Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-12-08
JAY GOULD DEAD.
Riches Avail Nothing to Prolong
The Great Financicr's
Life.
From a Penniless Boy to a Rail
way King of Enormous
Wealth.

footed boy, who wandered over the
rough hills of Delaware county. n. y.
to the railroad king, whose wealth
was estimated at 500, 100000, is one of
the most remarkable among our self
made men. His life for the past few
months has been constant battle
against the inevitable, and all means
that medical skill and the interest of
friends and relatives could summon
were employed to prolong the tlnan-
ccr's life.
lie was taken about in luxurious
pr ivatc cars to places where mildcr
air and the absence Of business excite
mcnt might be expected to work re-
cupcration of his energies. Frequent
reports during the past few weeks as
TO his feeble condition were received.
but were either deprecated or denied
by those near.
Jay Could was born in West Settle
mcnt, backwoods village of EoX-
bury. Delaware county. y. y. May -,
1896. lie was the son of John Il.
Could Il farmer. who was fairly we'll
tC-Io and who had been Il deputy
sheriff in the famous ant-rcnt war in
the early pos. His mother died when
he was an infant. Mr.. Gould left
home with fifty cents in his pocket
and studied at Hobart academy. in a
| 81, IL ln cd
an extra penny by keeping the books
of the village blacksmith. eventually
enjoying a brief partnership in the
| business. He was fond of mathemat-
les and on leaving school found en-
| plovmcnt in making surveys for a
map OF Ulster county, at a salary of
$40 per month. The correctness of
the work attracted the attention of
John Dclaneld, who applied TO the
legislature to authorize map of the
state. to be made, in which Mr.. Could
would have prominent part of the
work
After an unsuccessful attempt to
push the sale of a patent mouse trap,
which he had invented, Mr.. Gould
entered into partnership with Zadoo
Pratt in the tannery business, in
Pennsylvania, at Il place known as
Gouldsboro. In 1876 the patent was
sold and Gould came to New York
with quite an addition to Ills fortune.
He entered in business with Charles
| ID. Lcupp, leather merchant. In the
panic of 1877 Leupp'> capital was
wrecked. but Gould managed to come
/ through without severe loss. Gould's
fathcr-in-Iaw, Mr.. Miller. invited the
young iinancier into the railroad
business and sold him a number Of
| shares in the Rutland & Western rail
road at ten cents on the dollar
Gould showed so much interest that
he was soon elected president and
general manager OF the road and fin
| ally consolidated ii with the Renssel-
acr & Saratoga road. When the
stock went up Gould sold out at a
handsome profit.
or Mr.. Gould's career since he began
to operate in Wall street columns
might be written. were the story not
| pretty well known to The public. The
| Spcculations in Eric. the BLACK Fri
day" and other episodes are familiar
| to most New Workers. and have been
often retold. Suffice to say that from
| the time he went into Wall street
Gould forged straight ahead: there
was no going back and little standing
still.
He turned his attention to the tel
egraphic system Of the country and
did notrest until lie had the monop-
oily of that, and controlled the At
lantic cable as well. That was not
enough. There were elevated roads
in New York city representing mill
lions of money. Here was more work
to the hand of this remarkable man.
and in the end this system passed
under his direction. There is
nothing in fact or fiction since Adam
dclved for Il living that can rival the
plain, straightforward story of this
mans life. 1t is simply unparalleled.
There has never been anything like
it, and good tinanciers say that there
is never likely to bo again.
Mr.. Gould married when he was
young, and was always domestic in
his habits. He loved his family aud
home more than most men do today.
Society lie cared nothing for, and paid
little attention to it, though he paid
for box in the metropolitan opera
house and was seen there but rarely.
He attended the thcater at times but
not with any regularity. He never,
so far as known, expressed any high
appreciation Of high art, of music,
the drama or literature. Heidi write
a history Of Delaware county thatis
regarded with favor by collectors of
rare and curious books, though.
1T l,o,l