The Oregon daily journal., May 24, 1908, Page 33, Image 33

THE OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL, PORTLAND, SUNDAY. EIORNING. T.IAY 24, 1903
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Why Helen Gould Has a
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.arra f lace m Army and
Navy Hearts ; ;
IT TERANS who wore the blue and
1 i veteran's who wore the gray during ,
: . the stirring days frpm. j86i to J 86$ -t! '
. are growing pitifully few., How swiftly time , ?
tttwji Vi way s One is startled, almost, upon . ',
recalling that this Spanish-American War, our ,
, latest conflict, is now ten years in history.
.... Because of their experiences in camp and , '-
field, . the men of '6r and ' '98 can never lose f, . ,,
their interest in the fighting men of today.
Whatever appertains to the welfare, or,, ad?
Vfincement of our army and navy finds sympd
v thetic advocates from ocean to ocean.
Few names appeal more strongly to the
veterans of two wars, and to jhe American
' soldier and sailor of today, than that of Miss
' Helen Miller Gould. Not only, through her t
wealth, but by personal service she has dem-
onstrated hei great interest in the two armed 1 '
branches of bur national defense; she is
widely known as the woman who lev es our
pghting men. , - ;
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fort Lexrertvyorft irf&fnf
T FORT Leavenworth, Kan., last October, an
honor was accorded this woman which was eaia
to be unprecedented in United State history.
It was such an honor. Indeed, as, In foreign
countries. Is usually vouchsafed only to queens.
The afternoon aun biased on the polished guns, the
bright brass buttons' and the uniforms of 8000 soldiers
While a dosen bands played stirring: musla the soldier
boys marched in review, with alert, even steps, tricked ,
out In their finest trappings, their heads erect, every
man on the, qui vlve, eager to make the best showing.
All the while, beneath a" great new flag, a modest
little woman stood, with glistening eyes, watching
them intently. ' .
Beside Miss Gould stood the Governor of Kansas,
the general commanding the post and a number of
other officers, in glittering uniforms. Then a salute
was fired, a salute auch as greets an Important person
age when reviewing the lighting men. The woman in
the plain dress clapped her hands enthusiastically.
Turning right and left during the review she oper
ated a small camera. When it was over she made
General Charles B. H&U stand at attention while she
got his picture, had him show her how to dischargo
a rapid-fire gun, and then, laughing, ran off with a
party of friends, to visit the sick in the hospital.
Afterward there was a reception in the new T. SI.
C. A. building, built by Jkflss Gould for the soldier
boys at a cost of $80,000. There the members of the
twenty-four military organisations stationed at the
fort shook hands with her and thanked her personally
for what she had done for them. As the left the fort she
was given cheers such as, a writer declared, "had not
been neard In the "West since the Indian wars."
Miss Gould's pet philanthropy is advancing army,
navy and railroad Y. M. C. A. work.
"BEST-LOVED WOMAN"
Tears ago that is, comparatively speaking, for Miss
Gould is only about 40 years old she won the title of
the "best loved woman in the. United States." Today
she may well be called the "best loved woman of the
boys in blue."
Wherever a soldier may be stationed, almost, there
Is some evidence of the thoughtfulness of the elder
daughter of the late Jay Gould, Wherever ships of
the navy may sail, even on the farthest seas, the name
of Helen Gould is certain to be spoken of with affec
tion. '
At Cavlte and Olangopo, in the Philippines, and
Ban Juan, in Porto Rico, soldiers and sailors listen to
mueio played by phonographs given them by Miss
Gould. At the naval stations at Brooklyn, Philadelphia,
Norfolk, Newport and Vallejo, California, . they read
Bibles given to the men personally by Miss Gould.
Way up in the far Alaskan north, on the Yukon river,
there runs a beautiful Y. M. C. A. launch, the name of
which is Helen Gould.
Since her notable work for the. soldiers after the
outbreak of the Spanish-American war Miss Gould has
devoted her chief attention to work among sailors and
soldiers. .
