The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-12-16
HELEN GOULD TO WE'D
Finley J. Shepard of st. Louis the
Lucky Man

New YORK, Dec. 14.-Announce
ment of the engagement of Miss
| Helen Miller Could of New York
to Finley j. Shepard, prominent
railroad man of st. Louis was made
yesterday afternoon at the home OF
Mr.. and Mrs. George j. Gould in
Lakewood, N j. 1t is said that de-
tails of the tine and place of the
wedding would be withheld for the
present and this statement was con.
firmed upon inquiry at the home OF
Miss Gould in New York
Mr.. Gould announced his sisters
engagement in q formal statement
which read: "Mr. and Mrs. George
]. Gould announce the engagement
of their sister, Miss Helen Miller
Gould, to Finley J. Shepard of st.
Louis.
Mr.. Shepard has long been promi-
nently identified with railroad and fl
nancial affairs in the West. He is at
present assistant to the president of
the Missouri Pacific railroad. with
headquarters in ST. Louis, Mo.
Upon the death of her father, Jay
Gould, in 1892, Helen Gould, then "a
years old, inherited fortune of
about $10,000,000. 1t has been esti-
mated that by investment she has
trebled this fortune and that she has
devoted fully half of her time to bene
factions which brought her into
world prominence.
She began her benefaetions during
the Spanish. American war, when she
gave time and several hundred thous
and dollars to the relief of sick and
wounded soldiers, for which she re-
ceived the thanks of Congress.
One of the novel forms of her
charity has been the personal recep-
tons she has given to hundreds of
city waits and self-supporting women
at her estate near Tarrytown, N.
Y, which includes great play
ground especially fitted up for these
parties. She has never been attract
ed by society. Only last July Miss
Gould figured in a controversy with
Rev Elmer Huffner of Grand juno.
ton, Col. when he dealt severely
with bachelor maids" in a sermon,
declaring spinsters should be isola.
ted.
Miss Gould was quoted as replying
that he did a great injustice To the
bachelor maids particularly to those
who devoted themselves to Ideals for
the advancement of civilization. As
to her own case she said: IF / had
found a suitable helpmate | might
have spent my money in different
way and way which might not have
done as much good as it has" Since
the death of her parents, Miss Gould
has been the intimate friend of Mrs.
Russell Sage who has been one of
her advisers in business and philan-
thropy.
Mr.. Shepard is 40 years old and
the son of a Connecticut minister
who died recently He has been in
railroad work since 1889. Before en-
tering the service of the Gould lines
he was with the Northern Pacific and
Santa Fe. When b. f. Bush, presi-
dent of the Missouri Pacific Iron
Mountain lines, was also chosen
president of the Denver and Rio
Grande in January 1912. Mr.. Shep-
ard was selected as his assistant and
recently his appointment as assistant
to President Bush on the Missouri
Pacific-lron Mountain with jurisdic-
ton over all departments was an
nounced. Since going to st. Louis
IS months ago, Mr.. Shepard has
been active socially and is known as
a lover of books, musician of criti
cal taste and an allround athlete.