The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-12-08
sketch Of th w ard'S Career.

!
merely temporary.
sketch Of til, w z,rd's Career.
Jay Gould was a native of RoxbIry,
n. Y, where he was born on the 9th Of
May. 1886. His early life was spent on
a farm. He entered Hobart College
when IA years o. age, paying for his
tuition with money earned by keeping
the looks of the village blacks smith dur
ing the evenings. He developed a taste
for surveying and one of his earliest en-
terprises was the publication of a coun-
ty map of his own drawing. The ac-
curacy of the work attracted attention
and he was employed Y the Legislature
TO make a toy ographieal survey of the
State. For several years he was en-
gagged in this work and in making sur
veys of several counties in Ohio and
Michigan.
In 1856 he became associated with
Zadock Pratt in the mana cement OF a
taunery AMI conducting large lumber
| ing business. He soon purchased his
partners interest, ard sold his plant
| just in time to avoid the panic Of 1857.
He invested his money in Il bank
! at Stroudsburg, Pa, purchased
| bonds of Vermont railroad at their
| lowest price. 10 cents on the dollar, and
realized fourfold from the increast in
value within a year. He removed to
New York City in 1852, where he be-
came broker, and invested largely in
the stock of the Erie Roai. He soon
became President of that company and
remained in the directory till 1872, he
and James Fisk being the controlling
spirits of the corporation.
| He invested largely in the stock of
the Atlantic and Pacific Telegraph Com
rany, and a favorable opportunity oc-
curing he OIL ltained a controlling inter-
est. depression in the stock of the
Western Union taking place, he was
enabled to grasp control of that cor
poration also, and he consolidated the
the Atlantic and Pacific properties by a
favorable alliance but also lenetiting
the Western Union by destroying
competition. The Ameri an Union
| and the Mutual Unon companies,
both organized as competitors OF
tho Western Union, were subse suently
absorbed by methods known best to the
| stock manipulators of Wall street, and
the monopoly Of the telegraph business
was assured to the Western Union. In
1887 he purchased controlling interest
| in the st. Louis and San Francisco
Railroad and obtained a joint interest
| with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa
Fe railroad in the Atlantic and Pacific
and the western portion OF the Southern
| Pacific Road.
He was either bull or bear, as best
suited his purpose to piu the unwary
fool who dared attempt TO trade in his
! favorites, and hundreds of fortunes of
the too venturesome passed into his
Golfers. Like Il giant octopus he guard
| hiS fpnfnn1oS
graspei and destroyed all within reach.
Compassion was an unknown quality in
his breast. Friend and foe alike con-
tributcd to the qualification of mis- ra-
pacitys
Mr.. Gould's methods were constantly
changing. He was exceedingly Sc re-
| tive and the broaer5 nearest to him,
who at times fancied they were fully
in his confidence, were often surprised
| by orders to sell when they thought it
best to buy or to buy when they thought
it expedient to sell. His operations
were constant series OF surprises.
Their object was always the same. His
first money was made by the sale of .
rat-trap whih he hal invented. He
seemed in after life 10 keep trap con-
stantly at hand for the purpose Of
catching the Wall street rats who
| swarmed about him.
MIR. Gould was free from the vices
that commonly attach to men OF the
world. He seldom indulgej in wine,
never used tobacco, and had no liking
for gay or dissOlute society. He was
devotedly attached to his family, and
the death of his wife several years ago
was severe blow TO him. Since that
event his daughter Helen was mistress
Of his household, and the two
were almost inscrarable. Miss Helen
accompanied him on his tours over the
country, sacrificing her oppo -tunities Of
shining in society that she might minis
ter to his happiness. His son George
was his business confidant. He inher-
tied much OF the shrewdncss of his
father, and in recent years has been the
active manager of some o. the most Inn
portant of the Gould properties. He
married Edith Kingdom, the well-known
actress, and they are living happily to-
gether.
No accurate estimate can be made oi
Mr.. Gould's wealth. Two hundred and
fifty million dollars is generally re-
garded as approximating the value Of
his possessions. He was not given ta
ostentatious charities, and considering
his wealth he was niggerdly, although
he has donated large sums to deserving
objects on rare occasions.