Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1877-07-12
CAZ(FORNIA'S FOUR
KINGS,
THEIR HUNDRED MILLION OF DOLLARS,
AND HOW THEY GOT n ALL.
[san Francisco Corresponacnce1

lSan Francisco Correspondence
1t has been my good fortune to
meet socially while in San Fran
cisco, -four of the most conspicuous,
the wealthiest aud most Influential
men on the Pacific coast. Tlese
men are Senator Sharon, owner OF
the Palace Hotel and Belmount,
and who also owns the water works
which supply San Francisco ex-
Gov. Leland Stanford, President OF
the Central Pacific Railroad J. Q. +
Flood, chief owner of the mines
on the Comstock lode and the
Warwick behind the Bank Of Ne
vada and Charles Crocker, 2resi
dent of the Southern Pacific Rail- |
road. These four gentlemen are
worth, | suppose, one hundred
millions of dollars, and, as they
are all young, fresh, vigorous and
ambitious, they will, no doubt, one
day have more wealth than all the
rest of the inhabitants of the Pa
ciic coast combined.
Mr.. Flood is q strong man
about forty five years old. l frsi
met him in his little Office in the
Bank of Nevada, and afterward
received an invitation to spend an
evening at his house. Mr.. Flood
looks like retired gymnast. He
has a bullet head, covered with
close cut hair, and supported by
tremendous neck. Naturally fair,
his face aud hands are tanned to
that scarlet red which appears on
Il young lady S face after riding all
, Gay in Il stage and eating a big
dinner of beef-steak and onions.-
His hands are large, like miners,
| and, if compelled to go into the
mines again. they could shovel and
pick as much as ANY miner in the
camp.
), The artists, who like to see every
muscle of man developed, would
: call Mr.. Flood handsome, not
, handsome like the Apollo Belve
dere, but sinewy and grand, like
. Hercules. His speech is slow and
careful; and, unlike Ralston, who
was all outside show, he courts re
i tirement. Indeed, there are many
: people in San Francisco who read
: and talk about Flood every day
/ who have never seen him. In this
0 particula: he is like Jay Could
t Mr.. Floods partner s'Mr. O'Brien
d il practical miner, who lives in Vir
6 ginia City, and attends personally
II to the mines, while Flood manipu-
IS lates them in his little room in til,
: Bank of Nevada, during the day
1t and retires quietly to his family a
II night. His tastes are modest, ant
ts would do tor man worth 500,
900, instead of $2O,000,UO0. Mrs
- Flood is modest and retiring, de
~ ~ voting her whole time to her hus
= bands and children's happiness.
:. Mr.. Flood gave me II long ac
% " count OF how he first came to Cali
i, fornia, but as l made no notes a
- the time can not recall the dates
IN He came originally as miner, an
or worked in the mines with varyiu
ID fortune until he accumulate
u $1,000.
at "Then," said Mr.. Flood,
;h thought | was rich, and | haven
he thought so since. was happ,
er too-happie, than | am now.
re went back to Illinois to buy farm
ue thought this $4,000 would kee
N. me all my life
he But it seems that MIR. Floo
he soon used up his $1,000 soon so
he his farm, and was back to Califol
~ MIA again, where six years ago
Of and o Brien kept small saloon
San Francisco, and mixed ten ce
i drinks for anybody able to pay f
~ ~ them. Among Flood aud OBrieu
q acquaintance were two miner
Oh John Mackev and James Fair.
eh their meanderings around the Cor
lus stock lode "a mountain twenty ty
he miles long above Virginia City,
<a- which are located about ihirty
the richest silver mines in NeVadi
.he Fair and Mackey saw some OF
The cropping of silver quartz. II
:on claim was then owned by N
he Mckinney aud others of KentucE
no. Fair and Mackey bought the clai
ties for a tribe, took in Flood al
O'Brien as partners, and cor
for menced prospecting.
bis "What was the result p / ask
Mr.. Flood.
the "Why. we soon found we h
INV two Of the best silver mines ey
,bt found on the Coms:ock, and
,,,d far the richest mines in the wor
We soon formed a stock compar
A. opened the Consolidated Virgin
IA y. which has paid $34,000,OOO in di
"a dends, and the California viii
his has paid $12, 100000 in dividend
lall I learn from a California bank