The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-02-11
pEs-prcruRE OF JAY GOULD.

~ oNI ~ 80
How Man Born and Reared In Poverty Has
Reached the Top of the Ladder of Financial
Fame-An Account of Some Of His Early
Railroad Schemes. .y..
Mr.. Nathan Church, of Grand Rapids
Mich, writing to his paper, the Times, from
New York, sketches Jay Gould and his colos-
sal financial operations in the following
graphic style:
/ have written to the Times on several pre-
vious occasions bits of news concerning Jay
Gould, the most famous man in his way IN
the world. But he is never less than an in
teresting study to me, and | would like to
watch him for weeks instead OF minutes.
He is at once the most and least known man
in America to-day. / know two or three
men who are with Gould almost daily, and
they tell me he is more of an enigma to
them than to strangers. Many spectators
share in certain of the secrets upon which
Gould builds the colossal operations that
have msAe his name and power, but he never
lets anybody into any scheme in its entirety.
Reticence is his chief safeguard; without it
the ruling power in Wall street and railroad
circles would have long ago been in other
hands. Jay Gould is generally regarded as
man as hard as iron and as cold.
In reality there Is no man in the country
who Is so easily practiced upon or is 50 rob-
bed by certain classes. Born and reared in
poverty he has raised himself to financial
position second to none inthe world. Think
ing that readers of the Times, who day after
day see illusions to this man and his schemes
may like to know about his personality, l
have become indebted to abrother journalist
for much of the following paper.
The father of Jay Gould was a armer,who
operated small place in Roxbury, N. Y.
The section In which this farm was located
is noted as being productive of bankruptcy.
The elder Gould was poor. His sons early
education was neglected. The facilities for
learning which surrounded him were Of the
most primitive character, and his work on the
farm precluded him from taking full sdvan'
tage Of even these.
As aboy he longed for professional work.
Leaving the farm he found employment in
the county surveyors Office. Jay Gould
was sent out to survey Rensselaer, and Sara.
toga counties and did his work we'll. His
map Of Albany may still be seen in many OF
the older offices in that city. He made s1,OOC
clear In this scheme and with it bought 9
tannery in Goldsboro', Pa. Here he accu-
mulated money rapidly and wassoon enabled
to buy up a majority of the stock OF the
Rensselaer, and Saratoga Railroad, which was
en- the market at low rate. Here 1t was
that he showed his first ability as railroad
operator, and not many months elapsed be-
fore he had brought his company into
fourishing condition. At the outbreak Of
the civil war he went into wall street, where
by skillful manipulations of stocks and ths
absolute secresy of conducting operations III
soon won foremost place. The same meth
DDS he pursued then are his now. They make
him they most dangerous Of antagonists, fol
Gould never emerges from the background
until he has carried his points and won tn
game. Early In his career here be fixed hi
leye cA.Eris. In la66 Fisk number .
| friends controlled most Of the road; few
thousand shares were outstanding. of Jay
Gould they had never heard. Tracing up th'
stock which was needed to give them abso
lutte power, they found It in Gould's hands
| From small to immense offers were made 10
the shares, but he would not sell. The onl
| way to get the stock, he said, was to let hin
| into the combination. This thev were com
| nelled to do, and in the following July b
| was made President of the Erie Railroad.
| would fill the Times to tell Of Jay Gould
| management of this great enterprise. Mos
of its history is already known.
Some twenty years ago Mr.. Gould marie
A Miss Miller, whose father was Of the firr
of Dater & Co., wholesale grocers. The
have six children. In the winter they lv
in the elegant house on the northwest corne
of Fifth Avenue and Forth-seyenth Stree
and in the summer the Gould family 60 I
the country residence at Tarrytown, who's
$500, 900 conservatory was burned not lon
AGO. Jay Gould is eminently man OF hat
n. At the close of business he goes direc
ly home, takes dinner with the family an
passes the evening in the study. In thl
room are his private telegraph operator an
priyate secretary. Private wires enable hi
tocommunicate In with his brokers and aids
oil hours of the day and night. No ma
works harder than he. Reading and lookin
at his magnificent pictures are his only re-
reations. Wine and tobacco are forbidde
puests. He is a generous, open-hearte'
bio.minded, ostentatious man. To his fam
ly Mr.. Gould is devotedly attached. d
rarely travels, either for business or pleasur
unless accompanied by some of his childrel
They have anything and everything the
want and do just as they please. festerds
Mr.. Gould was dressed in Prince Abe
coat of wine-colored material, gray trouse
of striped cloth, a cheap and uncouth pair
shoes and black necktie. At all times ne
the plainest Of men.