The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1892-12-03

the county. He was educated at the vii
lage school which was diguifed by the
title of BeeeSwood seminary. When he
was 10 years cld he finished the scholastic
part of his education, and there Is In ex-
istence now composition dated April 0
1882. and signed Jason Could" which 1T
appears was at that time his name, upon
the subject of aHonesty" The morality
OF this youthful effort is unimpeachable,
the language not very ungrammatical and
the argument, though trite, entirely con-
elusive.
Having left the Beechwood seminary
Gould entered his fathers store as clerk
and general utility man. After short
stay with his father he entered the en-
ployment of Squire Burnham, who kept q
crossroads store some Two miles away
from the elder Gould s establishment. At
this place he taught himself bookkeeping,
and also studied land surveying. While
he was In Burnhain's employ some men
arranged to make a survey Of Delaware
and adjoinining counties and publish
maps TO sell to the farmers, Gould en-
tered into the service OF this firm and as
sisted in the surveys
Young Gould's neatness and accuracy
In this work attracted the after tion Of
John Delafeld who obtained from the
legislature grant for q typographical
survey of the state and engaged Jay>to
assist him, but died before much work
was done. Young Gould then undertook
the work alone completed the survey and
mapping OF Albany aud Delaware coun-
ties, and also did some profitable work in
directing parties who surveyed Lake and
Geauga counties, o. and Oakland county,
Mich. From these surveys and the sale
of maps and other sources he had accumu-
lated about $4,000, aud this was two or
three years before reaching his majority.
About this time Zadoch Pratt, OF Greene
county, N. Y, invited Gould to join him
In establishing tannery in Luzerne
county, Pa. This invitation was accepted
and the tannery was built and put In OPP
GRAFTON by the firm Of Pratt & Gould. The
partners did not long agree, and Gould bor-
rowed the money to buy Pratt out While
In this business Gould often went to New
York to sell the product OF his tannery, and
this rather disposes OF the pretty story
which has been current for many years
that his first appearance In New York was
to endeavor to sell mousetrap of his own
invention.
Mr. Gould sold out the entire tannery
and his right to the hemlock growths of
the vicinity soon after reaching the age
OF 81, and just in the nick of time, too,
for in few weeks came the panic of
1857. Even thus early he had developed
his maxim that the time to buy Is just
after crushing panic and with that prin-
ciple fixed In his mind he sought the great
metropolis with all his means In ready
cash. In his business visits to New York
Mr.. Gould had made the acquaintance of
a well to do leather merchant named
Miller. Now, when he came to the city to
make IL his home this merchant took him
into his family as a boarder. There was
daughter-Mis Helen Day Miller-and
between her and Gould an affection
sprang up which resulted In marriage
when Gould was about of age.
His father-in-law, Mr. Miller, had shares
In railroad from Rutland, in Vermont,
to some other point. The shares paid no
dividends, and he asked his young son-in-
law to look into the matter and sell the
shares. Gould did look into the matter,
but he did not sell the shares; instead OF
that he bought all he could, as well as the
bonds, all at 10 cents on the dollar. He
now went into the directory of the road
and became the president. The stock and
bonds both advanced In price, and out of
this venture he made fortune. Speaking
of this thirty years later, when he was
witness before the Pacific railway com.
mission, Mr.. Gould said: II have been all