The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-20
snARoN,s oooD-BY TO oLoRr.
The Blg Banquet from Funercal Point Of
View.


SAN Francisco, Feb. 9.-The banquet
given last evening to Dill Sharon, United States
Senator and ex-millionaire, "by his old friends
OF the Comstock lode" meant something more
than was set down upon the solid silver bills
fare, which, by the way, cost Just $3.50 apiece.
Among the guests, II will be noted wero ID. q.
Mills, President OF the "bursted bank" Gen.
Dodge, Bill Stewart, Lucky Baldwin, Bob Nor
row, with his pockets full OF Ophir, and many
others hardly less renowned for the amount OF
capital and influence they can WELD. These
gentlemen ate, drank, toasted Bill Sharon to the
skies, and thon pocketcd their silver bills Of
fare and said good bye to the guest OF the even
ing.
Everybody here knows what all this display
means. Sharon. the dethroned monarch of the
Comstock lode, il about to step down into the
obscuiitv from which the Bank OF California
raised him, and his "old friends OF the Com
stock lode" desired 20 let him down as easily
possible. This Is the reason OF the handsome
send OF at the Palace Hotel last night.
For some few years past Sharon has been like
tiger prowlinR up and down the vast jungle OF
the Comstock. Ophir was his lair, and when he
took a fancy TO a small mine lying on either side
OF him he simply laid his claw on II aud pulled
II In. So this sleek, steathy man eater acquired
a supremacy over belt Of silver miles In length
and second to none on the globe.
know full well. He sailed" worthless mines
TO fost the stock upon the public, flooded the
lower levels Of bis favorites over and over To
buy them In at low figures, and with the Bank
OF California turned into q gambling shop,
crushed his enemies and rewarded bis bench
men on every side. He became the Jay Gould
OF the Pacific slope, with all OF Goud's lack of
principle, aud none Of his smooth cunning and
dirty craft He had things his own way. and a
cipher despatch from Virginia City to the
bank crowd " would open up a Sharofian deal,
and inn tie the market ten millions. These
were fierce times 10 the outsiders. California
street would be packed with crszed rahbie OF
operators, making millions every fresh breath
from the banks lungs swelled the vast bubble.
But there came another day. The king Is
dead. Long live the king" There were two
undeyeloped mines next to Ophir, on the south
side. but they didn't amount TO much. Flood
Olirien were the owners, and one day they
struck II rich down In Consolidated Virginia
ard California, and the stock began to climb up
from Is to $50 Then the cross cuts told tue
width Of the bonanza, and Sharon saw enough
OF the business to know that he was an out
going man. The stock rose steadily TO tS0O and
month at the rate OF $40 a stare. The mine Is
now vomiting millions into Flood O'Drien's
lap. These men developed into two colossal
elephants. and began TO beat the jungle for
game. The way they rousled out the Sharon
tiger was marvel. Sbaron's old-timc activity
and stealthy creepings are now more OF a ser
vice In getting out of the way than in bouncing
upon hts prey. The white tusks of his heavy
antagonists meet him at every turn, and when
they get him fairly against the wall there will be
a howl, scattering OF fur, and no more Sharon