Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-09-11

map of Ulster Co. His employer told
him to go on and get trusted for his
board and he would follow and pay the
bills. The third day out he was refused
credit for two-and-sixpence, the price of
a days board at that time. He was told
the man he was working for had failed
three times and owed everybody, nearly, in
the county. This to lad was very dis
couraging, and he hadn't the heart TO ask
any one else to trust him, and finally went
into the woods where no one could see
him and had good cry. At this point
the voice of the speaker sank into whis-
per, and in a hesitating trembling tone he
continued; 81 thought of another remedy
and knelt down then and there and prayed
little. When I got up 1 felt better, and
made up my mind to go right ahead. 1
went into the nearest farmhouse, and the
woman who met me- gave me some bread
and milk and treated me kindly, When 1
said that would pay for it another time
she said that it was all right, and started
off. 1 had got about forty rods when I
heard her husband hallooing after me-.
After my previous experience 1 thought
that he would about finish me. But he
simply said: 4 want you to take your
compass and make me a noon mark to
tell time by 1 went back and made it.
How much is that?' he asked. 'Oh,
that's all right I replied. No, it amt
he said, the regular surveyor charges a
dollar for such work. Well, then, that's
the price, 1 responded. He took out
shilling for what 1 had eaten and gave me
seven shillings.' "That," exclaimed Mr..
Gould, leaning back in his chair, sis the
first money I ever earned. I went on that
way and paid my expenses throughout the
summer by making noon marks.
His employer failed and could not pay
him anything, SO young Gould pro-
posed to two other young men to finish up
the work themselves and get out the map.
This was done and when the map was fin
ished and ready to be painted he sold out
to his associates for $500, which represent
ed his first summers work. Afterward he
surveyed and published maps of Albany
profit was $4,000. Next he went in part
nership with Zadock Pratt in tannery.
He set about to develop the property,
bought hemlock tract in Pennsylvania,
built bark mill, employed fifty or sixty
men, bought out Pratt, and himself sold
out just before the panic of 1857.
His next venture was to buy the first
mortgage bonds of the Rutland and
Washington railroad to Troy, at ten cents
on the dollar, and thus became the sole
owner of road sixty miles long. Event
ally he sold out the stock at 12O and went
west. Next he bought the stock of the
Cleveland and Pittsburg road at IS, devel-
oped the property and sold out at L20.
He next went into the Union Pacific, buy
ing considerable stock at Is. Gould de-
veloped the iron mines, the road began to
pay dividends; with its financial success a
clamor came on that it was Jay Geuld's
road. He thought it best to bow to pub
lie opinion, and sold out, and the stock
passed to some 5000 stockholders, many
of them ladies, widows, and the money in
| vested represented their savings and in
| heritances.
Mr.. Gould related his next move as fol-
lows:
''The next great enterprise was interested in
was the Missouri Pacific. bought its control
of Commodore Garrison one day. 1t was 287
miles long. gave a check for the price that
| day, and took the road rather as plaything, to
see what l could do, than to make money.
had got past that. began to develop it by ex-
tending branches to different points, until now
| the system thus begun controls 10000 miles of
railroad lines. Some of their branches extend
from st. Louis to Kansas City, Mo. Others ex-
tend through to Mexico. They concentrate at
st. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, and Toledo. When
first took hold of the property it earned S7J,-
| 0OU a week. For the last month Just passed the
| system developed from the single road earned
| IS, 900. We attained this result by devel-
oping the cattle, cotton. and mines on the prop
erty.
Mr.. Gould said he was a director in
many concerns, but was careful not to
scatter his energies too much. Il concen-
trate in one spot" he said, "and devote
my energies to developing that interest"
He related that he undertook to make the
Atlantic and Pacific Telegraph Co., rival
| to the Western Union, but he found that
interest lay more with Western Union, and
out of that fact came the sale to the West
ern Union. The origin of the American
Union he stated as follows:
l supposed dear friend of mine would be
made manager In the consolidation of the At
tantic and Pacific and the Western Union. He
was not. Then resolved that he should be
head of as great company as had tax him
from, and, therefore, / started the American
Union, with Gen. Eckert as general manager.
After time it was united with Western Union,
and Gen. Eckert became manager of the con-
sohdated line. To show my faith in telegraph
ing, have never sold my interest, but have de-
voted my income to increasing its value.
If it were not for the Western Union
contracts with the railroads." continued
Mr.. Gould, lit would cost more than dou-
BILE its gross earnings to pay the cost of
telegraphing. Unless the government Sc
cured the rights of Western Union it would
be impracticable for it to GO into tele-
graphing. Government control in such
matters is contrary to our institutions.
Mr.. Gould said that if the government
bought the Western Union it ought to pay
what it is worth, and that is S1OO,OOO,OOO.
He said he believed in cheap tariff and
uniform tariff; in corporate regard for
public rights. Competition has not re-