Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-08-27
A FINANCIER'S YOUTH.
Stories of Jay Gould by an Old VII
lase Shoemaker.

lage Shoemaker.
There is In the Forge, writes Cairo,
n. Y, correspondent of The Rochester
Democrat and Chronicle, man, who
33 years ago, was well acquainted with
Jay Gould, and for the purpose of
giving your readers interesting mat
ter ia regard to the youth of one of the
princes Of Wall street your correspon-
dent Journeyed to the residence of the
possesser of the information desired.
Sealed before the door of his house,
enjoying his clay pipe with happiness
as complete as the sultan might smoke
his narghile, the individual in quest
of knowledge found Jack Byington,
the village shoemaker. About sixty
years of age, he is six feet tall, heavily
built, and sturdy-looking, with high
forehead, white hair verging on bald
ness, a keen gray eye glistening be-
meath shaggy eyebrows, a long,
aqualine nose, prominent by reason
of the face being clean shaven with
the exception OF little side-whiskers,
and a mouth well adapted to the pur$
poses of a simple country life. Fash
ion does not reign supreme among the
inhabitants of a Catskill town, and
Mr.. B. is no exception to the rule.
His clothing is extremely simple and
very antiquated. Jack is cheerful
and talkatlve, and the information ne
bestowed upon your correspondent
is in substance as follows:
eyes, [ knowed Jason Gould-and,
mind ye, his name is Jason, not Jay
from the time he lived in Roxbury,
Delaware County, whar he was born.
His father, old uncle Johnny Gould,
was one of the best men in the place,
aud was prominent member of the
Baptist church thar. By the way, I
hear Jay gave $100 couple of years
ago to have the old church painted.
Tkere were SIX on 'em-Sally, Betsey,
Annie, Polly, Jason, and Abraham.
| don't know nothing about the rest,
but Sally, she got married, and her
husband died, and I'm told Jay is ed
dicatin' her children at Poughkeep-
sie."
''What kind of a boy way Jay2"
well, he was a pecooliar youth.
He hadn't a bad habit, either. He
never smoked, nor chewed, nor
drank He never spent cent fool
ishly, SO far as I know. Jay always
seemed to be studying on something
and was always economical. He used
to walk with his head down, and when
you'd speak tc him he'd sorter screw
his head ue one side and look at yer
with his big black eyes from under
meath his eyebrows. Jay got most of
his eddication at Delhi and Roxbury,
and he learnt surveyin', too. While
Jay was a young felIer we had the
Maine liquor law in Roxbury, and
liquor was forbid to be sold. Well,
sir, would you believe it, half dozen
times young Jason catched men after
they had nought bar'l of spirits from
man that used to peddle it on the
sly; and he had the parties brought
up, too. I understa nd that he hain't
never touched liquor and good thing
it's bin for him, too, [ can tell yer"
did he ever show any likelihood
for turning out as he did9"
''Well, no. It seems nigh onto inns
possible for me, when I think of young
Gould clerkin' and sweepin' out the
store thar in Roxbury, startin' with
nothin', havin' as much money as
they say Jay has got. He must have
brains, and I'll swow that he's got the
pluck. They were determined set
them Goulds. Why, once, old Uncle
Johnny, jays father, said he could
drive team that he had (and ratt'in
team it war, too) to Catskil and back
in one day. Well, sir, he got man
to take him, and he druv the hull dis
tance, 100 miles, gettin' back to Rox~
bury arter II o'clock He did it, but
it killed the horses. Jay was like the
old man In that respect. | remember
well the first money of any account
he made. He had sort of wheel
bar'l arrangement, and he carted it all
round the country and made map.
He got 81, 500 for that, and he hung
on to it tight. Old Col. Prat had
tsnnery and got rich and started a
bank. THen he wanted to go back into
the tannery business, and he got
young Jay-he was bout 19 then
to go to northern Pennsylvania, to
take charge of a new tanpery. They
called the place Goulds5orough, after
Jay. Well, sir, in two years Jay
came back with $50, 900 of Col. Pratt's
money, and then he went to New
York, and I hain't heard no more from
him, except that he's rich and makes
a big success of it. Jay was never
proud nor naughty, ye understand,
and I'll bet, if he saw me to>day, he
would stop and speak with me. 7
used to make his shoes, and he never
wasted any words, I tell ye. He used
to come in aud try 'em on, and, if
they'd fit, he'd keep 'em; if they didn't
he'd walk right out and never say a
word But he always said he'd have
his share Of the money, ard I guess
he's got it. at this point "Jack" re-
lit his pipe, and after your correspon~
dent had been escorted through his
neat establishment, with an invitation
for repetition of the visit, etook his
departure.
Here is a family that deserves a
pension. In the town of San Angel,
Mexico, a mother 70 years of age has
Just given birth to child. The father
of this wonder is 84, his eldest brother