The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-07-01
GOULD's FIRST BATTLE.
How n STRIPPING Lined Every One Of
His Empty Pockets with Gold.
IFrom the ClcveIand Leader.l

ana have always regarded him as personal
iriend,' said a well-knowu Cleveland bro
ker yesterday. ale was born and passed
ms boyhood days on farm about one
mile from Roxbury, Delaware county, n.
Y. When Gould was bety IN nineteen
and twenty years OF age he was considered
O good surveyor, and his services were i'm
great demand. A short distance from
Roxbury lived Colonel Pratt. who had
been sent to Congress from that dis
trict. He was an ignorant man. but
being worth about 100000, was consid-
cred the most inn, ortant person in that
section. He had great desire to make his
the model farm and add fresh laurels to his
wealth OF rcnown. Accordingly he sent
for young Gould 10 come and make a sur
vey OF the place and arrange 1t in tasty
manner. Gould saw that the old man was
susceptible to flattery, and when he had
concluded his work and was about TO leave
he said: 80,
"'COlOnel, you are statesman, farmer,
tanner, and sheep grower. You ought TO
make yourself more famous still by build
ing the largest tannery in the world
"'By George! would said the Colo
mel, III knew where / could get plenty
OF bark
"That was not enough for Could He
went down into Lackawanna county, Pa,
and near where Gouldsborotgh now stands
found thousands OF acres OF hemlock tim
Der uncut. He asked the people living
about there IL they would give him land on
which to build the largest tannery in the
world. They readily agreed TO give him
all the land he desired, and he then made
contracts in his own name for bark, at
twenty-five cents per cord, sufficient to run
the tannery for twenty-five years. He re-
turned to Colonel Pratt. who was astOnish-
ed at his success, and who told him to go on
and build the tannery and he would furnish
the money. In the course OF time the
mammoth establishment was in full blast,
under the tirm-name OF Pratt 81 Gould.
Such great concern must have banking
facilities, so Gould organized wildcat
bank at GouldsbOrough, and rs he was not
OF age he induced his relations to take
large portion OF the stock and appoint him
their proxy. He was elected director OF
the bank, and everything went ON SWIM
mngly. All the notes issued by the bank
bore picture OF the tanncry or some part
OF it, and the tannery controlled every
thing In GouldsbOrough. Gould withdrew
from the bank and deposited 49,, 200 of the
banks funds with Leupp Il Lee, brokers,
os New York, and thereby obtained "a
credit. which did HIM good service later on.
"All this time Colonel Pratt was putting
money into the business, until he had in-
vested about $4,000. lie realized little on
his investment and became uneasy. He
sent a man down 10 GOuldsbOrough to in
vestigate affairs, and when he returned
with the report that you had better get
out OF there or Gould will break you up
the old man decided TO dissolve the part
nershp. lie met Gould i'm New York and
offered to sell 10 him for $40, 900 or pay him
SIC, 900 to leave the business. Gould was
given ten days to consider the matter, and
ut the end OF that time he surprised the Col
onel, who had supposed him without ready
funds, by agreeing to purchase the tam
merry. He gave Leupp a. lee, OF New York,
as security, and Colonel Pratt was satisfied
| to get ont. Charles Leupp then became
partner i'm the business, and Us he furnish
| ed the money of course he footed all the
bills, which came in so fast that on the
memorable Black Friday Leupp a. Lee
went to the wall. Leupp could not with
stand the strain, and he killed himself by
sending a bullet through his brain. Leupp
left two daughters, and the only thing left
them in the wreck was their fathers inter-
est in the tannery. Lee was appointed adj
ministrator Of his partners estate, and he
decided to take possession Of the tannery
and drive Gould out.
"Then occurred the great war, an ac-
count of which has been published. Lee
went to Scranton, Pa, and consulted law
yer named Willard, who advised him To re-
sort to force. The two went TO GOuldsbo-
rough and organized a band offorty roughs,
who marched TO the tannery and took
possession. Gould, hearing the news,
came up from New York, rallied about
him hundred or more ruflians, who
armed themselves with clubs, guns, scythes,
and all sorts OF weapons. Gould hung
a red flame! shirt on Il pole, and under
| this banner the force was marched to the
tannery, and after severe fight the Lee
forces were dislodged and driven from the
field. The matter was then taken into the
courts, hut Leupp's daughters never got
anything. The tannery r0tted down, and
nothing but ruins now mark the spot
where the great railroad king began his
| snpculatiyp carppro