Jay Gould was a financier born in Delaware. The Gould family lived in poverty and Jay only participated in the family farm for a few years. He then went on to surveying, which landed him near the railways. Marriage and his success in the tanning industry started his official career in turning a failing railroad company into a success. (http://www.nndb.com/people/421/000050271/, 2011). Jay Gould was known as one of the most infamous robber barons of the railways. He was even called the railroad “pirate” for the way he ran his affairs (http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database /article_display.cfm?HHID=203, 2007). Jay Gould often paid his workers unfair wages, frequently using immigrant workers, such as the Chinese, to build the railroads. Workers would often work in unsafe conditions. He would try to fix the fair and shipping prices on the trains to make a profit while cheating the customers. Gould used these practices with his competitors as well. He would speculate in railroad stocks which caused raging battles with competitors and investors in his own company, the Erie Railroad. When Commodore Vanderbilt bought enough stock to try to take control of the Erie Railroad, Gould illegally issued more stock and placed armed gunman in the way. He paid off politicians to try and block Vanderbilt from taking the company. Jay Gould was also instrumental in the national railway and communication system, elevated trains in New York, and in the telegraph.
Contributed by Jeanne Bragiel
References
Granger, "Jay Gould's Private Bowling Alley." 1882.http://fineartamerica.com/featured/jay-gould-cartoon-1882-granger.html (accessed March 2, 2011).
Mintz, S. "Jay Gould Digital History." March 6, 2011.http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/article_display.cfm?HHID=203 (accessed March 6, 2011).
Notable Name Database, Saylent Communications. "Jay Gould." 2011.http://www.nndb.com/people/421/000050271/ (accessed March 6, 2011).
