Omaha daily bee., 1899-05-12
AN oLD-TIME PAYMAsTER.
Experiences of Major Gould In the
Pioneer Days of the West.

Experiences of Major Gould I'm the
Days of the West.
In the Knutsford lobby yesterday, relates
the Salt Lake Herald, sat a small. gray
haired, gray-bearded man, with keen blue
eyes and a determined set to his avs. He
wore the air Of one who would rise to an
emergency, who would be quick to see
danger and who would face 1t with resolute
calmness.
The man was Major w. p. Gould, a re-
tired paymaster in the United States army.
He is a type OF tho old-timer, Of whom
the storywriters are silent, but who, in
the early days, were required to meet more
hard situations, to face greater odds and
take more chances than fell to the lot of
the average frontiersman.
The Pullman sleeper has taken the place
of the stage coach, the express car now
holds the cash that was once tucked away
in saddlebags or a treasure box.
The long wagon and horseback rides,
with every nerve strained to the highest
tension, with eyes red from lack of sleep
and from constant vigil for fear of savage
! Indians or still more savage white bandits
who would carry away the soldiers money,
are now but memories of a misty past.
Here and there is a veteran of the Major
Gould stamp with only the consciousness
of a duty we'll done to cheer them In the
evening of their lives. No glory Is theirs,
no newspaper headlines, no mention in
general orders. As a matter OF sact, what
right, as Major Gould himself says, has
an army paymaster of the old days or any
other days to claim credit for simply
carrying money around to pay off soldiers
with?
Major Gould talked entertainingly yes
terday afternoon about the difficulties of his
first visit to Salt Lake, thirty-three years
ago. He came over from San Francisco
by stage to pay the troops at Fort Douglas
and at Fort Bridger, Wyo., in 1866.
The trip was made in March and Major
Gould brought with him cash to the amount
of nearly 100000.
mo. | wasn't particularly afraid Of road
agents or Indians he said. in response to
a question. 81 had no escort, because
thought the surest way to attract the gentle
men of the road was to have a guard with
me.
besides, in those days the scum of the
earth got into the regular army. II | had
had a squad with me l would never have
known what moment my own men woutu
attack me and carry away my funds.
rode in the stage just like any ordinary
Messenger. The money was in currency and
I had it tucked into a pair of saddlebags
that kept at my feet the whole way.
1--WE were nine days coming from Virginia
City to Salt Lake. This town was a great
deal smaller then than 1t is now. l PAID
off the soldiers and stayed here seVeral
davs. Although the entente cordiale be-
tween the Mormons and the army was de-
cidedly strained at that time, l called on
brigham Young. He treated me with the
utmost consideration, giving me a pass to
the theater and extending other favors.
zone thing about the theater I specially
recall was that when any one who wished
to enter had no money, he was allowed TO
pay in farm produce, cordwood or any other
commodity he happened to possess.
1.-THE second time / visited Salt Lake was
in 1868. came then by the stage also and
it was about the same time of the year.
AT Virginia City I got word that high
, waymen were operating with great activity
| along the stage road. l don't know whether
i nv clerk heard the report or not. Any
way he became i'll at Virginia and said he
would be unable to proceed. This left me
| as the only passenger in the stage and with
more than 500 900 of government money
ir my saddlebags.
Naturally l was a trifle uneasy, but we
| came through without being molested.
/ haven't been in Salt Lake from then until
now
Major Gould spent some years in tho
| southwest, along the line of the Rio Grande.
Here he handled large sums of money, fire.
quently carrying nearly a million dollars.
He says he never carried specie, except a
small amount of silver with which to make
change and he rarely had an escort.
The task of caring for SO much of other
peoples money, the strain on his health
caused by the constant and heavy reepon-
sibility of his calling gradually undermined
Major Gould's health. In 1885 he broke
down with nervous insomnia and was forced
to ask for retirement. Since then he has
been living in his old home in Vincennes,
Ind, except such time as he spends with
Mrs. Gould travelling about the country.