The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1892-12-10
BIOGRAPHICAL

Jay Gould was born in Roxbury, Delaware
county, n. Y. May q. 1893. His early years
were spent on his fathers farm, and at the ag,
OF IA he entered Hoblrt academy and kept the
books for the village blacksmith He acquired
q taste for surveying and mathem atics, and on
leaving school found employment in making
survey for a map Of Ulster county. The accu-
racy Of this work attracted the attention OF the
late John Delafsld, who applied to the legisl1-
ture for aid in the completion Of Topographic
al survey Of the entire state by Mr.. Gould. Mr..
Delafisld died b,fore any material progress
WAS made, and Mr.. Gould undertook
to make the surveys unaided. During the
summer Of 1851 young Gould completed sur
vay OF Albany county, and surveyed and
mapped the village of Cahoes. and in tho fol-
lowing year mado a survey and map Of Della
ware county. He organized and dispatched
parties to survey Lake and Geneva counties.O
Ha accumulated 5000 from these surveys
When but % years old Gould wrote His
tory OF Delaware County" and while perfect
ing other surveys was prostrated with typhoid
fever. On his recovery hs became ac-
quaintsd with Za1ock Pratt, who sent
him into the western part OF the
state to select site for q tannery.
He chose fine hemlock growth. erected = saw
mill and blacksmith shop. AMI. with Mr.. Pratt.
was soon doing largo numbering business.
ests and conducted the business alone till just
before the panic OF 1857, when he sold out his
entine plant. He then became the largest stock.
holder and director In tbs Stroudsburg pal
bank Shortly aftcr the crash ho bought the
bonds Of the Rutland & Washington railroad ct
ten cents on the dollar, and abandoning every
other interest. put ali his money into railroad
securities. For long time he was president
treasurer and general superintendent Of this
company.
It was Jay Gould who brought about con-
solidation Of the Rensselaer, q Saratoga and
Rutland & Washington roads, an I with the
proceeds hs removed to New York city in 1850
He established himself at once as a broker and
invested heavily In Erie railroad stock. He
entered the directory Of that company and be-
came president. holding the office until the re-
organization OF the directory in 1872. He next
made large purchases Of the stocks Of the
Union Pacific, the Wabash. the Texas Pacific.
the st. Louis & Northern, the Missouri Pa
cinc, and the Missouri. Kansas q Texas railroad
companies. taking tho latter out Of tbs hands
of receiver. He also invested deeply ia the
stock Of the Atlantic & Pacific Telegraph Co.
and on its consolidation with the Western
Union In 1879. he organised the American
Union, which two years later merged into ths
Western Union.
In December. 1850 the oficial records showed
that Mr.. Gould was iu control Of 10000 miles OF
railroad, or more tran ne-ninth Of
the entire mileage OF the country.
In the early part Of 1881 be became
interested In the elevated railroad
system Of New York city. A doubt having
been cast upon his financial standing he sum-
monsd several gentlemen 70 bis private once
on March Ia. 1889. and spread before them for
sxanipstion Certificates Of stock having fscs