Mr. Gould’s wife was a member of the South Reformed church for many years, but afterward became a Presbyterian. The millionaire of late years had been a frequent attendant at the Rev. Dr. Paxton’s church and at the Presbyterian church at Irvington-on-the-Hudson, near his country place. An old friend of the family said that when a very young man Jay Gould became converted at a Methodist revival meeting. This gentleman said: “When Jay Gould was a young man he was converted in a Methodist church at Roxbury, Delaware county, N. Y. The Rev. Mr. Dutcher, father of Rev. E. C. Dutcher, now pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church in Nyack, Newark conference, was pastor in charge of the Roxbury church. The elder Mr. Dutcher was holding a series of revival meetings. The little Delaware county church was crowded night after night. “At one of the meetings, after a specially earnest appeal by the venerable preacher, young Gould went forward to the altar and professed conversion. He subsequently connected himself with the Presbyterians. The late Rev. Dr. Jacob West, then corresponding secretary of the Board of Foreign Missions of the Dutch Reformed church, preached a number of times in the Roxbury Reformed church. Gould always attended, and the Rev. Dr. West frequently said Gould was always a remarkably attentive listener.” Mr. Gould’s name was discussed most prominently in connection with church work last February, when he gave his check for $10,000 to the Rev. Dr. John Hall. The circumstances aroused much comment and considerable unfavorable criticism. On Tuesday evening, February 23d, the Gould mansion was handsomely lighted up. Over one hundred invitations had been issued by Mr. Gould and his daughter, Miss Helen Gould, to prominent Presbyterians and members of the Presbyterian Board of Church Extension. It was understood by those receiving the invitations that the reception was solely for the purpose of raising funds. Mr. and Miss Gould received the guests. They were assisted by Mrs. Russell Sage and Mrs. J. P. Munn. The Rev. Dr. Paxton said, in the course of his opening address to the guests: “When I asked Mr. Gould about opening his home for a meeting of the friends of Presbyterian church extension, without hesitation or deliberation he and Miss Gould said at once, and said it cordially: ‘Certainly, with great pleasure,’ and Mr. Gould added: ‘I believe in church extension on Manhattan Island.’ But Mr. Gould has taken another step in the right direction, for since he asked us here--Mr. Sage told me this--Mr. Gould, who is superficial in nothing, wanted to know what church extension is, and what church ought to be extended, and so he read our confession of faith.