Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-01-28
JAY GOULD AS A BOY.
ONE WHO WORKED WITH HIM AS
A FELLOW CLERK TALKS.

James Fl. Woolhiser, now of Brooklyn,
who worked with Jay Gould in the general
store in Roxbury, Delaware county, N. Y,
tells an interesting story of the great finan-
ciers life in the town where both were born.
Mr.. Woolhiser lived there until a few years
ago when he moved to Brooklyn.
jay Could" said Mr.. Woolhiser to re-
porter, worked on his fathers farm, which
was about six miles out of town. He tended
cattle. first heard of him when he started
to go to the Roxbury high school. He
walked from his home to the school and
back again every day. His desire to acquire
good education was the talk of the town,
and in this way first heard of him. He
was pointed out to me by my father as a
model young man. He made but few friends
among his schoolmates, evidently preferring
to be by himself
when | was sixteen years old #" contin-
ued Mr. Woolhiser, 81 went to work in the
store of J. E. Burnhsm. You could buy
almost anything from postage stamp to
moving machine in that store. had been
working there but short time when one
fine morning ! was surprised to see young
Gould enter the store and ask Mr.. Burn
ham for a position. He was hired at a
salary of five dollars per week. The fol-
as clerk and assistant bookkeeper He
did all kinds Of work. Upon several occa-
sions have seen him sweep the floor of the
old store. He worked hard, and although
always very pleasant was never very talk
alive During the leisure time of the day
he would grab book and begin to study.
For long time after he had been en-
ployed he would leave the store as soon as
the days work was finished and walk
home. As time moved on, however he be
came more friendly and in the evenings
after the work was done he would sit with
us around the stove Those were happy
days. We would take turns in telling
stories. We would also eat hard boiled
eggs, which we cooked ourselves, and
drink cider. Jay was not at all backward
In telling stories whcn-it came to his turn
and could drink and eat as much as any of
us. His abstracted air at times led me to
the impression that be had something on
his mind, and one day asked him If he
had any trouble. He laughed at me.
II remember quite well an incident that
happened in the store one day while Jay
was waiting upon a customer and that set
tied in my mind what was troubling him.
He.was serving a regular customer when
he suddenly stopped while in the act of
wrapping up a bundle and said, Il don't
think it is any trouble to become million
aire if one sets cut to make himself one
The man addressed laughed and said that
he had set out to become a millionaire, but
saw no hopes Of ever arriving at the mark.
Gould did not reply, and the man went out
saying that be would wait patiently for
Gould to become q millionaire
"Often after that we chulled Gould about
his statement ara asked him what his plans
were for becoming rich.
why replied Gould, it's as easy as
can be. Work hard and don't be foolish
When you get n little money put it where
it will double itself Keep doubling all
your money, and the result will be satisfac-
factory
'Burnham had pretty daughter named
Maria" continued Mr.. Woolhiser, "and
Gould had been working in the store but a
short time when he became very attentive
TO her. She was pretty blond, and all the
boys of the town fairly worshiped her, and
when it became generally known that Gould
was calling steadily on her he was envied by
all the young fellows. He attended party
with her one night and barely escaped get
ting into fight with one of Miss Burn
hams admirers.
'Gould had been working in the store
about two years when Buruham was elected
to the legislature, and Jay was left in
charge of the store. While in Albany
fBurnham received letter from a man in
Margaretville telling him that some prop
erty in the latter place could be bought at
q bargain. In some unaccountable way
Gould learned Of the bargain and bought
the property himself without telling his
employer a word about IL. He made the
purchase while Bufnham was negotiating
for it, The day that Bunham arrived in
Roxbury Jay left Che store, saying that he
was going fishing. He went direct to Mar
paretville and bought the tract of land a
couple of hours before his employer ar
rived at the place. When Burnham learned
of jays act be became angry, and driving
back to his store discharged him with but
few words. To cap the climax, Maria
Burnham entered the store just as Jay was
about to leave and told him never to call
upon or speak to her again That was the
beginning OF mis- business career and the
end of his first love affair.
Jay knocked about Roxbury for some
time after his discharge, and then took up
surveying, of which he had learned little
In a few months he had surveyed and made
map of Delaware county and wrote his
tory Of the antirent wars. Both the map
and history sold well. Buoyed up by the
success of his work, Jay next published
map and history of Ulster county. He
next engaged in the cattle raising industry
and to save the expense of help he would
drive his cattle to the market, distance Of
sixty miles. He kept at this for some time
and then secured position with an EN-
gineer TO survey the Adirondack noun
tains While in these mountains he met
Colonel Pratt, with whom he afterward
went into partnership"
From that time Mr.. Woolhiser saw moth
ing more Of Jay Gould until he moved Il
Brooklyn-New York World.
The River Nile.
The Nile has fall of six inches to thu
thousand miles The overflow commence,
In Inne euarv wear and continues until An