Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-06-05
FLOOB'S FORTUNE.
The pfOVy Of California Mn
liOuaiTe's Wealth, as Told by
Himself

Ut F1AOFI 0N "
IiOHaiIe's Wealth, as Told by
Himself
San Francisco Cor. New York Evening POST
John A. Sutter was indeed the
hero of a revolution in the history
of civilization. The first discoyerer
of the gold at the "Mill Race" is
still living, and his is an example
Of the fate Of those who, in adding
to the wealth of nations, have i'm
poverisAed themselves. He has
still his audited claims before the
government for supplies furnished
the army in those early days when
by his means the infant settlement
was preserved from the depreda-
tions of the Indians. 1t is now
only twenty-nine years since SUIT
ter's men brought him a handful of
glitteIing sand found in the mill
sluice, and from that day to the
close of 1876 the product of gold
and silver has been 1,14T, 100000
in this State alonel 1t isl common
mistake to suppose that this pro-
duction 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, s6S,000,000. In
1875 it was the smallest since 1S4S,
namely, s1I,700,0O0, and this was
increased during the last year only
$1,3OO,OOO.
To-day | met with James G.
Flood. Who has not heard of the
"raid " of Flood q 0'Brien on the
Bank of California, and the tragic
death of Ralston consequent upon
that time of excitementY | asked
Mr.. Flood if all this was true. "All
was lie" he said; "Ralston was a
good fellow; he died, don't know
how-well, the coroneTs jury gave
the verdict, but tell you this,
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 100000, which held. | kept
my word, and when l heard of the
run on the bank, although | knew
it would 90 down, | did not call for
my money. He was my friend"
Mr.. Flood is about fifty years of
age, of robust appearance and
pleasing address. He was ready to
answer all our questions and, more
over, volunteered somewhat of his
personal history, which reproduce
in brief; for people like to hear how
a self-made man" made himself
out of nothing into a golden image
of the value of $25, 100000.
"I came out here" he said, ain
1919. ! was coachmaker by trade,
and readily adapted myself to the
business Of q carpenter, at which |
earned sixteen dollars a day. But
| had the gold fever like all the rest,
and so struck out for the mines.
Well, we had a rough time that
winter. 1t was as much as we could
do to dig ourselves out Of the snow
without digging much gold. But
| stuck to it, and ! made three
thousand dollars | thought | was
rich, and so | went home and took
my family out West, where | bought
a farm. / soon found that three
thousand dollars was not fortune,
So we sold out, packed up, and
came here again. | went into busi-
ness, was successful at first then
went under owing four thousand
dollars. / earned that money and
paid up. From one thing TO an
other | got into the Hale and Nor
cross mine, and that gave me my
first big start. Ive been in the
mining business ever since. l never
bought a share OF stock that did
not pay for and take away, | never
sold n share short. Mining is q risk
anyway; but it is risk almost al
ways the wrong way to people whC
speculate on margins. You ask mt
about the bonanzas. Well, | believe
: in them; but you need not pin YOU
faith on me. I've a right to dc
what | like with my money, ",
: 4 80. r,...k,1,1o l. kA,,,o Of aioh