The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-08-20
YARNS ABOUT GOULD.
INCIDENTS SHOWING CHARACTeRlS-
TICS OF THE FINENCIER.

Reporter trapped HIM Oice--eHl VIC
Man to Jim Keene-IIow He Learned
That Whisky Was n Fad Surveyor.
There was nothing he detested more
than newspaper notoriety. He used to
lodge reporters, and only one Of them,
rs far as known, ever fairly outwitted
him. Fred Skiff, the city editor Of the
Denver Tribune, detailed reporter after
reporter TO interview Mr.. Gould during
one of his visits to Colorado, but each
brought back word that the little rail
road king would not be seen and had
posted sentinels all along tine hotel cor
ridors TO drive intruders away. So Skif
set out TO do the job himself. He hunted
up a friendly Pullman Car conductor
and borrowed his uniform. Then he
walked into the hotel and up the stairs
Look a-here,' said he to the first
sentinel he met, what does Mr.. Gould
propose TO do about that car? / must
know right away, for If he isn't going
to use it tomorrow I've got TO take 1t
back to Chicago"
The sentry knew nothing about the
car, of course, and advised Skiff to see
Gould about it himself So Skif success
fully ran the gauntlet of the half dozen
lackeys, growing all the time about the
bother of being compelled TO attend 70
other peoples business. Judge Usher,
one of GOuld's attorneys, who was III
consultation with his client when the
bogus sleeping car conductor was shown
In, Immediately recognized Skiff, hav-
ing known him back in Kansas.
when did you get out of the news
paper business?'' inquired the astonish-
ed lawyer. Il amt out of it, - replied
Skill, but 1 had to put on this disguise
in order to get in here to interview Mr..
Could
young man, >" said Mr.. Gould stern
", elf you're a reporter, you can take
yourself right out of the room, for am
not to be interviewed "
Sl,if argued the point and not being
invited TO be seated cooily sat down ON
the floor.
''Unless you put me oct, " said he,
II shall stay here till You tell me what
your plans are
This audacity pleased Gould. He
looked at Usher, and seeing the lawyer
chucklirg heartily broke out into loud
laugh.
''Well, what do you want TO know"
he said finally III the tone of man who
is wearied with objecting.
Skiff knew he had triumphed. He
produced his notebook, drew up to the
table at which Gould sat and set indus
triously to work putting out questions
and noting the replies The result was
n reli~blc forecast of the immense rail
road enterprise in which Gould subse
quently embarked, and of which the
public would not otherwise have been
forewarned.
Less happy was the fate of the Chi
cagO reporter who followed Gould By
rail down into Indiana ard finally over
hauled his special car and knocked 1t
the door. Mr.. Gould responded III per
son, and the reporter held up his card
so that his victim could read it through
the glass window.
''The Chicago Bugle wants your OpiL-
ion, he shouted, Ion the question OF
refunding the per cents.
Mr.. Gould regarded him through the
glass with such frigid expression that
the interviewer has shivercd at the mere
memory of 1t ever since, bat finally
opened the door on = crack and asked:
Young man, do You want me:'
Yes, 81. / want to interview you
ON the subject Of -
Mr.. Gould began 10 shut the door.
Ion the subject of the devilr' yelled
the indignant reporter - he saw all his
hopes fading away.
Young man, - said Mr.. Gould, open
ing the door once more an inch or two,
Ion that subject you had better see jim
Keene. He's got all the points and l.
anxious to give them away to spite old
FloOdr
Gould always believed that the secret
of his ability to overcome others IL any
contest of wits was his temperate habit
of life He never tasted whisky but once.
In the days when he was Il surveyor III
Il small way and was mapping county
ON the practical line of getting lodgings
and meals Of the farmers in exchange
for marking correct sundialS on their
doOrsteps he became tired one hot,
dusty afternoon. He came to a country
tavern. In his pocket was 4 . cent piece
1t suddenly struck him that is I medi
cine to relieve faintness he ought to buy
glass of whisky with his nickel 4 was
ignorant of bar usage " he said once IN
describing the incident to 4 friend, ''and
so when n glass and bottle We're set
before me l filed the tumbler chock
full. The bartender made no protest,
and / swallowed the big horn. Then |
went my way, trundling my wheelbar
row like measure of distances and coca
sionally taking the bearings with 4 sex
tant Never in my life had my work
gone off half so blitheSOmely, and for
awhile 1 felt as though making map OF
the starry heavens instead OF very
dusty portion of this mundane sphere
After an hour or more Of exaltatiOn L
grew sleepy and took long nap under
tree in a field. 1 awolle with an awful
headache and found that the figures en-
tered III my notebook during the time OF
extra steam We're quite incOherent.
1900 rr1lv- cC,,v-i,ccI Iat Hy-as n