Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-09-20
MR.. gOULD'S EARLY LIFE.
Quite an Unexpected Episode In HIS
Testimony-Tearsa and Prayer
IN the Woods.

that there was very little in his career
that he thought would interest the
committee or the public, but he was
willing to tell all that there was, ana
he continued as follows;
Il was born at Roxbury, Delaware
county. in this state, May q, 1886.
Nv father was a small farmer, who
kept dairy of twenty COWS. | was
the only boy in the family; so help
ed my sisters in milkingt the COWS both
morning and night, and drove them
to and from the pasture. As | was
obliged to go barefoot during the
summer, and often had my feet prick
ed by the thistles about the fields and
PASTURES. [ concluded | didn't like
farming, and so one day asked my
father to allow me to go to a school,
which was situated about fifteen miles
distant from home. He replied that
as | wasn't worth much about the
farm he would give me my time. |
found a blacksmith near the school
who would board me if | would write
up his books at night. | was then
about ii years of age. | attended
school for a year, and then obtained a
clerkship in a country store, where l
was obliged to work from d. m, to 10
p. m. BY this time [ had acquired a
taste for mathematics especially sur
veying. BY getting up at 3 o'clock in
the morning and studying until 6 |
obtained a good knowledge Of the lat
ter branch, and at length started out
TO find employment as a surveyor.
HE SEEKS RELIEF IN PRAYER.
''[ made an engagement with man
who was making a map of Ulster
County at salary of $50 a month and
expenses. When he sent me out with
my instruments to survey portion OF
the country he gave me a pass book,
and told me to get trusted for my
boaru at the several places through
which | passed, and he would pay the
bills. / soon found that people were
not willing to trust my employer. The
second day out | presented my pass
book to the man who had entertained
me, and told HIM to put down the eX-
penSe. He looked at me very angrily,
and then said 1 guess you don't know
your employer. He has failed
three times already. You've got
money and I'm going to
have it. This frightened me,
but | managed to explain to him that
| didn't have a cent, and in proof of
the statement turned my pockets in
side out. Convinced my honesty, he
said he would trust me until | could
pay the bill | thanked him for his
consideration and left the house. AS
l walked along the road | felt as if
my heart would break with grief /
could see nothing ahead but failure
and misery. In my despair / went
into the woods and had a good cry.
Then | got down on my knees and
Mr. Gould's voice trembled and his
eyes filled with tears as he said this
Senator Blair was deeply moved by
the recital. The effect upon the
audience was marked. For moment
not a sound was heard except the
of the teams over the pave
ments in the streets below.
At this point Mr.. Gould said to the
committee; This is IA silly lot of stuff.
-
ooh, no, it is not" interrupted
Senator Blair; lit is very interesting
Go on.
THE FIRST VENTURES.
''W hen | rose, - continued Mr.
Gould, Il had made up my mind to
90 ahead. Late that afternoon, hay
ing had nothing to eat since morning,
| called at a farmhouse and received
some bread and meat from the hands
of a kind-hearted woman. Just as
was leaving the yard her husband
called me back and asked me to fix a
north-and-south line by which the
time Of day might be determined.
did so, and received, after paying for
my lunch, seven shillings 1t was
the first money | had earned since /
started out, and of course it gave me
new courage and confidence in myself
The man for whom | was working al
length failed. / proposed to the
other young men who were employed
in the survey that we 90 ahead and
complete the map of Ulster County
We did so, and when the work was
done sold out my interest in the
map for $500. Soon after / made
maps of Delaware and Albany Coun
ties, and in this way succeeded in ac
cumulating $4,000.
while surveying | became ac
quainted with a gentleman named
zadock Pratt, who took great Interest
in me and invited me to go into the
tannery business with him. Mr.
Pratt sent me out into the western
part of theState, where 1 found fine
hemlock growth. We put up a saw
mill and blacksmith shop, and were
soon doing a large lumber business
Afterward / bought out my partner
and continued operations for some
time. Just before the panic of 1857
sold out my business to Charles NJ
Leupp, of New York, who shortly
afterward committed suicide.
The Greeley Relief Expedition.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 14.-No add
tional reports have been received to.
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