The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-01-05
Jay Gould Paid First Forestry Fee;
AdWce He Got Was Worth Millions
Charles Lathrop Pack, Now Wealthy
Man, Was the Forester-Secret Gould
Learned From Young Pack Cost Him
$2OO-That Was in 1881, Non Forestry
Is Taught in Many Colleges and Uni
persitieS.
By JAMES b. MORROW.

By JAMES h. MORROW.
Lakewood, N. J., Jan. 4-Jay Gould. it
is believed, was the first American to
pay a fee to a professional forester. He
made a huge profit by the transaction,
buying, because of the advice he re-
'ceived and a secret he heard from the
woods. an immense tract OF standing
pine in the South. 1t was inventoried
after his death at sl2.OOO,0OO. Charles
Latfrop Pack, a young man OF twenty
four, was the forester.
Since then-it was in the year ISL
forestry has become a profession in this
country. Since then, also, Mr.. Pack has
grown famous, here and In Europe. and
a multimillionaire himself. Trees, how
ever are not his only speciality. He is
equally as skilled in banks, manufac-
tories. and real estate. Some men see
one thing, some men another. The vi
sion of Mr.. Pack might be called I'M
linited-telescopic as well as microscopic.
Thus his wealth can be explained and
justified. Years ago he began buying old
mansions at the lower end of Euclid
Avenue in Cleveland and putting up one
story buildings, which he rented to small
merchants, plumbers and other mechan-
les.
They are yellow dogs'-meaning the
buildings-snarled a rich and outraged
inhabitant who lived in the neighbor-
hood.
That's an excellent name for them, ="
Mr.. Pack replied, catching a point that
was to his advantage, which is one Of
his aptitudes. They are barking, you
see, to the stores. banks. and offices
downtown and challenging them to move
up and get into the thick Of things Some
day" he said to the rich and outraged
aristocrat. you will sell your ancient
house for money enough to buy a better
one, and the interest on the balance will
be sufficient TO support you the rest OF
your life
His Rents Are 100000 Year.
The prophecy became a glad and ne
gotiable reality inside of ten years. All
the yellow dogs have disappeared. In
their stead are skyscrapers. great retail
establishments, magnificent banks, and
a hotel that cost 100000. Much Of the
land is owned by Mr.. Pack and is leased
for long periods. He helped to organize
the companies which erected the build
inEs 1t Is said that his rentals. out
Of which not a penny is subtracted for
taxes or anything else. amount to 100000
year. He has pine forests in the
largest national banks of New York For
quarter of a century his father and
himself We're. perhaps. the principal man.
ufRCtureTs of lumber in the United States.
Still money making is not the most in
teresting side of his character He likes
TO plan and act with men. being eXecu-
tive, diplomatic. and skillfuL He has
Travelled widely and mixed much with the
world. IF you disagree with any one
he
bound to agree with him on others and
therefore both of you can do useful work
in harmony" No philosopher ever
stated a more unitarian proposition. Mr..
Pack gave a banquet in Cleveland sew
cral months ago to 100 men. who. as he
phrased it, were helping the city and
We're not taking something out without
putting something back" 1t was follow
ed at the Lakewood Country Club in
New Jersey, by "a know-your-neighbor
dinner" at which fifty Broad Street, Wall
Street and Broadway commuters were
present They were unacQuainted, for
most part, with one another. though they
rode to New York and back home again
every day together.
I'VE form certain notions of the man
We see each morning in the Pullman,
he said to me. We pride ourselves on
our smartness in judging character. The
man, we say to ourselves, is dogmatic
or he is bOmbastic, or he is this, that,
and the other, naming in our minds the
human qualities. which to US are mildly
disagreeable or downright obnoxious.
Possibly he is putting us through sim
liar analysis and coming to the same
conclusion. Then one day We exchange
a grudging and necessary word, start
a cautious conversation and make a
pleasing discovery. Both of US, We find.
are capital fellows" Such was the the
ory that suggested his know-yOur-
neiEfbor dinner.
Given New Honors Recently.
At Indianapolis recently Mr.. Pack was
elected president of the National Con-
servadon Congress. 1t was the news in
the event that brought me to Lakewood.
That in itself was reason enough, but
there were other matters, particularly
the personality of the first American for
ester the expert called for counsel into
the original White House conference of
Governors by President Roosevelt and
the organizer, along with Clifford Pin
Chot and DR.. Eliot, then president of
Harvard, of the National Conservation
Commission. Mr.. Pack lives among the
pines in a beautiful house, around
which he has planted many varieties of
evergreens. Thus, he has something
ter, especially when snow covers the
ground and glistens among the brown
cones and branches. He has blond hair
and blue eyes, and energy sufficient for
a dozen ordinary men. l asked him how
his concern in forestry began.
why" he said, 81 was born in the
woods of Michigan. Both my grand
father and my father were lumbermen.
I played under pine trees when 1 was
a child. It was the black forest of Ger
many, however, which gave form and
direction TO my inclination. My father.
who was president of the largest saw
mill company in the Northwest was or
dered TO Carlsbad by his doctor. l went
along, at the suggestion of my mother.
as interpreter. she believing that / had
a workable knowledge of the German
language"
That was after you helped to hurl
back the Fenian onrush in 1872 1 re-
marked
who told you about that" Mr.. Pack
asked in surprise and amusement. at
was a picturesque experience for a boy
ten years DID," he went on before I could
answer his question. Il had been sent
to a military school at St. Catharines.
The Fenians, SO the Mayor heard, were
to blow up the welland Canal He called
out the town guards and ordered the
students at the academy under arms,
giving US ball cartridges for our guns.
We were posted on the towpath near by,
the guards going farther away and nearer
TO the zone of the danger that was ex-
pected- About o'clock in the morning
q man galloped past us On a foaming