The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-06-08
o. s~ffi CAIRO, ILLINOIS FRIDAY. JUNE 1877
OH 8ullttin.
FLOODS FORTUNE.
The Ntory of q California Million
aires wealth, as Told by Himself.

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/ tsan Francisco Cor. New York Evening
Post)
John A. suffer was indeed the hero oil
arevolution In the history Of civilization.
The frst discoverer Of the gold at the
'Mill Race" Is still living, and his 10 an
example OF the fate Of those who, in ad.
ding to the wealth Of nations, have I'M.
poyerished themselves. He has still his
sudited claims before the government for
suppl es furnished the army In those early
days when by his means the infant settle
ment was preserved from the depredations
80 e''srss 49, .,neN only twenty. nibe
!, ears snfinnnsrfYeTb Inch brought him a
handful Of gIittering sand found In the mill
slrice, and from that day to the close Of
1879 the product Of gold and silver has
been Sl.li7 ,000,0D0 in this state alone, 1t
10 a common mistake TO suppose that this
production IL regularly iDcreas-
ing Far from 1t. From an interesting
table Of statistics compiled by the editor Of
the Commercial Herald 1t appears thai the
greatest yield was In 1853, namely, eos.
0O0,o 900, In 1875 II was the smallest since
lsis, namely, eli 10000, and this was In.
creased during the last year only $780,.
000.
To-day / met with James c. Flood. Who
has not heard Of the "raid" Of Flood d.
o'Brien on the bank OF California, and the
tragic death Of Ralston consequent upon
that time OF excitement / asked Mr..
Flood If all this was true. Gan was lie,'
be SAID; "Ralston was u good fellow: he
died, don't kno Y how-well, the coron-
r'sjury gave the verdict, but tell you
this: did not drive him 10 II. He owed
me great deal OF money, and only two
days before his death he told me he was 10
trouble, and asked me not to present
check Of his for s2o0, 900, which held. |
kept my word, and when ] heard Of the
run on the bank, although knew it would
60 down, did not call for my money He
was my friend
Mr.. Flood is about fifty years OF age, OF
robust appearance and pleasant address.
lie was ready to answer all onr questions
and, moreover, volunteered somewhat Of
his personal history, which reproduce in
brief; for people like 70 hear how "self-
made man" made himself out Of nothing
into gold image Of the value OF s2j, 900.
900.
II came out here said he, lin 1919. |
was a shoemaker by trade, and readily
adapted myself to the Dusiness Of q ear
penter, at which earned sixteen dollars q
day. But / had the gold fever like all the
rect. and 80 struck out for the mines.
"eh' - BOD rnnoh time that winter:
II was as much as we could do to dig our
selves out OF the snow without digging
much gold. But | stuck to 1t, and made
three thousand dollars. / thought / was
rich, and so went home and took my
family out West, where bought q farm.
| soon found that three thousand dollars
was not fortune. So we sold out, packed
up. and came here again. I went into
business, was successful at first, then went
under owing four thousand dollars.
earned that money and paid up. From
one thing TO another got into the Hale
and Norcross mine, and that gave me my
first big start. I've been in the mining bus.
mess ever since. never bought q share
OF stock that did not pay for and tske
away, never sold o share short. Min.
ing is risk, anyway; but it is risk almost
always the wrong way to people who spec
ulate on margins. You ask me about bon.
anzas. Well, believe in them; but you
need:not pin your faith on me. Pye right
to do what like with my money. I've got
comfortable home of eight rooms for my
family, and so spend what don't want
for NAH citing and clothes::in bonanzss I've
followed the CONSOLIDATED Virginia" and
the" California" down from par to "a, their
present price. I've bought $50, goo shares
of the first and 200 shares OF the last,
and I'm going to follow them down to the
bottom; for I know-at least think that |
know-that there Is more money IN them
than has ever been taken out; any way,
shall stick to It. As 10 these mining boards,
] don't care il the stock exchange closes
tomorrow, and there IL never another
share bought and sold. If the mines fail,
why then III take the money I've got out
of them and Bet the timber on fro, and
and that will be the end. No, don't 60;
I'm not busy-l'm never busy now. was
busy when had to seull round
to get five dollars. Now can afford to pay
my clerks and talk with my friends.