New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-09-21
JAY GOULDS COMPOSITION.
JAMES OLIVER. ONCE INSTRUCTOR OF
DEAD FINANCIER. DIED RECENTLY.

lanes Oliver formerly well known IN DeaWare
County, N Y. at one time the instructor - 20
Comic and engaged 20 be married TO Mary Gould
q sister of the dead fnancier. at the time OF her
death. died last week at his home in Burinsame
Kan.
Mr. Oliver was born IN Scotland seventy-nNe
wears ago and was brought to this country "fieh
a child by his parents. He was graduated from Tue
Norma. School Albany. and later. In lsSc' De
came the principal of Beechwood Seminary, al
Roxhury y. Y, when jay Gould-or Jason 1ouh1
as he was then oalled-was pupil there
While q student at the BeecfsFvood seminary MI
Gould who was only thirteen years old at 'he
tine wrote a composition entitled Honesty Is 'iie
Best Policy and the original manuscript Is no"
in the possession OF Mr.. divers heirs Inc essay
IS written on blue legal cap paper. and is well pre-
served. The chirography is effeminate in its char
acter but distinct On the title of the cemposiuoh
appear these words: No decomposition Jason
Gould Beechpgood Seminary. April 9. lS0o
The composition. handed in to Mr. oIiVer anu
approved by him, is as follows;
HONESTY Is THE BEST POLICY
Isz this proposition we mean that ne honest to
think honest and TO have all our actions honesty
performed. is the best way and most accoros Win
Honesty is of a seif-denying nature: TO become me
sSonid nor scaraint ourselves too much with the
world that should not associate VIII ~, .U yern
vulgar habits: also that should obey the warn
ings of conscience. ,. 80. che
II We about to perform dishonest act in sIe
ence to persuade that ii is wrong ano we slosi t
OF
the faithful monitor upbrads us for it This voice
Of conscience is not the voice OF t force us
voice gentle and impressive IL does nor Iof TIME
TO comply with requests. while at the same UNI az
II reasons with and brings forth arguments HI
favor of right , +o;,a al
without illustration il will be unbecomlng Tor
us of the instances that hdNe =.
CURED, whose names stand high upon the ae ~
fame and whose deeds are recorded on the pase ~
history-George Washington, the man VINO never
told lie in all his life. ;-s. "A
truth obeyed the teachings Of conscience afd
Never. never told lie" An anecdote wn1c as Is
much related. and which occurred when ne Was d
boy. goes show mis- sincerity a.. o,-s.
Alexander Pope. in his Essay on NAL sHsN-
And again We ind innurnerable passages in the
Scriptures which have an immeoiate r. ga
this. and summing up the whole we CSh c 9TT
Honesty is the best policyi JASON GULL
Mr. oliver in his lifetime. used TO relate
Characteristic anecdo:e. One of Jason Gould s
classmates at the Roxbury Academy was John
Burroughs the eminent naturalist AS all teaeh-
ers know TO thei- sorrow. compulsory measures
are sometimes necessary to secure the DREADED
composition and it came about that the limit OF
time was nearly elapsed and the now great Bur
rouehs then diffident country lad Of thirteen
had been unable 10 indite anything that he was
willing to submit Ny divers eye. and he sat
in the classroom quakng under the shadow OF the
Give me your slate" said young Gould tapping
Burroughs tie shoulder
The slate was quietly passed over, some doggerei
verses were hastily dashed of. the slate returned
and the shadow lifted from Burroughs Inind
n-0llr7e Gould the
,,s.nriel snd r-ro+e viii, his own hand a history
of some four hundred pages of Delaware county
New York, and the border wars Of that state.
property and moved West settling at Burlnsane,
kan. OF which he subsequently became
witness for the Gould family in the famous suit
brought by Mrs. Sarah Ann Angel