The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1875-10-07
TIE BONANZA KING.
Twenty-Five Years Ago Hiiterate
WheeIwright-To-day the Richest Man
in California.

TWENTY-FIVE Years Ago Hiiterate
Wheelwright-To-d the Richest Man
in California.
A correspondent of the Boston Herald
/ tells story of James G. Flood, OF the
firm of Flood & O'Brien, who rule the
financial affairs of California and Nevada.
He says: J. G. Flood is the name of the
man who is at the head of that great
/ monayed institution in San Francisco
which was the cause of the breaking OF
| the Bank of California; mean the Bank
of Nevada. The history of that move
ment and all its results are well known
TO readers of the Herald But the his
tory of the man who was the prime mover
of the whole affair has never yet been
printed. He wassborn. it is believed, in
Ireland, but on that point my informant
is not positive. He made his appear
ance at Fort Hamilton many years ago,
when he was quite lad, and engaged
himself as a workman in the wheelwright
shop of Col. Church. He was accounted
| a good boy, that is, there was nothing
particularly bad about him. He was
faithful in his work and was of rather an
inquiring mind, always wanting to know
the why and wherefore of everything.
He could not read or write, and the two
sons of Col Church were then about his
own age. They have since grown up,
and keep the hotel; are the Judges, Cor
oners, Sheriff's agents, agents of the
government for many things, are agents
of the Western Union Telegraph, and of
the Associated Press there. Their father
is now dead. Young Flood prevailed
on Thomas G. Church to teach him to
read and write, and he proved very apt
scholar. His learning enabled him to
take front rank among his fellow work
men, and it is said there are q good
many wagons now III existence on Long
Island that have peculiar finish put
upon certain parts of them by young
Flood When the California fever broke
out there were three companies of troops
sent there from Fort Hamilton. In one
of these companies Flood enlisted and
went with them to California. After
serving his time he went into the mines,
and came back TO the wheelwright shop
at Fort Hamilton with some $4,000 or
Sc, 600. After staying a short time he
married, and soon after, with his wife,
went to San Francisco. He there opened
81 OdL-IOOu1 Auu OCCdu1O QUlUC POPui113
made money, and, being naturally shrewd
and careful in investments, has risen
now to be one of the acknowledged pow
ers of the Pacific coast. There are sew
eral around Church's hotel at Fort Ham
ilton who we'll remember the young
man, end who viii doubtless now agree
that it was good place to emigrate
from. He is now said to be worth
money enough to buy up the whole re-
gion around Fort Hamilton, and throw
in Fort Lafayette as chowder depot,
which is all it is fit for. His history is
like that of many another in this free
country-a poor, illiterate boy taught
his alphabet and to read, write, and CT
pher by Thomas G.. Church, his old en-
ployers son-now not millionaire, but |
a ten OF twenty millionaire. He has the
consolation of knowing that in case of
accident he is a good wheelwright, and
can make a splendid cocktail.