
autocrat of the nineteenth century.
His combative spirit was also display
ed, and people wondered how such a
little fellow could show so much fight.
He was ready to make contracts aud
also TO break them, in that reckless
manner which has marked his subse-
quent course, and appeared TO be
man without conscience. He at
TO master the Rensselaer, and
Saratoga road, and, though he did
not succeed, he compelled this COM
pany to pay him a large profit on the
Ruthland road, after which he return
cd to this city.
Al HANDSOME START.
In 1868 Gould settled In this city,
having, before reaching 2S, cleared
sl25. 900. This wns an astonishing
iegree Of success, and yet how small
with his subsequent opera
.ionsl He still appeared occasionally
,mong his swamp acquaintances, but
,ad evidently lost all taste for leather.
He kept his family In Newark, where
ne was for a while interested in the
patent leather business, but his mind
vas fixed on Wall street. In 1865 his
1ame appeared I'm the New York
Directory, aud soon afterward James
Fisk, jr., also held place In the same
rolune. The latter began as ped
Her in Vermont, and his success with
he q red wagon led Boston house
o offer him a partnership. He re-
NAMED in this connection long enough
o clear 500, 900, be then Fold out hay-
ng a desire to try his fortune in Wall
Itreet. Here he appeared as one OF
he stock firm Of Fisk Belden, while
1ou,d founded the house Of Smith,
Iould 4 Martin. The mere commits
ion In stock sales could not satisfy
,ither Of these adventures, and hence
hey began mutual Operations.
iould saw that Fisk had great nerve
md administrative power, and al
bough be was essentially q black
ruard, he might be highly used as a
ool.
CURIOUS PAIR.
The difference between these men
vas one Of The most extreme charac.
er. The one was a gourmand and
rluttop. licentious without bounds
md utterly wasteful. His whole pur-
nit was pleasure-money being only
ourht n q means 10 this end. The
,ther vas q willy, adroit, and coDsun1-
nste srstegist, equally unscrupulo0s,
mt careful % oonceal his purpose,
rhich was 20 fill his parse without
gard 20 truth, honor, honesty, Or any
z those imaginary terms which are
by morzlists. An oppor-
unity was offered by The vsakness o.
daniel Drew, who had the control Of