New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1883-10-03
NJ. G-uld's Earl1 If,


In giving his testimony before the
Senate Committee, Mr.. Gould said that
there was very little in his career that
he thought would interest the commit
tee or the public, but he was willing to
tell all that there was. and he continued
as follows:
Il was born at Roxbury, Delaware
County, this state, May 81, 1886. My
father was small farmer, who kept
dairy Of twenty COWS. I was the only
boy in the family; so l helped my sis
tiers in milking the cows both morning
and night, and drove them to and from
the pasture. AS I was obliged to 90
barefoot during the summer, and often
had nv feet pricked by the thistles
about the fields and pastures conclud-
ed didn't like farming. and so I one
day asked my father to allow me to 90
to school, which was situated about
fifteen miles distant for home He re-
the farm he would give me my time. I
found a blacksmith near the school
who would board me if I would write
up his books at night. I was then about
II years of age. I attended school for
year, and then obtained y clerkship
ir a country store, where was obliged
to work from a. m. to 10 p. M. By
this time I had acquired taste for
mathematics, especially surveying. BY
getting up at 3 o'clock in the morning
| and studying until obtained y good
knowledge of the latter branch, and at
length started out to find employment
as a surveyor.
81 made an engagement with a man
who was making a map of Ulster Coun-
| ty at a salary of 500 month and ex-
| penses. When he sent me out with my
instruments to survey a portion of the
country he gave me a pass-book, and
told me to get trusted for my board at
the several places through which
passed, and he would pay the bills. I
soon found that the people were not
| willing to trust my employer The Sec
ond day out presented my pass-book
| to the man who had entertained me, and
told him to put down the expense. He
looked at me very angri]y, and then
| said: 4 guess you don't know your
employer. He's failed three times al
ready. 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 l turned my pockets inside
out. Convinced of my honesty, he said
he would trust me until could pay the
bill. thanked him for his considera-
ton and left the house. As I walked
| along the road | felt as if my heart
would break with grief. I could see
| nothing ahead but failure and misery
In my dispair I went into the woods
and had good cry. Then I got down
| on my knees and prayed
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 a moment not a
sound was heard except the rumbling
| of the teams over the pavements in the
}5streets below.
''Whcn 1 arose." continued Mr..
Gould, II had made up my mind to 90
ahead. Late that afternoon, having
had nothing to eat since morning, l
called at 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 north-and-
south line by which the time of day
might be determined. did so, and re-
ceived, after paying for my lunch, seven
| shillings. 1t was the first money had
earned since l started out, and OF
course it gave me new courage and
confidence in myself. The man for
whom | was working at length failed.
/ proposed to the other young men who
were employed in the survey that we
go ahead and complete the map OF VI
ster 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
Counties, and in this way succeeded in
accommodating $4,000.