The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-06-24
YARNS ABOUT .)7[jil,v GOULD Il. D I'D
INCIDENTS SHOWING CHARACTERIZE
TICS OF THE FINANCIER,

That Whisky Was n Rad Surveyor.
There was nothing no detested moro
man newspaper notoriety. Ho used to
Hodge reporters, and only ono of them,
Is far as known, ever fairly outwitted
hlm 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
Drought back word that the little rail-
road king would not BIO seen and had
posted sentinels all along tho hotel cor
Eldors to drive intruders away. So Skiff
Set out to do the job himself He hunted
up q friendly Pullman car conductor
snd borrowed his uniform. Then he
walked into tho hotel and up the stairs
Look a-hcre," said he to tho first
sentinel he met, "what does Mr. Gould
propose to do about that carr must
KNOW right away, for If he isn't going
20 use 1T tomorrow I've got to take 1t
back to Chicago"
The sentry knew nothing about the
car, of course, and advised Skiff to SEQ
Gould about it himself. So Skiff success
fully ran tho gauntlet of tho half dozen
bother of being compelled to attend to
other peoples business. judge Usher,
one of Gould's attorneys, who was in
consultation with his client when tho
bogus sleeping car conductor was shown
III, Immediately recognized Slif, hay
ing known him back i'll Kansas
when did you get out of the news
paper business?" inquired the astonish-
ed lawyer. 81 amt out of it." replied
Skiff, "but l had to put on this disguise
In order to get in here to interview Mr..
Gould"
Young man, said Mr.. Gould stern
~, 'if you're II reporter, you can take
yourself right out of the room, for I am
not to be interviewed f"
Skitf argued the point and not being
invited TO be seated coolly sat down on
the floor.
Unless you put mo out, said he,
Il shall stay hero till you tell mo what
your plans are. -
This audacity pleased Gould He
looked Mt Usher, and seeing the lawyer
chucliling heartily broke out into loud
laugh.
"Well, what do you want to know"
he said finally in the tone of man who
is wcaried with objecting.
Siiif knew lie 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 tho replies. Tho result was
reliable forecast of tho immense rail
road enterprise in which Gould subse-
quently embarked, and of which tho
public would not otherwise have been
forcwarned.
Less happy was the fate Of the Chi
cago reporter who followed Gould by
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 up his card
SO that his victim could read it through
tho glass window
''Thc Chicago Buglo wants your opin-
ion, A." he shouted, con the question Of
refunding the per cents -
MI Gould regarded him through tho
glass with such frigid expression that
the interviewer has shivercd ut the nero
memory of it ever since, but finally
opened the door on Il crack and askcd
Young man, do you want mc?'
Eyes, sir. / want to interview you
on the subject Off,
Mr.. Gould began to shut the door.
'On the subject of the devil!" yelled
the indignant reporter as he saw all his
hopes fading away.
"Young man, said Mr.. Could OPEN
ing the door once more an inch or two,
ION that subject you had better sec Jim
Keene. He's got all the points and is
anxious to give them away to spite old
Floodr'
Gould always believed that the secret
of his ability to overcome others in any
contest Of wits was his temperate habit
of life. He never tasted whisky but once
In the days when he was 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 u country
tavern. III his pocket was u cent piece.
It suddenly struck him that as medi-
cine to relieve faintness nc ought to buy
glass of whisky with his nickel II was
ignorant of bar usage" he said once in
describing tho incident to friend, "and
so when glass and bottle were set
before me 1 filled the tumbler chock
full The bartender made no protest,
and swallowed the big horn. Then I
went my way, trundling my wheelbar-
row like measure of distances and occa-
sionally taking the bearings with sex
tant Never in my life had my work
gone off half so blithesomely, and for
awhile felt as though making map of
CIR. Il.