The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1880-09-18
THE BONANZA KINGS.
Some Interesting Stories About the
Great Bankers.

a spicy letter from San Francisco to
the ST. Louis RrpN6bf01 says the reign
Of the bonanza kings is about over
Their wealth has been largely overesti-
mated, and instead OF being worth hun
dreds of millions the firm is said to have
assets equal to about forty millions. OF
this Mackey owns two-fifths and James
{. Flood, James G. Fair and the estate
of ". 5. O'Brien the remaining three
iifths in equal proportions. For two
years suit has been prosecuted against
the firm with great vigor to compel them
to account for some $40, 900, 900 claim
ed to have been feloniously withheld from
stockholders in the various mines con-
trolled by them. All preliminary law
points have been decided in favor Of the
plaintiffs, and the cause will now be
tried upon the facts. OF course there
is no telling now what the result will be,
but there is at least 4 possibility that the
bonanza firm viii have to disgorge a
goodly portion of their gains. Mackcy
is the best map of the four. He is a
miner, and remains at Virginia City,
because he is most at home there. His
handsome wife, who is said to be an
excellent woman, lives in great splendor
with her children At Paris. Mackey's
generous nature, it is said, has been
soured by his experience with sharper
and more unprincipled men than him
self, and he has become morose and
suspicious. Fair has retired from active
business and is travelling for the benefit
Of his health. O'Bricn died few years
ago, and his estate, which did not "pan
out" as largely As was expected, is now
in litigation.
Flood, who is the kecnest OF the par
ty, and who has managed the stock
manipulation, is probably the most
heartily despiscd man on the Pacific
coast. He has bled the people for ten
years most mercilcssly. He distributes
his "poin,s" through private secretary
and number of "cappers. The public
bites and in turn is invariably bitten
Flood gave Johnny Skae 4 point once.
Johnny was worth Ss,5oo,oo He is
worth $4,000 less than nothing now.
Points were given to thousands Of others
and most Of them lost by their ventures.
Many prosperous merchant and thous-
ands Of well-to-do people in the middle
walks.of life lost their all in the meshes
Of the net so adroitly set by Flood. One
man, however, was too deep for the big
firm. They sent Jim Keene 4 point by
one Of their parasites. Keenc was de-
lighted and set up the champagne
Then he went and ''coppered" the point
did the opposite of what was advised.
When he went to New York to wrestle
with the bulls and bears Of Wall street
he took six millions with him-six mil
lions that the bonanza men could not
reach.
Flood, however, undoubtedly was sin
ccre when he told U. S. Grant, Jr.,
what stocks to invest in il he wished e
make little pile. The young man ven
tured and pocketed about 5000, ,ooo.-
But this was only roundabout method
chosen by Flood to give his prospective
son-in-law lift. Il would look much
better, Flood thought, no doubt. than
for him to give young Grant the money
outright. Miss Jennie, Floods daugh.
ter, has So, 500, 900 in Government bonds
and the young couple will have very
fair start in life. The acquaintance oi
the Flood and Grant families, it may be
stated in this sconnection, is not Of recent
origin. 1t began many years ago over
the pine counter Of the little saloon kept
by Flood and O'Brien in San Francisco
during the days Of the Argonauts, where
Captain Grant was a frequent visitor
A great political revulsion caused the
heads Of the families to drift apart
The one was tossed into fame by the
chances Of war, the other was thrown
into the lap of luxury by successful
gambling. After this long separation
and under these changed conditions the
two great families are about to be united
by closer bond than before.