A Sportsman 199 



anxiety existed with the management regarding the 

 source of siipply. 



With the growing importance of the great national 

 highway, it should control and own a considerable 

 number of independent branch roads which had grown 

 into existence as feeders along the route, and the 

 benevolent and philanthropic Mr. Gould, anticipating 

 such a demand, commenced the acquirement of such 

 roads, which were duly turned over to the Union Pacific, 

 which was relieved from the tedious and somewhat per- 

 plexing details of purchasing, by presenting them in 

 lump sums quite desirable to accept in view of their 

 value. 



I met one day at the Windsor Hotel, in New York, 

 ex-Governor Evans, who expressed his elation in having 

 just disposed of the Denver and South Park Railroad 

 in Colorado, to Mr. Gould, and he exhibited to me the 

 good-sized certified check of Mr. Gould for the sum of 

 twenty-four hundred thousand dollars, just received 

 for the sale. This railroad being soon afterwards ac- 

 qviired by the Union Pacific road, I had the cviriosity to 

 ascertain what was paid for it, and learned that it was 

 thirty-six hundred thousand dollars, a small matter 

 of twelve hundred thousand dollars difference. This 

 road was afterwards completely abandoned by the 

 Union Pacific as worthless and not worth keeping 

 against its bonded indebtedness, being a long out-of- 

 the-way road to Leadville, superseded by shorter and 

 more efficient roads. 



Other roads followed in sequence by the beneficent 

 aid of Mr. Gould, and finally the Union Pacific, with 

 a depleted treasury, suspended its dividends. Ere 

 this period arrived Mr. Gould, having a necessity for 



