Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-11
JAY GOULD,S
COUSIN DYING
IN POVERTY
WEALTHY RELATIVES REFUSE
TO AID HIM
RAILWAY MAGNATE, NEPHEW,
IGNORES SUFFERER
Making Brave Struggle for Life, Vic
tim of Circumstances No Longer
Hopes for Help from Mem
bers of His Family

l, In small frame building in the rear
of the cottage at 1858 East Fifty -eighth
street Melvin A. Gould, Il years OIL age,
cousin of George Gould of New York
| city, is slowly dying. His face is pale
and drawn. He is scarcely able to
move, and suffering from stroke of
paralysis and a complication of other
diseases this old man is braVely wait
| ing the end. Without money, and re-
fused assistance by his reiatives, he
| does not complain. In a voice scarcely
above a whisper he expressed his hopes
of being able to get out of bed in u few
days so he could try and make some
real estate deals.
Il am feeling much better tonight,
said Gould last night when asked re-
garding his health. Il expect to be
able to get about in several days.
have been trying TO make my living by
selling real estate on commission, but
m health has been bad for long time
and have been unable TO do anything.
The financial depression has made it
difficult for me to transact business.
and it has been a long time since l
have made q dollar.
Cousin of George Gould's
George Gould is my cousin but he
absolutely refuses TO lend me any aid
whatever. l have written to him sew
eral times and the replies are any
thing but satisfactory or courteous.
1.-Two years ago | went to New York
city and called on him. l met him in
his office on Wall street the day after l
arrived. He was not glad to see me
and roughly inquired my business
told him | was in i'll health and asked
him if he could not secure me clerical
position. He told me to leave New
York at once, saying l had no business
there and would do nothing for me.
told him I would not, but would stay
there and die.
Evidently he did not like the pros
pect of my dying on his hands, so he
told me he would give me ticket back
to California and would send me an
allowance each month after / returned
to Los Angeles. 1 consented to this ar
rangement and came west three days
after arriving in the eastern metropo-
lis. | waited two months for letter
from him but none came. l then wrote
him and reminded him of his promise
short time afterward I received a
curt letter stating that l need not look
to him for a single penny.
"This is not the only time they have
done me an injustice. | remember
when l was a young man in Boston.
My father was prominent physician
of that city. l received a good educa-
ton and went to New York city after
1 had graduated. I called on Jay Gould
and asked him for a position on one OF
his railroads. He not only refused 10
assist me in securing employment, but
demanded that leave the city at once
I finally succeeded in obtaining employ
ment with a street car system. was
advancing rapidly when in some un-
known manner old Jay learned of my
success and a short time afterward the
superintendent of the car system called
me into his office and told me he was
ordered to discharge me-
Woman Refuses Him Aid
There is another wealthy relative of
mine, a sister of Jay Gould, living In
Los Angeles on Westlake avenue. Her
husband died several years ago ana
she was left large fortune. l called
on her and asked for a loan of S25. She
ignored my request and a snort time
after gave $4,000 to some charitaple
institution. l suppose she thought the
organization needed the money worse
than l did.
"I will never ask them for aid any
more. When 1 die 1 expect they VIII
see that / am given decent burial,
otherwise | will have to be buried by
the county. l realize that l have but
a short time to live but would like to
PASS my last days in comfort.
Mrs. McDivitt has taken care OF
me for nearly seven years. during
that time l have been i'll in bed weeks
at a time. Had it not been for her
would have starved to death long ago.
She has arranged everything in this
little house for my comfort and has
furnished me with medicine and has
had a physician visit me. | hate to
impose on her, as / know she is not
well fixed, financially. My drug Dill
has been over So during the past week.
I won't complain. 1 will soon be well
and able to hustle around ana make
some real estate deals"
Mrs. j. NJ. McDivitt. who is caring
for the old man, spoke plainly con-
cerning the manner in which he is be-
ing treated by his wealthy relatives
Ignored by Relatives
They don't seem TO care whether or
not he dies. just so long as he is away
from them,' said she. II have treated
the old man like one Of the family. He
has been with me for the last seven
wears and I have nursed him many
nights. He suffered a severe stroke OF
paralysis three days ago and for
while | thought he would surely die.
He is crippled in one leg and mas
stomach trouble and several other
complications. but he bears the pain
with the fortitude of. nero. some
times he tells me he is dying. Dut l
ridicule the idea and try to cheer nm
up ] had a physician visit him several
days ago. He reported the old man TO
be in q critical condition and would not
last long It's a shame that his rich
relatives refuse him aid. They spend
money lavishly on display at social
functions, while this poor deserving
man Is dying in poverty. It's simply
outrageous. There is Anna Gold, she
has handed a large amount of money
to that Frenchman whom she married
and afterward divorced and when one
of their kin asks for anything he is
/ ignored.
THE old man is afraid of being sent
to the poorhouse. Several days ago
he begged me not to let them take him
there. He broke down and cried IKE a
child. ] would not think of such
thing and told him that he could stay
with me as long as he lived. 1 won't
see him suffer"