Passaic City record., 1892-12-10
Characteristics of Mr.. Gould.

Mr.. Gould could not make a speech. He
Is said to have made only four or five
speeches in his life, the longest of which was
about seventy-five words. He was great
reader of the newspapers and got much
quiet fun from them. He was a close OBJ
server, finding many points of interest
which other people passed over. He spent
nearly all his spare time in reading.
Mr.. Gould's great aim was to keep his
head clear by living plainly, his only indul-
gence being coffee, of which he was extreme
ly fond. He scarcely knew the taste of
liquor, but occasionally took sip OF wine
for courtesy's sake. He was not a smoker
Mr.. Gould was in the habit of rising about
g In summer and by at latest in winter He
was never Idle from the time he left his
home until he returned, often not even then,
as he frequently brought back reports of the
operations OF his corporations, which he
studied deeply until bed time. He went TO
the theatre rarely, though he had box at
the Metropolitan Opera House.
He generally spoke without infections or
gestures. Unless he were the questioner, he
did not talk even for the purpose of enliven-
ing a dull conversation. When seated he
invariably leaned far back in his chair, with
one leg thrown over the other. When stand
ing he liked to rest his hand upon something.
Generally he had something in his hand q
letter, scrap of paper or pencil, which he
twirled almost incessantly. though not nerv-
ously.
1t was almost impossible to interview Mr..
Gould except when he had some specific
object in view, as when heconsented to have
his strong box opened aud his millions of
gilt-edged securities inspected. He wis led
to Offset the report that he was weak finan-
cially, and his object was accomplished.
But at other times he was sscretive and nom
communicative. When asked by the INFER.
viewer as to the report that he and Russell
Sage were very large holders in Atchison,
he replied quietly: .'Well, we might have
lessn
He has been much sought by publishers
without avail. one having gone SO far as to
offer him Sc, 900 and forty per cent. royalty
to write book, furnishing stenographer
free. Mr.. Gould did not even reply.
Outside of his business Mr.. Gould's hob
bies, ii he had any, were his books, his flow
ers and his home. His florist received Sl50
per month for his services and always had
the table graced with rare, rich speci mems
from the hothouse. Mr.. Goulps ofics was
not ostentatious. He had only two rooms
in the Western Union Building, in one of
which his son George stayed with him. He
had few intimate friends.
An Estimate OF Mr.. Gould's Wealth.
Probably there IS nothing in watch the
public takes more interest when a rich man
dies than to learn the size of the fortune he
has left. When it is as large as the one Mr..
Gould has left it is obviously difficult, says
the New York Sun, to make an accurate esti-
mate. Mr.. Could s principal holdings OF Sc
curities are well known to all OF his assoc-
ates, and, to an extent, to other people. In
Lne following table every item, except that
OF miscellaneous securities is known to ba
correct. 1t will be seen from the table that
fully one-half OF his fortune is in three
stocks: Western Union, Manhattan and
lie Fat inv
loried, will show about as follows:
Securities Par Value. Market Value
West. Union stock. 81, ,0O1,O00 $l9, lao. 00l
danhat. r. r. stock l0,030,000 1900, OUU
| Mo. Pacific stock. 1200O,000 5000, 600
No. Pacific bonds. 15,0000o0 IL. 100000
| Texas Pacific bonds. 5 800, 900 1,30l,00
Wabash r. r. stock 10000,OOU l,l000ot
Miscellaneous bonds $1,000, O00 1900, OO0
| Cxsh and real estate 6U00.OO0 900, ,000G
Totals ........... .$l1o. 900, 600 SIS 4loot
| Mr. Gould has made a deed of trust whlca
| will prevent his holding of Manhattan Rail-
way, Western Union, and Missouri Pacific
from being distributed, at least for some
years to come.
| eunquestionabiy took great pride ia his
1 management of the Western Union fele-
/ graph and Manhattan Railway, and it was
| his intention, or at least his hope, to restore
| Missouri Pacific stock to q dividen1-payin2
basis some time next year. One reason Tor
his placing his holdings In these three cons
panies in trust was to perpstrata his name
an influence in connection with their man
agement.
In 1881 Jay Gould secured his first inter
est In tue New York elevated railroads and
| few montns later it was said upon ssths
| street" that Jay Gouid's soivency was q
matter OF conjecture and doubt among
bankers an brokers This both incensea
and grievei thu millionaire, ant ne invited
investigation into his financial standing. HI