Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-09-09
THE BONANZA KINGS.
Some Interesting Stories About the
Great Bankers.
[San Francisco letter.

oyer-estimated, and instead of
being worth hundreds of millions
the firm is said TO have assets
equal to about forty millions.
Of this John Mackey owns twe-
fifths, and James e. Flood, Jas.
G. Fair and the estate Of W, S.
O'Brien the remaining three
fifths, in equal PROPORTIONS. For
two years suit has been pend
ling against the firm with great
vigor to compel them toaecount
for some $40,0O0,O00 claimed TO
have been feloniously withheld
from stockholders in the various
mines held by them. All pre-
liminary 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 tbe re-
suits will be, but there is at least
q possibility that the bonanza
firm will have 10 disgorge II
goodly portion of their gains.
Mackey is the best man of the
four. He is a miner and remains
at Virginia City, because he is
most at home there. HIS hand
some wife, who is said to be an
excellent woman, lives in great
splendor with her children at
Paris. Maekey's generous la
ture, it is said, has been soured
by his experience with sharper
and more unprincipled mel than
himself; and he has become mo-
rose and suspicious. Fair has
retired from active business and
is travelling for the benefit of
his health. O'Brien died a few
years ago, and bis estate, which
did not "pan OUT as largely as
was expected, is now in litiga-
ton.
Flood, who is the keenest of
the party, and VINO has managed
the stock manipulation, is prob
ably the most heartily despised
man on the Pacific Coast. He
has bied the people for ten years
most mercilessly. He distrib-
rtcs his "points' through pri-
vate secretary and a number of
"cappers." The public bites,
and in turn is invariably bitten.
Flood gave Johny Skae a point
once. Johnny was worth 81
100000. lie is worth $250,000
less than nothing now. Points
were given to thousands of 9TH
ers, and most of them lost by
their ventures. Many a pros
porous merchant and thousands
of well-to-dO people in the mid
die walks of life lost their all in
the meshes of the net so adroitly
set by Flood. One man, how
ever, was too deep for the big
firm. They sent Jim Keene u
point by one of their parasites.
Keene was delighted and set up
the champagne. Then he went
and 'coppered' the point-did
the opposite of what was advis-
ed. When he went to New York
to wrestle with the bulls and
bears of Wall street he took six
millions with him-six millions
that the bonanza men could not
reach.
Flood, however, undoubtedly
was sincere when he told u. 5.
Grant, jnn., what stocks to in
vest in if he wished to make a
little pile. The young man vent
nred and pocketed about $780,
300. But this was only a round
about method chosen by Flood
to give his prospective son-in-
Law a lift. 1t would look much
better, Flood thought, no doubt,
,han for him to give young Grant
5he money outright. Miss Jen-
nie, Floods daughter, has 81
100000 Government bonds, and
the young couple will have a very
fair start In life. The acquaint-
lnco1 Of the Flood and Grant
families, it may be stated in this
connection, isn6t of recent ORR
gin. 1t. began many years ago
over the pine counter of the So
Don kept by Flood and O'Brien
N San Francisco during the days
of the ArgOnauts, where Captain
Grant was a frequent visitor a
great political reyulsion caused
,he 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. 4.
After this long separation and
under these changed conditions
the two great families are about
to be united by closer bond
than before.
True 10 DEMOCRACY.