The Arkansaw traveler. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1882-1???, 1883-09-29
Jay ooULD's NAVY
Peck,s SUM-


People who read of millionaires. of,.,
wonder how they amuse themselvs.
They can not go into a saloon and A.
peenuckle or billiards, because r..
amusement is beneath their dign;,x'
They can not all have the fastest hors.,
so they are liable to be beaten on the ro,d
by some cheap hand. Nearly all -
amusements that are at the ham -
poorer people, are denied the miiiionaIr..
so they have to invent something ner
We often read that some man has :. ~,
a dog in two," but even that amusem,,,
would be tame for a millionaire. n,
Jay Gould has invented a new anus.
ment, that Of cutting steamboats, in two
and it is probable that he enjoys ii abou,
as much as ordinary men enjoy shoo,ipy
or tishlng. He has recently had a yach;
built, TOR his amusement, at AN expense
OF several hundred thousand dollars. and
probably no man has more fun than h.
does. One day last week he was runuing
his yacht up the Hudson river, near New
York, when tug boat attempted to Cross
the river ahead of his royal highness
Mr.. Gould's lip trembled with suppressed
emotion, and his frame trembled with IN.
dignation. He saw at once that his yaeb,
would have to be slowed down to escape
collision, but in second it occurred 70
him that If he slowed his yacht tina, he
would establish a precedent, and here.
after all boats would expect Mr.. Could's
yacht TO stop, to prevent accident. Mr..
Gould did not stop his boat, but lie, !,
run into the plebian tug, and cut i, as
completely in two as il could have been
cut by saw, and the tug sunk in her
tracks, and Gould's boat went on con-
querlng and TO conquer. Other steamers
sent small beats to save the lives of the
crew OF the sunken tug, and it is believed
all were saved, through no faul, OF
Gould's yacht, however. The great mil
lionaire established the precedent. and
now he has the whole river to himself
When his yacht is seen coming. fery
boats, tugs, everything that floats. gets
out OF the way, and he has plain sailing
1t IS not An uncommon thing to see an
ocean steamer crawl up on the banks OF
New Jersey and only leave its wheel in
the water, when Gould's yacht comes
IN sight. Ii his boat Carried the black
flag with skull and cross bones. i,
could not be feared any more than
il is. The millionaire stands on
the bow, seemingly looking for a
craft to cut in two, so he can see
the two halves sink. and witness the
struggle of the crew in the water. The
thought occurs, why not make Mr.. Gould
commander OF the American navy. With
his yacht he could be terror. and the
navies of other countries would want 10
get in out of the wet, when his reckless
and abandoned ship was proving
around. The present secretary of the
navy, It is generally admitted, has not the
nerve, or gall, or whatever you may call
it, to run down hunting skiff, and would
not take the responsibility of sending any
vessel OF the navy into an engagement,
%hefe the paint might be knocked off a
vessel. or any trouble be liable to ensue
Mr.. Gould is far different. With him in
charge OF our war vessels. no craft that
floats would be safe on any sea, and the
American navy, instead of being a BY
word, and laughing stock, as is now
the case, would at once assume leading
position among the navies of the world.
With Jay Gould at the wheel Of our navy,
steering cross-eyed, and running a, the
rate OF thirty miles an hoar, the navigable
waters Of the world would be strewn with
floating debris from his victims, and the
world would look on in fear and ,rem-
bling. Even now. Gould's yacht is more
terrible than all Of the vessels the govern
ment can float, and in case of a sudden
war the administration would be COM
PEELED, in self-defense, to engage him to
protect our shores from invasion. His
life as railroad man, where he has es-
tablished rule that everything on the
road must be side-tracked when his train
shows up, has caused him to take the
same idea with him onto the water, and
if this talent Of compelling floating craft
to side-track, or be telescoped, can be es-
tablished as rule Of our navy, with Jay
Gould at the head, the time is not far
distant when our navy will be feared, if
not respected.