The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1877-06-08
JAMES G. FLOODS FORTUNE.
The Story Of California 0lillioMaire's
Wealth, as Told by HIMSELF.
from the Evening Post.

(Fro,n the Evening Post.l
SAN FRANCISCO, May lS.-.John A.
Sutter was indeed the hero of revolu-
tion in the history of civilization. The
AEst discoverer of the gold at the "Mill
Race is still living, and his is an ex
ample Of the fate OF those who, in add
ing to the wealth of nations, have inn
poverished themselves. He has still
his nnaudited claims before the Govern
ment for supplies furnished the army
In those early days when by his means
the infant settlement was preserved
from the depredations of the Indians.
1t Is now only twenty-nine years since
suffers men brought him a handful Of
glittering sand found in the mill sluice,
and from that day to the close OF 1876
the product of gold aud silver has been
$l,147, 900, 600 in this State alone! 1t
is common mistake to suppose that
this production is regularly increasing.
Far from it. From an interesting table
of statistics compiled by the editor of
the Commercial Herald it appears that
the greatest yield was in 1858, namely,
1858 ,OOO, 900. In 1876 it was the smallest
since 184S, namely, $l7 zoe, ,OOO, ,and this
was increased during the last year only
81 ,3OO, 900.
To-day I met with James C. Flood.
Who has not heard of the sraid'' of
Flood & O'Brien on the Bank of Cali
fOrnia and the tragic death of Ralston
consequent upon that time Of. excite
ment? I asked Mr.. Flood if all this
was true. "An was Il lie,'' he said
'tRalston was 4 good fellow; he died,
don't know how-well, the coroner's
jury gave the verdict, but 1 tell you
this: I did not drive him to it. He
owed me a great deal Of money, and
only two days before his death he told
me he WAS in trouble, and asked me
not to present a check of his for $780,
600, which held. kept my word,
and when heard of the run on the
hank, although knew it would 20
down, i did not call for my money, He
was my friend.' ,j:,ti'
Mr., Flood. is about fifty years OF age,
of robust appearance and pleasing ad-
dress: 20 He was ready to answer all our
questions, and, mOreover, volunteered
Somewhat OF his personal history, which
reproduce in brief; for people like to
hear how q = ssself-maCle MANI made
hinosalf out of nothing into golden
imaGe of the value Of twenty-five mil
lions OF dollars.
~ came out here, +" he said, ssin 1919.
! WIS q coachmaker by trade, and
readily adapted myself to the business
of a carpenter, at which earned SIG a
day. But had the gold fever like all
the rest, and so I struck out for the
mines. Well, we had rough time
that winter. 1t was as much as we
could do to dig ourselves out of the
snow without digging much gold. But
l stuck to it, and 1 made $4,000. I
thought was rich, and 80 went home.
and took my family out West, where l
bought a farm. / soon found that So
900 was not q fortune. So we sold out,
packed up, and came here again. i
Went into business, was successful ct
first, then went under owing $4,000.
earned that money and paid up. From
one thing to another 1 got into the
Hale and Horcross mine, and that gave
me my first big start. i've been in the
mining business ever since. / never
bought share of stock that did not
pay for and take away. never sold a
share short. Mining is u risk, any
way; but it is risk almost always the
wrong way to people who speculate on
margins. You ask me about the Bo-
nanzas. Well, believe in them; but
you need not pin your faith on me. I've
a right to do what like with my own
money. I've got a comfortable home
of eight rooms for my little family, and
SO spend what I don't want for mar
keting and clothes In Bonanzas. I've
followed the consolidated Virginia
and the California down from par to
twenty-four, their present price. I've
bought 150, 200 shares of the first and
sc, 200 shares of the last, and Pm going
to follow them down to the bottom; for
know,at least I think that know,
that there is more money in them than
has ever been taken out; any way 1
shall stick to it. AS to those mining
boards, I don't care if the Stock Ex-
change closes tomorrow, and there
is never another share bought or sold.
If the mines fail, why then I'll take
the money I've got out of them and set
the timber on fire, and that will be the
end. No, don't go; I'm not busy Pm
never busy now. l was busy when I
had to scull round to get five dollars.
Now 1 can afford to pay my clerks and
talk with my friends.''
There is grief among the esociety"
at Washington because the Marine
hand is to be reduced from fifty to
thirty members. The twenty to be
cut of exist without any authority of
law, Practically. this hand ia Of no uSa