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 degree of interest and also profit a history of Delaware county and partial histories of Greene, Ulster and Sullivan counties.

Gould had gathered his ideas of casual writing from a brief experience in a country newspaper office, where he had worked gratuitously. The history of Delaware county was four hundred pages long, and is said to have been an exceedingly creditable performance, both as an example of diligence and care in the collection of facts and skill and taste in the literary presentation of them. It never came into general circulation, however, probably because the printer, who lived in Philadelphia, insisted, in spite of "copy" and proof corrections, in spelling the name of the author "Gold." When the books arrived in Roxbury and the young historian discovered the blunder he shipped them all back to the manufacturer and would have nothing more to do with them.

Gould's taste of money and profits had acted upon him almost as does the taste of blood to a lion. By this time he was making enough money to furnish himself a realization of what money could do and to make him want it with an insatiable desire. His child life had been a short one, and he was a man in business and responsibility at an age when most persons of no greater age are considered to be but the merest children. And what there was of his child life had been cold, and not of a character to teach him, what few yet know, that money is the least important thing in the world. All his life