Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-12-10
believed that he owned much Union
! Pacific stock.
Effects Of the Wizards Death.

New YORK, Dec. 3.-S. Ill. III. Clarke.
of the Union Pacific, Is in New York
with other prominent Gould men. The
first news given the officers OF the Mis-
souri, Paci fic was by the United Press
reporter, none of whom had any knowl.
edge of the information received by
Mr.. Abraham Gould. The heads OF de-
partments communicated 1t to the chief
clerks and in n few minutes word was
passed all over the building.
On change Gould's death created very
little excitement. No bulletins were
posted, but the news was passed around
and all members knew of il before bid
ding in wheat and corn futures com
menced. The stock markets were con-
siderably affected by the death Of
Gould. For several days Missouri Pa
cifc has been falling in anticipation
of the death of the wizard. Thurs
days closing quotation on Mis-
souri, Pacific was 55&. 10
opened Friday at 81, n point and
one-eighth off, sold down to So 3-s, then
rallied and stood at 81. Western Union
stocks closed at So 3-s Thursday.
and opened Friday at IS Ii
After the death Of Gould was
announced the stock sold up To 81 SIS.
Some brokers predicted that Western
Union will make an advance Of 10 per
cent with Gould gone. Union Pacific
bid up strong Friday on account OF
Gould's death.
jay Gould was born in Roxbury, Della
ware county, New York, May "a, 1896. His
early years were spent on his fathers
farm and at the age OF IA he entered Ho-
bart academy and kept the books Tor 60,
village blacksmith. lie acquired a tasses
FOR surveying and mathemat1on
and ON leaving school found employ.
ment In making u survey for n
map Of Ulster county. When but ~ yeap<'
old Gould published a History of Della
ware County" ana while perfecting other
surveys was Frustrated with typhoid
fever. On his recovery he became ac-
quainted with Zadock Pratt, who sent him
into the western part of New York state
10 select a site for a %tannery. He chose %
fine hemlock growth, erected q sawmill
and blacksmith shop, and with Mr.. Pratt
was soon doing n large bushes. Suisse
quently he bought ont Mr.. Pratt's inter-
ton OF the Renssellar and Sara
togo and the Rutland and
Washington roads and with the
proceeds he removed 10 this city In 1859.
He established himself at once as q broker
and invested heavily in Erie railroad
stock. He entered the directory OF that
company and became president, holding
the office until the reorganization of the
directory in 1872. He next made large
purchases of the stocks of the Union Pa
cific, the Wabash, the Texas Pacific, the
ST. Louis and Northern, the Missouri Pa
citic, and the Missouri and Kansas and
Topeka roads, taking the latter out Of the
hands at "a receiver. Ne also invested
deeply In the stock of the Atlantic
and Pacific telegraph
and on the consolidation with the
Western Union in 1879 he organized the
American Union, which two years later
merged into the western Union. In De-
cembcr. 1880, the records showed that Mr..
Gould was In control of 10000 miles OF
railroad or more than one-ninth OF the
entire mileage of the country. In the
carly part Of 1881 he became interested in
the elevated railroad system Of New York
city. A doubt having been east upon his
financial standing, he summoned several
gentlemen to his private Office in March,
lSs2, and spread before them for examina-
ton certificates OF stock having "A face
value OF s53,0O0,000. all in his own name,
and offered 10 produce $40, O0O. 900 more ir
desired. In March. 1857, Gould purchased
\ controlling interest In the ST. Louis and
SAN Francisco Railroad company. which
has an aggregate mileage of over 900
miles, and il "A joint owner with the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad
company OF the Atlantic and Pacific rail.
road.