Daily Republican., 1880-08-28
rhs sopauas Rings.

A spicy letter from San Francisco tc
the 81. Louis Republican says the reign
Of the bonanza kings 10 about over.
Their wealth has been largely over es'
ltimatsd, and instead OF being worth
hundreds Of millions the frm Ia said to
have assets equal to about forty mil
lions, OF this John Mackey owns two
lafths and James C. Flood, james It..
Pair and the estate Of W. B. o'Brien
the remaining three.1fths In equal pro-
portlous. For two years suit has
been prosecuted against the firm with
great vigor to compel them to account
for soms $10, 100000 claimed to have
been feloniously withheld from stock.
holders in the various mines controlled
| by them. All preliminary law points
have been decided in favor Of the
plaintiffs, aud the case will now bs
tried upon the facts. OF course there
is no telling now what the result will
be, but there ia at least possibility
that the bonanza firm will have to dis
gorge a aoodly portion OF their gains
Mackey is the best man Of the lonr'
He Is q miner, and remains at VIZ
ginia City, because he is most at home
there. His handsome wife, who 10 said
TO b. an excellent woman, lives In
great splsndor with her children at
Paris. Msckey's generous nature. 1t 10
said, has been soured by his experience
with sharper and more upprincipled
men than himself, and he has become
moross and suspicious. Fair has re-
tired from active business and is trav-
cling for the benefit Of his health.
o'Brien died q few years ago, and his
estate, which did not "pan out" as
large as was expected, is now in litiga'
tioh.
Flood, who Is the keenest Of the par
ty, and who has managed the stock
manipulation, ia probably the most
heartily despised man on the Pacific
coast. He has bled the people for
ten years most mercilessly. He die
tributes his "points" through pFi'
vato secretary and number OF "cap-
pers." The public bites and in tnrn
is invariably bitten. Flood gave John
ny Skas point once, Johnny was
worth S2, 100000. He is worth $780,
900 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 mesh
es Of the net so adroitly set by Flood.
One man, however, was too deep for the
big firm. They sent Jim Kesne q point
by one Of their parasites. Keene was
delighted and Set up the champagne.
Then he went and "copperea" the
poin:-did ths opposite Of what was
ad dvertised. When he went to New
York to wrestle with the bulls and
bears Of Wall street he took six mil
lions with him-six millions that the
bonanza men could not reach.
Flood, however, undoubtedly was
sincere when he told U. 8. Grant, Jr.,
what stocks to invest in II he wished to
make little pile. The young lnsn
ventured and pocketed about $500, 900.
But this was only roundabout method
chosen by Flood to give his prospective
on-in-law lift. II would look much
better, Flood thought no doubt, than
for him to give young Grant the money
outright. Miss Jennie, Floods daugh-
ter, has $2, SOC, 900 in government bonds
and the young couple will have very
fair start in life. The acquaintance Of
the Flood and Grant families, it may
be stated in this connection, Is not Of
recent Origin. 1t began many years ago
over the pine counter OF the little saloon
kept by Flood and 0'Brisn in San Fran
cisco during the days Of their Argo-
nauts, where Capt. Grant was q fire.
quent visitor. A great political reVul-
ton 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 q closer bond
than before.