The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-07-19
YARNS ABOUT GOULD.
INCIDENTS SHOWING cttARAcTsRls-
TICS or THE FlNANciER

Reporter Trapped. Him Onee- sens 0nn
Aran 20 Jim Kesne How ne xaarmea
That whisky, was . had survsyor.
There was nothing he detested more
than newspaper notoriety. He used to
dodge reporters. and only ona of shena.
as far as known. ever fairly outwikted
him. Fred Skiff, the city editor Of the
Denver Tribune. detailed reporter after
reporter to interview Mr.. Gould daring
one Of his visits to Colorado. hut each
brought back word that the little rail.
road king would not be seen and had
posted sentinels all along the hotel Cor
ridors to drive intruders away. So Skin
set out to do the job himself. He hunted
mp friendly Pullman car conductnr
and borrowed his uniform. Then he
walked into the hotel and MP the stairs
Look a-here, " said he TO the lrst
sentinel he met, what does Mr.. Gould
propose TO do about that carr rnnst
know right away, for III he isn't going
TO use it tomorrow I've got 10 take. e
back to Chicago. "
The sentry knew nothing about the
Car, OF course, and advised Skiff 10 zee
Gould about it himself So Skin success
fully ran the gantlet Of the half dozen.
lackeys, growing all the time abous the.
bother Of being compelled 10 attend TO
other peoples business. Judge Usher,
one OF Gould's attorneys, who was in
consultation with his client when the
bogus sleeping car conductor was shown
in, Immediately recognized Shif1, hav-
ing known him back In Kansas
when did You get out Of the news-
paper business2" inquired the astonish-
ed lawyer. .'I ain't ont of ID, = replied
Skiff, ''but ] had to put ON this disguise
in order to get in here to interview Mr..
Gould. "
Young man, I" said Mr.. Gould stern
ly, ''if you're reporter, you can take
yourself right out OF the room, for ] ann
not to be interviewed.
SkiF argued the point and nos being
invited to be seated coolly sat down en-
the floor. ..t., ..s..s.l.,ys
Unless you put me ont. = said lie,
II shall stay here till you tell me what
your plans are. @ ssaIas J,
This audacity pleased Gould. He
looked at Usher. and seeing the lawyer
chuckling heartily broke ont into . loud
laugh.
"Well. what do you want to knowl''
he said finally I'm the tone of o man who
is wearied with objecting
Skiff knew he had triumphed He
produced his notebook drew up 70 the
table at which Gould sat and set indus
triously to work putting ont questions
and noting the replies The result was
o reliable forecast Of the immense rail-
road enterprise i'm which Gould suhs0
quently embarked, and Of which thGi
public would not otherwise have bSenj
forewarned u
Less happy was the fate Of the Chi I
cago reporter who followed Gould byI
rail down into Indiana and finally over
hauled his special car and knocked at
the door. Mr. Gould responded In per- |
SON, and the reporter held mp his cardi
SO that his victim could read il througls
the glass window "A
''The Chicago Bugle wants your opin-
ion, he shouted, ION the question OF
refunding the 6 per cents. =
Mr.. Gould regarded him through the |
glass with such . frigid expression that
the interviewer has shiyered at the mere
memory OF it ever since, but finally
opened the door ON o crack and askeds
Young man, do you want rnes' 70 II
"Yes, sir. want 10 interview you |
ON the subject of '-----4-s vs.
MFR. Gould began 10 shut the doorl
.'On the subject of the devil r" Yelled
the indignant reporter as he saw alf his |
hopes fading away. 40
young man, !" said Mr.. Gould, OPEN
ing the door once more an inch or two,
''on that subject you had better see Jim
Keene. He's got all the points and is
anxious to give them away to spite old
Floodi''
Gould always believed that the secret
Of his ability to overcome others i'm any
contest OF wits was his temperate habit
Of life Henever tasted whisky but once
LIN the days when he was a surveyor in
a 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 d country
tavern. In his pocket was 5 cent piece.
It suddenly struck him that as o medi-
cine TO relieve faintness he ought TO buyal
glass Of whisky with his nickel 81 was
ignorant OF bar usage, = he said once In
describing the incident TO q friend, ssaRds
50 when glass and bottle were set
before me filled the tumbler chock
full. The bartender made no protest,
and swallowed the big horn. Then
went my way, trnndling my wheelbar-:
row like measure Of distances and occa-
sionally taking the bearings with SEX
tant Never In my life had my work
gone on half 50 blithesomely, and for
awhile / felt - though making a map Of
the starry heavens instead Of very
dusty portion Of this mundane sphere
After an hour or more Of exaltation 4
grew sleepy and took D long nap under
tree In field / awoke with an awful