BILL NYE AND JAY GOULD.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 213, 30 July 1887, Page 3

BILL NYE AND JAY GOULD.

It has been ten long, weary years sinco 1 last met Jay Gould until I called upon him yesterday to renew the acquaintance and discusb the happy past. Ten years of patient toil and earnest endeavour on my part, ten years of philanthropy on his, have been filed away in the grim and greedy heretofore. Both of us have changed in that time, though Jay has changed more than I have. Perhaps that is because lie has been thrown moro in contact with change than I have. I Still I had changed a good deal in those yeais, for when I called at Irving ton yesterday -Mr Gould did not remember me. Neither did the watchful, but overestimated, dog in the fiont yard. Mr Gould lives in comfort, in a cheery home, surrounded by hired help and a barbed-wire fence. By wealing ready made clothes, instead of lun ing his clothing made especially for himself, he has been enabled to ama?s a good many millions of dollars with which he ib enabled to buy things. Carefully concealing the fact that I had any bu^ines-* relations vi itli the press, I gave my card to the person who does chorus tor Mr Gould, and apologising for not having dropped in bctore, I took a seat in the 100 m to wait for the gi eat i ailroad magnate. Mr Gould entered the room with low, stealthy tread, and looked me over in a cursory way and yet v, ith the air of a connoisseur. " I believe that 1 have never had the pleasme of meeting you before, sir," said the great raihoad swallower and amateur philanthropists ith a tinge of railroad irony. " Yes, sir, mc met some ten years ago," said I, lightly running my fingers over the keys of the piano in order to show him that I Mas accustomed to the sight of a piano. " I was then a\ orking in the rolling mill at Laramic city, Wy. , and you came to visit the mill, which was then operated by the Union Pacific Railroad Company. You do not lemember me because I have purchased a different pair of tiouseis since I saw you, and the cane which I wear this season changes my whole appearance also. I remember you, however, very much." " Well, if we grant all that, Mr Nye, will you excuse me for asking you to what I am indebted for this call ?"' " Well, Mr Gould," said 1, rising to my full height and putting my soft hat on the brow of the Venus de Milo, after which I seated myself opposite him in a degage Western way, " you are indebted to me tor this call. That* what you're indebted to. But we w ill let that pass. We are not here to talk about indebtedness, Jay. If you are busy you needn't return this call until next winter. But lam here just to converse in a quiet way, as between man and man. To talk over the pa.-^t, to ask you how your conduct is, and to inquire if I can do you any good in any -u ay whatever. This is no time to speak pieces and ask in a grammatical way, ' To what you are indebted for this call.' My main object in coming up here was to take you by the hand and ask you how } our memory is this spring ? Judging from what I could heai-, I was led to believe that it was a little inclined to be sluggish and atrophied days and to keep you awake ( nights. Is. that so, Jay ?" " No, sir ; that is not so." " Very well, then, I have been misled by the reports in the papers, and 1 am glad it is all a mistake. Now, one thing more before I cro. Did it ever occur to you that while you and your family arc out in your yacht together some day, a sudden squall, a quick lurch of the Ice scuppers, a tremulous movement of the main brace, a shudder of the spring boom might occur, and all be over ?" " Y"es, sir ; I have often thought of it, and of course, such a thing might happen at any time. But you forgot that while we are out on the broad and boundless ocean we enjoy ourselves. We are free. People with morbid curiosity cannot come and call on us. We cannot get the daily newspapers, and we do not have to meet low, vulgar people who pay their debts and perspire. " " Of course that is one view to take of it ; but that is only a selfish view. Supposing that you have made no provision for the future in case of accident. Would it not be well for you to name somo one outside of your own family to take up the great burden which is now weighing you down— this money which you say yourself has made a slave of you —and look out for ib. Have you ever considered this matter seriously and settled upon a good man who would be willing to water your stock for you, and &o conduct your affahs that nobody would get any benefit from your vast accumulations, and in every way carry out tho policy which you have inaugurated? ' ' If you have nob thoroughly considered this matter 1 wish that you would do so ab an early date. I have in my mind's eye just puch a man as you need. His shoulders are Avell-fitted for a burden of this kind, and he would pick ib up cheerfully at any time you see fib to lay ib down. I will give you his address. " " Thank you," said Mr Gould, as the thermometer in tho next room suddenly froze up and burst with a loud report. "And now, if you will excuse me from off-setting my time, which is worth SOOdol. a minute, against yours, which 1 judge to be worth about Idol, per week, I will bid you good-morning." He then hold the door open for me, and shortly after I came away. There were three reasons why I did not remain, but the principal reason was that I did not think ho wanted me to do so.

Rubenstein's " Nero " has proved one of the greatest successes ever achieved in New York. At the last performance all the seats were sold a week ahead, and standing-room was at a premium. The sale of tickets was in excess of the sale for Wagner's greatest opera?,