Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-07-21
YARNS ABOUT GOULD.
INCIDENTS SHOWING CHARACTERS
TICS OF THE FiNANCIER.

eAo <A'oAueu <>e"sIsaNcr Shcn, Out q Denver
| Reporter Trapped Him Once-Sent Ono
Man to Jim Kccne-How He Learned
That Whisky Was a lad Surveyor.
| There was nothing he detested more
than newspaper notoriety. He used to
dodge reporters, and only one Of them,
as 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 the hotel cor
ridors to drive intruders away So Skiff
set out To do the job himself He hunted
up friendly Pullman car conductor
and borrowed his uniform Then lie
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? l must
know right away, for if he isn't going
to use it tomorrow I've got to take it
back to Chicago"
| A4iN AEtN iOiltIS Cl.c
car OF course, and advised Skiff to see
Gould about il himself SO SkiT success
fully ran the gantlet Of the half dozen
lackCys, growing all the time about the
bother Of being compelled to attend to
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
III, immediately recognized Skiff, hay
ing known him back in Kansas.
when did you get out of the news
paper business inquired the astonish-
ed lawyer. Il amt ont of it," replied
Skiff, but had TO put on this disguise
il order to get in here TO interview Mr..
Gould.
Young man. said Mr. Gould stern
ly, IF you're 4 reporter. you can take
yourself right cut Of the room. for am
not to be interviewed -
Skiff argued the point and not being
invited TO be seated coolly sat down on
the floor.
Unless You put me out, - said he,
Il shall stay here till you tell me what
your plans are"
This audacity pleased Gould. He
looked at Usher, and seeing the lawyer
chuchling heartily broke out into a loud
laugh.
We'll, what do you want TO know"
he said finally IN the tone of man who
is wearied with objecting
Skitf 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
a reliable forecast of the immense rail
road enterprise III 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 and finally over
hauled his special car and knocked at
the door. MIR. Gould responded in 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 opin.
ion, he shouted, ION the question CT
refunding the per cents
Mr.. Gould regarded him through the
glass with such frigid expression that
the interviewer has shivered at the mere
memory Of it ever since, but finally
opened the door on a crack and asked:
Young man, do you want me:''
Yes. Slr. | want to interview you
on the subject Of
Mr.. Gould began to shut the door,
ION the subject of the devil!'' yelled
the indignant reporter as 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 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 III
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 q country
tavern. In his pocket was a 5 cent piece
1t suddenly struck him that as medi-
cine to relieve faintness he ought to buy a
glass of whisky with his nickel Twas
ignorant of bar usage" he said once in
describing the incident to friend, land
so when glass and bottle We're set
before me l filled the tumbler chock
full. The bartender made no protest,
and swallowed the big horn. Then
went my way, trurdling my wheelbar-
row like measure of distances and occa-
sionally taking the bearings with sex
tant. Never i'll my life had my work
gone off half SO blithesomely, and for
awhile felt as though making map of
the starry heavens instead OF q very
dusty portion of this mundane sphere.
After an hour or more of exaltation
grew sleepy and took a long nap under
a tree III field. / awoke with an awful
headache and found that the figures en-
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