Her name beads the list of contributions to Y. M. C
A. work in the country. Among her most noteworthy
contributions to the cause are the Brooklyn Navy Yrd
Y. M. C. A. building, erected and furnished at a cost of
500,000; the Fort Leavenworth Y. M. C. A. building,
which cost 150,000: the St. Louis Y. M. C. A. building,
which cost f 260,000; the Moverly, Mo., Railroad Y. M.
C. A., which cost $20,000, and buildings along the ,
Gould line of railroads toward which she has contrib
, uted more than $100,000. '
Most of Miss Gould's charity remains unknown un
published. Perhaps most of her contributions are given
with Injunctions of Inviolable secreoy.
Inspired by the example of Miss Gould, Mrs. Russell
Page recently donated $350,000 for an annex to the
naval Y. M. C. A. at Brooklyn and $25,000 for a house
at Fort McKInley in the Philippines, while John D.
Rockefeller has given $300,000 for the naval branch at
Norfolk, Va,
Several years ago Mrs. Sage wrote: "One of the
most commendable charitable works that has ever -come
under my eye is one that Miss Helen Gould may
be said to have originated. It Is the establishment of
a haven for the sailors of the United States Navy &
homer where they may really feel at home, one to which
they turn with genuine happiness." - -
. When asked how she became Interested In this
phase of Y. M. C. A. work. Miss Gould wrote: "When I
was invited to become a member of the women's auxil
iary committee of the international committee in 1897
I was glad to accept the invitation, on account of the
very praotlcal work they were doing for railroad
employes through the railroad department. '
, "After the outbreak of the Spanish, War I'became .'
identified with two or three patriotic societies, -but
they have discontinued their work, and of late nearly
all my efforts for the benefit of the soldiers and
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tbe dining room Is decorated with, holly and mistletoe
and gifts from Misa Gould are distributed among Ihvs
sailors. .
In the lobby of the building la a soda fountain,
where tempting drinks are served, iced drinks, Sunday..!
In the summer and hot coffeei tea. and bouillon in tfr-e.
winter. In the billiard room games can be played fix 4
i cents a cue. The association recognizes the influence
of the home on a sailor's life and encourage the writ
in? of letters. At the Brooklyn branch there aroi
writing tables, and last year mora-than 80,000-leUerui
were mailed from there.
There is an Immense auditorium at the branrTi'
which covers an entire floor. Almost every week;
entertainments are given. It was) In this room that
Miss Gould was presented some time ago with that
remembrance of 5000 sailors a large loving cup, which,
the charming recipient received with moist eyes. Is
was a touching event, and told of the affection atnoV
regard of the boys In blue for the popular woman.
The new Y. M. C. A. building at Fort LeavenwortK
is a magnificent two-story structure. It was dedicated
on the occasion of Miss Gould's visit last October
Last March the attendance numbered 8930. and that
number of letters written at the place exceeded 1800.
Miss Gould has' been the good angel of the Army
and Navy Y. M. c. A. Among ner most recent benefao
tlons is a gift of $25,000 for the equipment of a gym
naslum for the new Rockefeller establishment at Nor
folk.
Perhaps few phases of philanthropic work hava
done more good than this branch of the Y. M. C. A,
Although the primary object is to give religion to thu
enlisted man, the medium for so doing la to give him
home comforts while on shore leave. .
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sailors have been in co-operation with the Army rind
Navy departments."
"Miss Gould was never persuaded to do any act of
charity unless with her own eyes and wise judgment
she discovered the need," declared one of her private
secretaries. Eight years ago, when visiting the navy
yard at Brooklyn, the need of a place of refuge and
amusement for the sailors was brought to Miss Gould's
attention. ...
To. get to the gate of the navy yard Miss Gould
was obliged to pass through a street flanked by saloon
signs. There were legends such as these: "Enter
tainment Provided," "Amusements Going On," "Money
Loaned," "Suits Rented."
In the saloons she saw scores of boys In blue,
squandering their money. It was not seldom that the
philanthropic young woman saw sailors reeling out of
the saloons. But she did not blame them. She realized
that the men needed recreation. It was not obtainable
in the Inadequate quarters of the old "club."
Then Miss Gould gave the money to erect
the new building one of the most splendid
emnces of the kind in the world. There
of th- ., werQ K ven the sailors all the amusements
or the saloons without liquors.
