Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-01-14
JAY GOULD AS A BOY.
ONE WHO WORKED WITH HIM AS
,-;; A FELLOW CLERK TALKS.


James H. 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-
cier's life in the town where both were born.
Mr.. Woolhiser lived there until few years
ago, when he moved to Brooklyn.
jay Could" said Mr. Woolhiser to a re-
porter worked on his fathers farm, which
was about six miles out of town. He tended
cattle. first hear! 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
a 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 schoolrnates, evidently preferTing
to be by himself
when l was sixteen years DID," contin-
ued Mr.. Woolhiser Il vert to work in the
store of j. h. Burnham. You could buy
almost anything from a postage stamp to
moving machine in that store | had been
working there but Il short time when one
fine morning ! was surprised to see young
Gould enter the store anC ask Mr.. Burn
ham for a position. He was hired at a
salary of five dollars per week The fol-
lowing Monday morning he went to work
az Il clerk and assistant book keeper. He
did all kinds of work. Upon several coca
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 10 study.
For II long time after he had been en-
ployed he would leave the store as soon as
the fav'S work finished nd
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 WIS not at all backward
in telling stories when it came to his turn
and could drink ana eat rs much as any of
Us. His abstracted air at times led me to
the impression that he had something on
his mind, and one day asked him if he
had any trouble. He laughed at me-
Il 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 bundle and said, 4 don't
think it is any trouble TO become a million
ARE if one sets out to make himself one'
The man addressed laughed and said that
he had set out to become millionaire, but
saw no hopes of ever arriving at the mark
Gould did not reply, and the man went out
saying that he would wait patiently for
Gould to become millionaire.
often after that we chaffed Gould about
his statement and asked him what his plans
were for becoming rich.
why replied Gould, it's rs easy as
can be. Work hard and don't be foolish.
When you get 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, land
Gould had been working in the store but a
short time when he became very attentive
to her. She was a 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 Burnham was elected
to the Legislature, and Jay was left in
charge of the store While in Albany
Burnham received letter from a man in
Margaretvile telling him that some prop
erty in the latter place could be bought at
bargain. In some unaccountable way
Gould learned Of the bargain and bought
the property himself without telling his
employer word about it. He made the
purchase while Burnham was negotiating
fn-it M
Roxbury Jay left the store, saying that he
was going fishing. He went direct 10 Mar
garetville and bought the tract of land n
couple of hours before his employer ar
rived at the place. When Burnham learned
of jays act he 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 ag;lin That was the
beginning Of bis business career and the
end of his fir. love affair.
jay knocked about RoxburS for some
time after his discharge and then took I'D
surveying, OF which he had learned a little.
In a few months he Lad surveyed and made
a map of Delaware county and wrote a his
tory Of the antirent wars. Both the map
and history sold well. Buoyed I'D by the
success Of his work, Jay next published
a 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 MIR. Woolhiser saw moth
ing more Of Jay Gould until he moved to
Brooklyn.-New York World.
s. The River Nile.
The Nile has a fall Of six inches to the
thousand miles, The overflow commences
in June every year and continues until Au-
gust, attaining an elevation OF from twenty
four to twenty-siX feet above low water
mark and flowing through the valley of
Egypt in turbulent body twelve miles