The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-05
SAVED GouLD,s LIFE.
And Now the Man Who Did It Is in
Financial Straits.
From the Nelo York Advertiser.

From the Ne,e York Advertiser.
As is generally known, the late Jay Gould
was almost obstinately reticent about his
purely private and personal concerns. Con
stantly and conspicuously in the public eye,
pursued and spied upon, enVied, hated and
feared by turns, he was yet able to surround
himself and his immediate home circle with
jmpenetrable barriers and silent tongues
de seems also TO have been proof against
those more or less trivial but none the less
plaguey ills to which the ordinary common,
everyday man Is heir TO. His small per-
son was, 30 far as the general public knows,
a stranger to ha2ard-of casualty
free. great traveller from the
very necessities of his vast and
widely distributed property interests, he
escaped not only the ordinary vicissitudes
but the dangers and 6elays-to say nothing
of the calamities which oefall, at one time or
another, all great travellers. This was
equally true whether the little maguate Jour
neyed by land or sea. True he always, in
either event, employed his own private con-
veyanoes, in charge Of picked crews, who
we're not unmindful of the great RESPONSE
bility conhded to them of tba probable gen.
erous gratuity which would follow safe and
pleasant trip, and the condign and swift
punishment sure TO attend the reverse.
Thus attended, surrounded with every COM
or up Hudson houses, the magician of the
stock market toured the United States over
and over again and squared the circen
more than once without receiving an abra-
sion or bruise, or even severe nervous
shock, unless the "close shave" to be told
here for the first time had that effect
1t was while on one of his annual tours
of inspection that Jay Gould came very
near having his small body very cruelty
bakfaTnd and hig enpFUafio nd
life crushed out in the most commonplace
and vulgar way. The Missouri Pacific rail
way yard IN st. Louis was the scene of this
almost tragedy, and the fall of 1885 the
time. AS all who are familiar with St.
Louis know, there is traffic bridge span
ming the sea Of railroad tracks in the
vicinity OF the union station. Passing
from the shed the tracks run
due west for few hundred feet and then
curve sharply 10 the south around the
southern abutmeut, upon which one end of
the great bridge rests. To man standing
on the track level without the car shed and
to the east of the abutment train APP
preaching from that direction and beyond
the curve would not be visible It was at
such point as this about sundown one
pleasant evening that young man accom-
panied by young lady were cutting across
the tracks on their way home from an out
of-tOwn visit.
When near the southern extreme of the
yards the attention of the young people
vas drawn to the operations of an immense
locomotive-one Of the "mountain climb
ers"-aud a little man, with his back to-
ward the abutment, intently gazing at il.
So absorbed was this lone spectator that
he did not heed the rapid approach upon
the track on which he stood of an unen-
numbered yard engine, which had already
turned the curve and was bearing down
upon him. Seeing and realizing the mans
peril the young fellow with the girl shook
himself free of his companion, rushed upon
him and swung the now thoroughly sur
prised and alarmed individual from the
track Just as the maohine scooted by over
the very ties upon which he Rad stood.
Approaching at once the full force and
significance OF what had occurred the little
man felt it was bis turn TO do or say some-
thing. Without intimatinR any feelings of
gratitude, but in a voice tremulous with
emotion, he said: You have done me
a very great service, sir, and If
you will step over to my car 1 will
give you a check" Up to this point,
and even after the speech, the rescuer
knew not the rescued He, however, very
politely declined the proRered check, which
must have been construed by the gentleman
as implying a suspicion Of its value, for
he spoke up briskly aud said-not 81
thank you" but-"You probably do not
know who / am, and cannot there
fore. understand how immeasurabliy im-
portant it is TO me that nothing whatever
be said Of what has just occurred Ny
name Is Gould and here's hundred
dollars, which l will gladly make
many times as much more, only ask
ing that at no time you make any
mention Of this affair" The money was
declined with thanks, Mr.. Gould being
assured that it was not needed nor desired.
He was also reassured that what had oc-
Cured would 20 no further. This pledge
seemed 10 crafty him very much, and Just
before his rescuer left him he said: ''Well.
as you won't let me pay you now. shall
invest this money for you against the day
when you may need it." With this the little
party separated TO meet no more.
IL may be gratifying to note that the
pledge Of secrecy given jay Gould upon the
occasion Of perhaps the only real physical
danger he ever experienced In his travels
was religiously kept by the young couple
who were the sole witnesses of IL. This, too,
in face Of the fact that the young man, who
was at that time well 10 do, has OF late years
suffered great reverses and is to-day in ne
cesstous circumstances. It is in the nature
of confederation Of this incident that jay
Gould's will was made a few weeks after IL
happened, as is evidenced by its date,
Christmas eve, 1885.
IL out of ordar uea BupcuAnsia prs