There were pool tables, bowling alleys, a shooting
gallery, a, restaurant, a swimming pool, a roof garden,
piano, talking machines and clean, comfortable- beds.
. The building ls conducted on the same plan as a
are about 200,sleeping rooms, and lodging
is obtainable by enlisted men for 85 cents a day.
Meals are served at certain hours in the restaurant
tor 26 cents. On.holidays great big dinners are served,
and on Christmas there is a great turkey feast, when
"OU are here, in this cornet of the drawing
room, absently regarding . the photograph
of : the rich young American woman ; that
shows her in full dress, wearinjr the jeweled
coronet she acquired by marriage. " She's wearing
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it because ehe can afford it and because, it seems
to her th highest distinction possible in life. -
But how if you were the oneVho owned the
coronet and the coat of arms, and he were plebeian
born, perhaps without a . cent to bless him f How
if you were lady Laura Cholmondely, at the
countess of Suffolk, or the Princess, Aline, tor
Flavia of Kuritania, and a man without title or
rank came wooing I ; Would you pmnit the heart
to outweigh the coronet! . . :
f "HE earl of Shrewsbury, who takes precedence
... over all tbe other belted earls of England '
X v tie head of the '-Talbot family, which is so ;
- ancient and honorable that it -has passed lnta
a byword with the humorists who satirize lineage
has an only daughter. Her .name is Nellie, the Lady
Jiel lie Viola Talbot. , --n
; Lady Nellie is one of tbe most beautiful of a con
spicuously haTndsome family. - Full red lips, features
ra regular yet-delicate In their modeling, cheeks
that have Lnglish roses blooming in them and wide
eyes capable of the utmost, intensity as well as the
softest languor of expression, a figure as seductive in
l!"?raoe ? .herifac 1 lovely in us outlines-Lady
Nellie could boast almost as many proposals of mar
riage as fell to the, agreeable lot ot the late Baroness
Buraett-Coutt.X .;- i, .. .. ,. ,
But she had refused all of them.. Some of her dis
appointed lovers thought it might be on account of
her personal observation of the Infelicity of her
father and ntother, who have been separated for years.'
Christmastime the beautiful and ) patrician Lady
Nellie quietly eloped from the home of the premlei
earl ot Kngland and hereditary great seneschal of
Ireland. She eloped with a common, ordinary, every
day mortal named Reginald Gore. Not Lord Gore or,
Viscount Gore or Sir Reginald Gore, or even Hon.
Reginald Gore Just plain Reginald Gore.
And yet, not so plain, either. Her Reginald is as
good looking as tier father or her brother, and his
breeding Is quite as excellent as theirs, and his po
sition In English society is as good as can be at
, tained by any ordinary human male who isn't a
-hereditary anythlnjj in particular.
That was the way the daughter of the leading earl
of England decided her dilemma of love. Will sho
be happy? AH the titled girls of Europe are hoping
she will, while all the prudent dowagers are prophe
sying she won't.
The dowagers' skinny, warning fingers have point
ed, with one scornful accord, to the most notorious
elopement of recent years that of Louise Antoinette
Marie, daughter of the archduke of Austria, and who
was crown princts of Saxony.
On December 12, 1802, the Crown Princess Louise
who would have been a queen some day eloped with
the tutor, Uiron, deliberately abandoning her pros
pect of a seat on the throne of Saxony.
It was not long before Louise was divorced by her
husband, and not long, too, before Giron had married
somebody else. Then Count Giacelardinl of Italy was
sued by his wife for divorce because he paid too much
attention to the repudiated crown princess, now slm
plv the Countess Montignoso. Then the Countess
MontinoBO made haste to marry an Italian pianist,
Enrico Toselli, with whom she has been living, as ob
scurely as her notoriety will permit,, in Florence.
ricore one for the dowagers. Biit'itho spirit of ro
mance that lives in the hearts of the daughters of
nobllitv counters by citing tho bliss of their own
English royal Princess Louise, daughter of Queen
Victoria, who married Mr. Alexander George Duff.
