The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-12-03
MR. GOULD'S CAREER.
IL was Perhaps the Most Remarkable
the World Has Known.

rough hills OF Delaware county TO tb,
railroad king. whose wealth was esti
mated at $60.OO0O0O. is one OF the most
remarkable among self-made men.
or Mr.. Gould's career since he berar
70 operate in Wall street columns might
De written, were the story not pretty well
known 10 the public. The speculations IN
Lrle, the black Friday" and other De.
RODS are familiar. and have been often
retold. Suffice 1t to say, that from the
time he went into Wall street Gould
Forged straight ahead. There was no
going back, and but little standing still
Line after line Of railroad fell under
the control OF this man, whom other
nnanciers called the wizard" Of Wall
street, until thousands upon thousands
OF miles OF road were to all intents and
purposes his own. With a single move
In the stock market he could affect fnan-
clal matters not only in every city I'm this
country, but in London, Paris and Vienna
as well.
He turned his attention TO the tele-
graphic system Of the country and did not
rest until he had monopoly Of that.
ana controlled the Atlantic cable as well.
was this enough? Not at all There
were elevated railroads in New York city
representing millions in money. Here
was more work TO the hand Of this re-
markable man., and in the end this sys-
TEN, too, passed under his direction.
Ialk or Aladdin's lamp 1t was but a
uull, rusty affair placed alongside the
brilliant light Of this mans genius. There
IS hothing, in fact or fiction, since Adam
uelVed Tor living that can rival the
pIaln' STRAIGHTFORWARD story Of this mans
lie. 1t is simply unparalleled There
has never been anything like it. and good
hgurers say there is never likely to be
again.
Jay Gould was born in Roxbury Della
ware county, n. Y. on the 9th Of Nav.
Iooo Ills early years were spent on his
Iathers farm, and at the age of four
teen he entered Hobart Academy. New
YORK, and kept the books Of the village
blacksmith. He acquired d taste for
mathematics and surveying, and on
leaving school found employment in
making the survey for n map of Ulster
county. The accuracy Of the work at
tracted the attention Of the late John
Delaheld, who applied to the Legislature
Tor aid in the completion of topocraph-
cal survey Of the entire State by Mr.
Gould. Mr.. Delafeld died before anv
material progress was made. and Mr
Gould undertook TO make the survey
unaided During the summer Of 1853 he
completed a survey Of Albany county.
and surveyed and mapped The village OF
Cohoes, and in the following wear made
the survey and map of Delaware county.
and organizd and dispatched parties to
survey Lake and Geauga counties, Ohio
and Oakland county Mich.
From these surveys he accumulated
5000
He published History of Delaware
County QS56). and while projecting other
surveys was prostrated with typhoid
fever. On his recovery he became ac-
O1IaintQd Vuif i
into the western part OF the State to Sc
lect a site for tannery. He chose a
fine hemlock growth. erected a saw-mill
ana blacksmith shop, and with Mr.. Pratt
was doing large numbering business
Subsequently he bought out Pratt's in
terest and conducted the business alone
until just before the panic Of 1857. when
he sold out his entire plant In 1857 he
became the largest stOckhOIucr and di-
rector in the Strangsbury Pa) Bank
Shortly after the crisis he bought the
bonds Of the Rutland and Washington rail-
road at ten per cent on the dollar, aban-
doning every other interest and putting
all Of his money into railroad securities.
For long time he was president treas
urer and general superintendent Of his
company. He brought about a cOnsOli-
daton Of the Rensselaer, and Saratoga
road, and with the proceeds removed 10
New York city, and in 1859 established
himself as a banker, and invested heav-
ly in the Erie railway stock. lie en-
tered the directory OF that company and
became president, holding the Office until |
he reorganization Of the directory in |
S72. lie next made large purchases Of |
he stocks of the Union Pacific the |
Wabash the Texas Pacific, the st. Louis |
md Northern, the Missouri Pacific, and |
he Missouri Kansas and Texas Rail |
Oad Companies. taking the latter out |
# the hands of its receiver. He also in |
'ested deeply in the stock of the At
antic and Pacific Telegraph Company, |
md on it's consolidation with the West
rn Union he organized the American
lnion in 1879, which was merged into
he Western Union in 1881. In December.
$50 Official records showed that Mr..
iould was in control of 10000 miles Of
abroad or more than one-ninth Of the
ntire mileage of the country.
Early in 1881 he became interested in
he elevated railroad system Of New
york city. doubt having been cast
pon his financial standing, he summon
q several gentlemen to his private Office
N the 18th of March, 1852, and spread
efore them for examination certificates
f stock having a face value OF S530OO,OOO,
II I'm his own name and offered TO pro-
uce $50 100000 if desired.
In March, 1887, Mr.. Gould purchased a
interest in the ST. Louis and
AN Francisco Railroad Company. which
ad an aggregate of nearly nine hun
red miles, and was a joint owner with
he Atchison, Topeka and Santa t'e Rail
cad Company, of the Atlantic and Pa
ihc and the western portion of the
outhern Pacific Railroad Companies.
hese with the projected links gave him
ontrol at that time Of an additional
600 miles of rail.
No two estimates agree as TO the
mount Of his fortune. The most con-
erVative figures place ii at $6O,OOOOO
lille some people in Wall street figure IT
{ fully 800, 900, ,O00 His known holdings
( securities are about as follows: Twen-
y-two millions par value of Western |
nion Telegraph, which at to-day's prices
ould fetch about $lS,70O 900; 100000 900 par
alue of Missouri Pacific, now worth in
larket $5,5O0,0OO.
He is supposed to hold in the neighbor-
ood Of s., 100000. probably more, of Man
attain railroad stock, worth 100000.
Is holdings OF all these stocks have been
rger than this, but he sold them TO
ther invest the money in new issues or
,nds of the Missouri Pacific and Man
titan companies or to finance these
,mpanies until bonds could be issued
q holds about one-third OF the bonds
sued on the Missouri Pacific system,
rich would be about $30,OO0.000. Mr..
ouId holds over 900 of Wabash
ilway stock. which shows a loss OF be-
,een 900 and $5.OOOODO.
As long ago as 1884 Mr.. Gould was
own 70 hold about 100000 Of first
.,,o,.t,,a hOnig uuOn roads |