The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-11
JAY GoULD,s WILL,

There was q very general, almost uni
versaI, expression of surprise, mingled
with more or less of indignation, that
the late Jay Gould left not n dollar to
charity or any religious, literary or
benevolent purpose. The whole of his
vast fortune went to his immediate fam
lily and relatives. So far as is known.
he did not even make any personal be-
quests to loyal friends or faithful en-
plOyes and servants. Yet, judged by
his acts while living. he was not an ex-
c~eptionally selfish man. Many rich men
are SO selfish that they not only do not
give anything to charity, but ~begrudge
their families the comforts of life. There
was nothing of this in Mr.. Gould's char
acter. He never stinted his family in
anything, and it is asserted by those
who are in a position to know that his
private charities and b~enefactions were
much larger than the newspapers ever
published. He had his own way of CIV
ing. A Colorado man says:
Gould was far more charitable than the
general public sppposee. Three years ago
i was a. Manitou. COL. dead broke. l had
gone against a mining deal and got the
worst OF it. i had no resources, and didn't
know what the mischief TO do. Gould
came ont there in his special car and took
q run up the Peak. | was knocking about
the hotel that afternoon under the impress
sion that the Gould party had not re-
turned. | got into conversation with q
quiet little man sitting out on the veranda.
and he asked me many questions about
Colorado ana the mines. incidentally my
own hard luck was touched upon The
next day the Gould party left and the
hotel proprietor handed me On envelope.
! opened il and found 1t contained a check
for $500. signed by Jay Gould. A little in
quiry convinced me that / had conversed
with the great hnancier himself. Gould
He probably did more good on the quiet
than many milliOnaires who endow col
leges and make q big display of their char
titles. He was prominently practical.
Numerous instances are related of his
generosity tn loyal and faithful en-
ployes while he lived. and it is said
there are many settlers along the line of
the Union Pacific road in Kansas who
were enabled to keep the wolf from the
door. during the R~rasshopper plague. by
his timely and unpretentiOus assistance.
4 q oCClCtifO, iOtiAAhS hiun, II IL
his b~enefactions while he lived were
much more generous than the public
was aware of it would be in harmony
with his USUAL method of doing things.
After all, Gould's fortune was his own
and he had a right to dispose of it as he
pleased. If he thought his millions
would do more good divided among his
family and relatives than they would in
endOwing a college or q hospital it was,
strictly speaking. nobody's business.
He showed very little concern about
public opinion while he lived. and per-
haps he thought it was not worth pla-
eating after he died. Perhaps it is to
his credit that he did not try to gain any
p%osthumous praise by conspicuous be-
quests to charity. Such as he was In
life he was content to be in death and
after. He did not try to make the pub
lie believe he was any better than or
different from what he was while living.
Finally, he has gone before a tribunal
where both sides and all sides of a mans
character are weighed, and where he
gets the benefit of every doubt.