Great Hritain fairly shuddered when a royal princess
declared she was in love with a mere gentleman, blue
as wa3 his blood and rich as were his prospects.
But the princess had her royal, affectionate way
for all the shudderers. and now Mr. vatt, having first
been the marquis of Lome, has come into his in
heritance, and bears the title of duke of Fife, and is a
devted husband and a kind father, and the whole
family royal wife, noble husband and titled children
are as happy as happy can be.
England is still studying, with cynical concern, the
married life of that lovely and brilliant woman who,
as Lady Randolph Churchill, married Lieutenant Corn-
111 nH A 1 n .1 .1 St. aIJai. tklAM V. AH AMTw. a A .
If she should live it out happily, she will have rei telling that babies have been named after- her.
seated ohly the miracle accomplished by the Baroness ?. letters are kept Jn an album, and today tw
Burdett-Coutts,.who, after half a century and-more . more than ZOO "Helen UouKta
of continual proDosals fronwhe moat distinguished Miss Gould's charities are legion,
men of England, married William Lehman Ashmead
Bartlett, an American,- almost young enough to -have
been ber grandson, and-died a quarter of a century
later, so satletted with him that she left tj hiin all she
could will away ot the vast fortune which had been
the wonder and the longing admiration of Europe.
At these headquarters the men 'are given privat
lockers, and the accommodations provided greatly sur
pass those of the cheap hotels and saloonsrthe boy 4:J
blue was wont to frequent, s '
' An important feature of the work is the banking,
system, by which the sailors' money la; cared tor
This money is placed on Interest. Last year the asso
elation cared for $500,000. :-. ' ,
What possibly appeals to the sentimental hearta-c?
the jackies more than anything else Is the constant
thoughtfulness of Helen Gould. V-Vfv
Continually, Miss Gould sends gifts to the army
and navy branches. Sometimes they are trifling, bu ,
show her regard all the more plainly. For Instance
after a recent trip to Palestine, Miss Gould-sent Bible-'
made in the Holy Land and covered with boards mad
from native cedars, to the various branches.
Phonographs, books, writing materials and pot
tables are received from the kind-hearted woma
constantly. At Christmas she sends great boxes to t'
various branches, and there are presents for all '
boys. Every member of a branch receives a 1
from Miss Gould containing her signature.
Through these Bibles she has entered Into cor:
spondence with many of the jackies, and the gent;.
Christian admonitions written to the bluecoats frt
"the most popular woman In America" cannot fall tu .
impress themselves on their Uvea. '
For quite. a number of years Miss Gould has be"
Interested in the railroad work of the Y. M. C A. In
189 she set aside a sum of $100,000 to assist in estab-
llshlng branches along the Gould lines In memory o '
her father. To defray the entire expenses of branches
she deemed unwise, and her plan invited the co-operation
of the railroads. ; , .
At present along the Gould lines there are aboi
twenty buildings, costing 15000 to 125.000 each. Ilif
of the cost was defrayed by Miss Gould and the rail
roads, and the other half by the members. Within sit
years Misa Gould donated, twenty-eight libraries t '
: railroad branches. .. , . ,
THOROUGHLY PRACTICAL
Miss Gould's nndsvtable rule of being practical w-
evidenced when, in: 1904, she took a trip through t
West to study the needs of the men. In her , lata f. ' -er
e private car Atlanta she took a spin . over 70.
miles, completing It In twenty-three days. -
- Naturally, a woman so widely known as Miss Oon1
Is -the recipient of thousands of letters asking-1
helpj In her charities, however, she carries tit bu
nesa methods as rigid and practical as those cf 1
father. She Is said to receive more than laort begaie
letters a week, most or which, of course, find
way into the waste paper basket. .. .
tn l.or dnilv mall are letters from "cranks." .
of whom propose marriage, and letters from uxn-.i i
Ti
era m
those dearest to her were Woody Crest and the J-yt
hurst Club and Industrial Kchool. ifrtcausn t t
financial stringency. Miss Gould was -,com.e'.e t
close these last April. There many ehildra (
York -were given the best attention. U'b ItiUuj. , .
school was erected at a cost of 175,000,
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