Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1890-03-01

soon lett TINS, however, ana became
clerk in a country store.
Later, he started out with surveyor
well known in the Catskill region, act
ing as a 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-
scented to this arrangement readily
enough, and was quite contented until
he began to find out that his employers
credit was not quite 50 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 day at dinner-time he found
himself near a very substantial looking
farm house. and as his ockets 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
a few words of eXl lanation, 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 that his employer would
settle the bill whom 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
lance 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 hnan-
cial irresponsibilitv 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 hel
seventy-five cents. The dinner he had
eaten was valued at thirty-five cents
20 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 though
naturally occurred to him that here a
least was a chance to get his dinnel
and perhaps make little money be
sides. If the farmers wife, whom ht
had just left, needed a noon mark
there must be other farmers wive
through the country all needing noon
marks, and there seemed to be M
reason why he shouldn't supply tn
deficiency.
This was Jay Gould's first start il
life, and the first money that he earne,
of any account was made out of thes
noon-marks outlined on the porches o
, the farm houses through the Catskil
Mountains With the money thus mad
he went more exclusively into survey
l ing. thence into the tannery business
2 and finally into the Vermont Railroad
where he made the money with whic
| L. -~o,,4 toto WILL gfraat