Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-09-06
JAY GOULD.
HIS EARLY LIFE AND GENERAL
BUSINESS VENTURES.
From the Farm to Unlimited Wealth-The
Southwestern System---Wbat He
Thinks of Postal TsleEraphy.

New York, September 5.-Senators
Blair and Call waited patiently for
Jay Gould to appear before them this
morning to testify as to the relation of
capital and labor. A large audience
was in attendance. AS Gould delayed
his appearance the committee heard
the statement of Geo. w. Weston, q
lawyer of this city, who appeared in
opposition to the theories Of Henry
George and Moody. Just as witness
was beginning his testimony, Gould
entered. Weston merely said the ten
dency was to moraliZe, but it was not
so bad as it was one hundred years ago
in this country.
Gould then took the stand. On be-
ing sworn, Senator Blair requested
him to give history of his early life
and first business venture, and then
80 on and give the story of his prog
ress to his present condition.
Gould seemed somewhat staggered,
but turning with smile toward the
reporters table he began in low
voice: | was born at RoXbury, Della
ware county, in this state, May 9th,
1896. My parents had small farm
and kept twenty cows which assisted
in tending. | attended school about
fifteen miles distant. When | was
about sixteen years old L obtained Il
situation in a store in a neighboring
village. | was much Interested in ma
thematicS and used to get up
at 3 O'Clock in the morning and study
to six, when the store was opened.
remained in this store for two years,
when | made the acquaintance of q
surveyor who was making survey of
Munster county. He took me into his
service at salary of twenty dollars a
month. l learned that my employers
credit was not very good, and | was
not to obtain money for my work until
the map was completed, so made sun
dials for farmers at dollar apiece to
pay my running expenses | made n
survey afterwards of Delaware and
Albany counties, and made in these
contracts about $500. | then went
into the tannery business with Mr..
Pratt, and finally entered into partner
ship with Charles NJ Leupp, who
committed suicide. The first railroad
with which | had any connection was
what is now a portion The Renssler
and Saratoga, of which l was super
intendent. During the panic of 1850,
the stock went down very low, and !
was able to buy large amount, which
! atterward rose in value and made q
handsome profit. The next road in
which he interested himself was the
Cleveland and Pittsburg, which
he afterwards leased to the
Pennsylvania road. Gould rehears.
ed his connection with the
Union Pacific, He had interested
himself in ii, and when the stock was
falling he made up his mind to carry IL
through AT any cost 1t was on the
| point OF being placed in the hands of a
/ recei 'er. Afterwards, when the road
/ became paying one and dividends
were declared regularly, there wa.
! quite cry from the public that it was
/ Jay Gouid's road, as If this was dan
| gerous thing. He said however, ht
was then engaged in selling out hi.
/ stock, which was soon in the hands o
more than seven thousand in
vesters, representing the earning,
of many widows and orphans. Thi.
ended his connection with the Union
! Pacific and the stock is now higher
| than when he sold it. His next
venture was the building UP of the
Gould railroad system in the South
and West. 1t began with the pur.
chase of the Missouri Pacific from
/ Commodore Garrison. Other roads
were purchased and connections mad,
TO different points Gould said he hac
at this time passed the point whel
money making was AN object, and hi.
only idea was in carrying out the sys
| tenn 10 merely see what couls
be done by the combination of line