St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-12-03

sent of Judge Barnard Gould bought
and cancelled 100000 shares. A corner
was engineered in Erie stock about this
time, and in one day its price rose from
40 to 80. A panic was averled by the
action of the secretary of the treasury,
who released enough money for the sub
treasury to relieve the strain. Erie i'm
mediately fell from go to AZ. and it was
thought Gould was ruined, but he was
able to weather the storm. Continued
efforts were made by GOuld'S opponents
to GUST him and his faction from Erie
control, and he was depoSed from the
presidency and John A. Dix elected in
his stead. Gould still remained one of
the directors.
An attempt was made by Gould in
1869 to corner all the gold in the coun-
try. Fifty millions of dollars was the
prize aimed at. The price of gold in
March of that year was 1901, the lowest
in three years. Gould bought 81, 000,0 900
worth at l32 and put up the price to $40.
A few days later gold rose 10 IA. On
Sept. p. the famous "black Friday"
Gould unl0aded his holdings and sold
large part of his gold at 100. a little
before noon an order came from WASH
ingtOn to sell S4,000.000 OF gold from the
subtreasury. The corner collapsed, and
lators were ruined.
In the Pacific railways Gould began
buying Union Pacific stock in 1878. He
acquired 100000 out of the 361, 900 shares
and assumed the management of the
road. In 1876 he bought Kansas Pacific.
Wabash, Texas Pacific, st. Louis ~
Northern, Missouri Pacific and other
| stocks, taking the Texas road out of
the hands Of a receiver and realizing
III the management of these lines many
millions of dollars. In 1881 Mr.. Gould
turned his attention to the New York
| system of elevated railroads. The Man
| haitian Railway company, recognized
in 1889 on It's present basis, with Mr..
Gould as president and his son George
| as first vice president, operates 50 4
miles Of road, with assets of S54.00O 600.
Mr.. Gould invested deeply in the stock
| of the Atlantic IL Pacific Telegraph
| company, and in 1879 organized the
American UnioR Telegraph company,
| which, in 1880, was merged into the
| Western Union company. In 1888 he
| acquired control of the latter corpora
ton, and has since been member of its
executive committee, and his son George
and his business associates are members
| of its directory.
Jay Gould's personality was not a
striking one. Physically he was man
| of slight weight and build, slightly
bent shoulders and sharp, piercing eyes,
looking out from a cOuntenance whose
outlines were expressive of the quiet,
| but intense, nervous energy which
could on occasions be called into action.
He wore a full beard. and dressed UNI
ostentatiously. On occasions, as at the
famous meeting of directors in Russell
| Sage's Office year ago, he would be-
| come greatly excited. AT that time ma t..
| ure gave out, and he fell apparently
| lifeleSs while arguing his point. Since
| that time he has visited his Office less
frequently, and had laid more and more
| upon his eldest son the burden of his
business cares.
Mr.. Gould married shortly after COM
ing to New York, in 1886, Miss Ella
Miller, daughter Of a wealthy New
| York citizen, and has had five children,
three sons, George D., Edwin and How
ard s., and two daughters, Miss Helen
and Miss Hannah Gould. Mrs. Gould
! George, who has succeeded to most of his
fathers business interests, was married
about six years ago to Miss Edith King
don, and has several children. The
| next son. Edwin, married daughter OF
DR.. Shrady. The other children are
unmarried.
Mr.. Gould was an attendant of the
Presbyterian church, at which Rev.
John r. Paxton, ID. d., was pastor, and
was privately quite liberal in his sup
port, though not a member of any
church. His fondnesS for flowers led
HIM 20 make excellent collections of
chrysanthemums and orchids and other
favorite plants at his handsome country
home at Irvington-on-the-Ilu His
conservatory cost over 100000. Mr..
Gould also INDUCED in yachting, and
had built for him the handsome steam
yacht Atalanta, and became member
of the American Yacht club. He was
not CLUB man, and took no interest in
social affairs. No two estimates agree
as 20 the amount of Mr.. Gould's fortune.
The most conservative figures place il
at about $60,000,000, while some people
in Wall street place it at 800, 100000.