Thomas County cat., 1890-03-20

soon left this, however, and became
clerk in country store.
Later. he started out with surveyor
well known in the Catskiu region, act
ing as species of advance agent for
his new employer His employer gave
him little or no salary, and, instead of
advancing him money for his expenses,
directed him to get his meals and his
lodging at the the farmers houses
along the way. The young man con-
sented to this arrangement readily
enough, and was quite contented until
he began to find out that his employers
credit was not quite so good as to make
the asking of board and lodging tanta-
mount to getting it. In very many
cases he was refused, and had to trudge
on, perhaps at unreasonable hours, to
the next house.
One Gay at dinner-time he found
himself near very substantial looking
farmhouse. and as his pockets were
empty and his stomach empty, too, he
determined to get his dinner first and
discuss the matter of payment for it in
the financial responsibility of his en-
ployer later on. He found the family
just sitting down to dinner, and, after
few words of explanation, sat down
with them and did justice to the meal.
When he had satisfied his appetite he
told the landlady who he was and men
toned the fact thathis employer would
settle the bill when he came along that
way.
This arrangement seemed to be per-
fectly satisfactory, and Gould put on
his hat and started for the garden gate
leading out into the road. He had
only compassed about half the dis
tance when he heard the woman's voice
calling him. Gould's instant thought
was that the wife had consulted with
the husband, and discovering the finan-
cial irresponsibility of his employer
was determined to have a cash settle
ment. His first impulse was to take
to his heels. and if possible get away.
Before he had been quite able, how
ever, to make up his mind the old lady's
hand was upon his shoulder, and when
he turned around he determined to face
the music.
"Look here, young man." said the
farmers wife, make a noon-mark on
the porch"
A noon-mark. it may be mentioned,
is species of dial enabling the woman
at the farm to know when the noon
hour comes around that the horn may
be blown for dinner. The young sur
veyor responded that he could make a
noon-mark, and proceeded forthwith to
do so. When the work was completed
the old lady asked him how much he
would charge for it, and he told her
seventy-five cents. The dinner he had
eaten was valued at thirty-five cents,
so that he paid for his dinner and got
forty cents change. As he walked off
again, without any fear. however, this
time of being called back, the thought
naturally occurred to him that here at
least was a chance to get his dinner
and perhaps make a little money be-
sides. If the farmers wife, whom he
had just left, needed noon-mark,
there must be other farmers wives
through the country all needing noon
marks, and there seemed to be no
reason why he shouldn't supply the
deficiency.
This was Jay Gould's first start in
life, and the first money that he earned
of any account was made out of these
noon-marks outlined on the porches of
the farm-houses through the Catskill
Mountains. With the money thus made
he went more exclusively into survey
ing. thence into the tannery business,
and finally into the Vermont Rail ,ad,
where he made the money with which
he went into Wall street.