The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1913-01-24
NATIONS EYES
ON HELEN GOULD
Engagement Of Rich Woman to
Finley J Shepard.
FIANCE IS SELF MADE man.
He ls a Capable Railroad Official and
Has Record of Big Work, Matching
Well the Qualities of His Noted Bride
to Be-Is Son of Minister.

to Be-Is Son of Minister.
The engagement of Miss Helen Mil.
Ter Gould, known to the nation as
Helen Gould, and as one of the fore,
most of women philanthropists, to
Finley ]. Shepard, railroad man of
st. Louis, was announced recently at
the residence of Mr.. and Mrs. George
J. Gould, at Lakewood, N. j. While
the time and place of the marriage
were not made known in the formal
announcement, New York friends Of
Mr.. Shepard said that the marriage
would take place in the latter part Of
next month.
Only few members of the Gould
family were present at dinner at Geor-
gian court, Mr.. Gould's Lakewood es-
tate, when the news was announced.
The news Of her engagement was a
surprise even to many of the closest
friends of Miss Gould. She is now
forty-four years old. Since the death
Of her father, Jay Gould, on Dec. ~,
1892, left her one of the richest women
In the country, rumors that she in
tended marriage had been so often
started and denied that it had come to
be believed that she would never
marry.
Miss Gould came into a fortune Of
$1O,OOO,OOO at the death of her father,
and it is estimated that by careful
management and judicious investment
this fortune has grown to $30,O0O,OO0,
despite the number and size Of her
charities.
Mr. Shepard Is assistant to B. f.
Bush, president of the Missouri Pacific,
Iron Mountain and Denver and Rio
Grande railroads. He is a bachelor of
forty-five
Although Miss Gould and Mr.. Shep.
ard had been acquainted many years
it was not until last March that they
became deeply interested in each 9th
er. At that time Miss Gould made a
trip over the Gould railroads in order
to inspect the Young Mems Christian as.
sociation buildings which she had
established chiefly for the benefit Of
the railroad men. Mr.. Shepard in his
official capacity accompanied Miss
Gould and her party on the trip over
the Denver and Rio Grande.
Miss Gould is one of the four trus-
tees Of the Jay Gould estate, and her
part in the management of the Gould
railroads has been mainly work for
the welfare Of the employees. Mr.
Shepard is very popular with the rank
and file of the railroad men, and since
his connection with the Gould lines
has been an ardent supporter Of the
philanthropic enterprises undertaken
by Miss Gould.
Shepard an Athlete and Musician.
Mr.. Shepard is the son of the late
Rev. Dr. p. L. Shepard, an EPISCOPAL
an minister of Connecticut He en-
tered the general offices of the North
ern Pacific al st. Paul in 1899 and held
the, position Of assistant general man
ager when he left in 1901 to go to the
AtchisOn. Topeka and Santa Fe at Chi
cagos The following year he was
made general superintendent In charge
OF the Pacific coast lines of the Santa
Fe. In June, 1911. Mr.. Shepard went
to the Missouri Pacific and in January
of the present year was made assist
ant to President Bush. He is widely
and favorably known in cities of the
Pacific coast and the middle west.
Besides being railroad man of the
highest reputation. Mr.. Shepard has
many other claims to distinction. He
is an all around athlete. Today his
sports are chiefly golfng, tennis and
rowing but he has been in addition
100 yard sprinter, baseball pitcher
and a football player. He is also
student as well as "a practical man.
He is known to his friends as lover Of
literature and as a musician, and pos
sesses an Unusually good baritone
voice. !i| a 81, = -, /.
Because Of her devotion to charity
and practical affairs, her distaste for
society and the attitude expressed on
the subject of marriage In. her letters
and conversation. IL, was, believed that
Miss Gould. intended neEer~to marry.
In one of her letters she said:
IF had found suitable helpmate
/ might have spent my money in a
way which might not have done as
much good as it has"
Mics Gouid's Patriotism and Charity.
Before the question whether Miss
Gould would marry had ceased to In
terest as subject Of speculation, Miss
Gould's friends had decided for her
that, II she should ever change her
mind and take husband, he would be
O self made man, and not member
of the set in which she was born. And
those who described the kind of man
who might have the fortune to take
Miss Gould as wife seem to have
been justified in their predictions.
Miss Gould was pioneer in philan-
thropy among American women of
great. wealth. Her charities were prob
ably on a larger scale than those of
any other American woman before the
death of Russell Sage led to the estab-
hshment of the Sage Foundation by
his widow. Her greatest popularity
was rnachod during tho DAVIS of the