The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-12-22

believes that in tfme-and not long time
at that there viii be an advance OF from
. to 80 per cent, and in some eases more,
in the value Of the stocks which he holds.
On advance Of . per cent, counting ms
holdings at 2.0O0. 900 shares, would increase
his wealth by SO, 900. 900, while an advance
of 80 per cent. would increase 1t by SloU,-
100000.
The latest estimate of Mr.. GouId's wealth
at its actual market value is $4,000, 0Oo.
s.Ou paper.v as the term is used in Wall
street. It foots up round $i00.000.000, but
if ii were to be liqHidatcd, or in other
words, disposed Of at existing valuations
in the stock market, there would be
shrinkagc of % per cent, so that this de-
crease must he deducted in making up an
estimate. Mr. Gould's fortune is more
subject to variation than any other OF the
great fortunes. II is almost wholly COM
posed of the stocks and bonds of various
railroads and the Western Union Tele-
graph Company. As the prices OF these
securities rise and fall in the vacillations
of the stock market, so also his fortune
rises and falls. There has been great
depreciation in his wealth in consequence
of the heavy decline in the market, pu,
there is likely TO be an increase many loid
greater III the advance in values which he
expects takes place. :,
Five years ago Mr. Gould was compelled
to retire from active speculation In cofise-
quence of falling health, otherwise ile
would probably be now at the head OF the
list of millionaires. His health has been
completely restored. He himself says that
he has not been so well for fifteen years,
and his looks would seem TO confirm the
statement. He is a man OF wonderful
vitality and activity He never appears 10
have an idle moment. lie Is constantly
studying the reports of the operations Oh
his companies, and also OF ctherconipaiiies
which are in competition or have relation
to the business of his. or ID which he con-
templates acquiring stock.
There are always fluctuations OF greater
or less proportion in the stock market,
otherwise there would be an absence OF
trading. By taking advantage of the rises
and falls in the course of an ultimate ad-
vance of 20 per cent, Mr.. Gould may reap
profits of - per cent, which wotld eqaai
on his reported holdings of ,n0oo shares
the colossal sum Of $l50ma@o. Adding
the present paper value, which wou.d IN
the meantime be converted into aetn2i
value. his total fortune would bc aug
mented to $3.50 cocoon.
There il no dotht that at this time by
employing all his resources Mr.. Gould
could get together almost If not quite SIo.-
not desire to be borrower Is on account
of the interest he woiild have To pay. II be
has more money than he needs he can
loan il out and secure the interest for NM
self. 1t was not until he entered Wall
street that his fortune assumed any par
ticular proportion. His earlier ventures, in
fact were failures rather than successes.
There never was as skillful Il manipulation
of the stocks. His operations since
he returned to Wall street, less than
month ago, have shown hat he
lost none of his adeptness during
his absence The market has lately been
undeniably in his control. 1t must not be
supposed that Mr.. Gould is able TO turn
the whole course of speculation, for that
would take almost the wealth of the uni
verse. The New York market is subject
largely to the influence of the financial sit
uation in Great Britain and other coun-
tries and to the yields Of the earth. What
Mr.. Gould Is able to do is 10 move inSivid-
ual stocks and to accentuate the ti,ictua-
tions in the general market. This power.
ii can be readily seen, may be utilized TO
his great personal gain.
1t is understood that Mr.. Gould will fol-
low the example of Commodore Vanderbilt
and leave the bulk of his fortune to one
person-his eldest son, George j. Gould, to
whom he has given an excellent training
in financial matters. Gould, sr. is not
member of the New York Stock Exchange,
where his financial operations have prin-
cipally been conducted. His son George
and his next youngest son, Edwin, are
both members, although they spend little
time on the floor. George ]. Gould is not
seen there once q year. He is steadily oc-
cupied at the offices of his father in the
western Union building directing the
widespread Gould interests. His work re-
lieyes Jay Gould of the details of the oper-
pf hp loI
by him, and leaves him free to develop
new schemes.
None of the millionaires have fewer di-
versions than Mr.. Gould. He formerly
was something of horseman. and was
seen nearly every day speeding up the road
to Macomb's Dam bridge behind a fast
animal, but after time he wearied of these
outings. Pleasant afternoons nowadays
he rides through the park with his
daughters in closed carriage In going
10 his office he takes train at the Fiftieth
street station, on the Sixth avenue elevated
railroad, and alights at Cortland street. one
block below the Western Union building.
Mr. Gould $ habits are as regular as clock
work. lie goes 10 bed and gets up and eats
his meals at certain aud unvarying hours,
His evenings are seldom spent outside of
his own home. He usually takes with him
from his office reports of the managers of
his properties and other documents. which
ne carefully studies. Whatever additional
time he may have he deyotes to books.
He is great reader, and is well posted on
ancient and modern history and the prog
ress OF science. He reads the newspapers
thoroughly, and thus keeps well informed
on the events of the day. The politicians
themselves are not better Judges of the
trend of politics than he. One secret of
Mr.. Gould's success has been i'm taking
cognizance of what is going on the world
over.
George J. Gould, the prospective heir to
the Gould millions, is a young man of so.
who already has an ample fortune of his
OWN. His father lives in large brown
stone mansion on the northeast corner of
Fifth avenue and Forty-seventh street,
and he has his own home in a house II,
forty-Seventh street, directly hack of it.
he Is fond of outdoor sports. There are
lew as good shots as young Mr.. Gould.
His fayorite way of testing his narksman-
ship Is IN shooting clay pigeons sprung
from trap. second after a pigeon Is
cast into the air it is smashed into smith
Greens.