Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-12-08

stock market, in which, for twenty
years, he was the most important fig
ure. The market was not even shaken.
1t was not believed until clock in
the morning that Mr. Gould was going
to die. He had been Frustrated severa
times within the past three years. The
attack was thought to be like the others,
merely temporary.
sketch OF the wizIr Career.
Jay Gould was a native of Roxbury,
| n. y, where he was born on the 9th of
May, 1896. His early life was spent on
| a iarm. He entered Hobart College
when IA years OF age, paying for his
tuition with money earned by keeping
the books Of the village blacksmith dur
ing the evenings. He developed a taste
for surveying and one of his earliest en-
terprises was the publication of coun-
| ty map OF his own drawing. The ac-
curacy OF the work attracted attention
and he was employed by the Legislature
to make Typographical 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 MANAGEMENT OF
tannery and conducting large lumber
| ing business. He soon purchased his
partners interest, and sold his plant
| Just in time to avoid the panic of 1857.
He invested his money in a bank
at Stroudsburg, Pa, purchased
bonds of a Vermont railroad at their
lowest price, 10 cents on the dollar, and
realized fourfold from the increase in
value within year. He removed tc
New York City in 1859, where he be-
4 In lxy ~,
the stock OF the Erie Road. 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 o.
the Atlantic and Pacific Telegraph Com
pany, and favorable opportunity oc-
| curing he obtained controlling inter-
| est. A 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
two, not only increasing the value of
the Atlantic and Pacific properties by
favorable alliance but also benefting
the Western Union by destroying
competition. The American Union
and the Mutual Union companies,
both organized as competitors OF
|
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 pluck the unwary
fool who dared attempt to trade in his
favorites, and hundreds OF fortunes OF
the too venturesome passed into his
Golfers. Like giant octopus he guard
ed his properties and his tentacles
grasped and destroyed all within reach.
| Compassion was an unknown quality in
his breast. Friend and foe alike con-
tributed to the qualification of his ra-
pacity.
Mr.. 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 a severe blow 10 him. Since that
event his daughter Helen was mistress
Of his household, and the two
we're almost inseparable. Miss Helen
accompanied him on his tours over the
country, sacrificing her opportunities OF
| shining In society that she might minis
ter to his happiness His son George
was his business confldant. He ihher-
tied much of the shrewdness of his
father, and in recent years has been the
active manager of some OF the most i'm
portant of the Gould properties. He
married Edith Kingdom, the well-known
actress, and they are living happily to-
gether.