Simplicity was the chief characteristic of the carriages used by Mr. Gould. He always bought the best and paid the prices asked without cavilling, but the first outlay was all the carriages ever cost him. He was careless in the extreme regarding repairs or fresh trimmings, seldom having any work done on any of his vehicles. Mr. Gould always selected his carriages personally, and always bought from the same firm. He was easy to suit, always telling just what he wanted and taking the first carriage that met his ideas.
James Downs is the Gould coachman. He has served the family for over ten years. The carriages at the stable ready for use are a brougham, landau, victoria and a hunting wagon. The last is gaudy in yellow and black and is the newest of the vehicles. The others are plain in coloring and are what driving people call old style. Jay Gould’s livery is a dark green, and was worn on the usual occasions by both coachman and footman.
Two years ago Mrs. George Gould was in the habit of giving her father-in-law early morning drives in Central Park, calling for him daily in a neat trap of her own. With this exception he seldom drove for pleasure in the city. At Irvington he was occasionally seen driving on the roads near his residence. Until the purchase of his yacht Mr. Gould drove to and from the railroad station daily, but since then he has only taken drives at infrequent intervals.
None of the Gould family is especially devoted to riding or driving. George Gould keeps six carriage horses and a saddle horse at his stable, No. 133 West Fifty-fifth street, but they are more for Mrs. Gould’s use than his own. His coachman, William Willis, has eight carriages and light traps to care for. Edwin Gould is a capital rider, and until his promotion to a captaincy and the post of Inspector of Rifle Practice in the Seventy-first Regiment, was an active member of Troop A. He always rode a long-tailed gray thoroughbred, for which he paid a high price. Edwin Gould was very proficient at wrestling on horseback, and few of the cavalrymen could unseat him. The Misses Gould drive daily during their stay at Irvington, using the family carriages or else handling the reins in the hunting wagon or in a mail phaeton.
George J. Gould
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE GREAT FORTUNE AND ITS INHERITORS.
Five days after the death of Jay Gould, the contents of his will, or at least the substance of it, were made public in the press. The will itself remained under lock and key in the safe of ex-Judge John F. Dillon, counsel for the executors.
“The original will,” said ex-Judge Dillon, in giving out the summary, “is dated December 24, 1885, during the lifetime of Mr. Gould’s wife. It made various provisions for her benefit which failed of effect by reason of her death before the death of her husband. After and in consequence of her death, Mr. Gould, on February 16, 1889, executed the first codicil to his will, making such changes as became necessary. A second and a third codicil were executed on November 21, 1892.