The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-03-23
THE BONANZA KINGS.
sketches OF Mackny. Fleoa and
O'Brien-WealIh of the Conseltda.
ted Mines.
fCor. Chicago Tribune.l

Slope. His wealth is estimated at from
Sic, ,000, 600 to $25,000,000. He came to
San Francisco and for several years re-
mained comparatively poor. He is now
the largest owner in the Nevada Bank
and in the Consolidated Virginia mines.
He spends most Of his time in Virginia
City, New. His Office is in the branch of
the Nevada Bank established in that
city, although he spends much Of his
time about the mines, concerning which
he knows every detail.
A thousand men in Virginia City
wear better clothes and put on more airs
than Mr.. Mackay does. Everybody
speaks to him and he speaks to every
body | think he could be elected Sen
asor frem Nevada by merely announcing
his desire for all election. He keeps aa
open house and goes around with an
open heart. His recent individual con-
tribHtioh of $4,000 and the contribu-
tion of $25,000 from the bank of which
he is chief owner for the relief of the
poor in Ireland are only trihe COM
pared with his donations for charitable
purposes during the past few years.
There is an orphan establishment in
Virginia City, caring for and educating
the orphans Of that section of Nevada, to
which he has for years been a constant
contributor. On his return to Nevada
some weeks ago one of the Sisters in
charge came to him and told him OF their
necessities and the poverty to which
they were reduced. He was in hurry,
but without oeasing his work, directed
his manager to Immediately send the in
stitution ton of -four and ten tons Of
coal, saying the moment he got little,
leisure he would 60 down and see what
else they needed.
Col. Fair, like Mackay, lives mainly in
Nevada near the mines, giving his per-
sonal attention to their development. He
is quiet, unostentatious man, who says.
but little but does great deal OF think
ing. He is an Orangeman, with no love
for the Irish. The outside world has
never heard as much Of Col. Fair as Of
the other bonanza kings, but his ability
is appreciated by the people of the Pacific
Slope, and his Judgment and executive
ability are recognized by the other men,
Ders of his frm.,, ..... ....-.
O'Brien is dead. He was the Mark
Tapley Of the Big Bonanza, and no man
ever found him out of patience. ! never
heard his name spoken except with evi-
dent affection. He left over $4,000, 600
at his death.
The remaining member of the firm.
Flood, has generally lived in San Fran
cisco, with headq quarters at the Nevada
Bank, and it is to his genius that much
of the success of the capitalists of the bank
due. He is really the financial man Of
the consolidation, and with powers that
would have placed him in the front rank
as fnancier had he lived in New York
instead of San Francisco. lie has much
of that reserve of manner which thought
full men usually possess. He is calculated
to be much more popular in San Fran
cisco than in Virginia City, where the
branch bank is located. His ways are
| Just suited to read and match the shrewd
men of the great city, but not to meet
the rough, bustling, and hail fellow
crowd he would meet at the Nevada
mine.
From the men whose money is behind
the Nevada Bank, in San Francisco and
its branches elsewhere, and whose hearts
have never been hardened by success,
comes $4,000, in addition to the $4,000
which Mackay had already sent for the
relief of the Irish poor.
The Nevada Bank is one of the great
institutions Of the world. In conse-
quence of excessive taxation on bank
capital under the new Constitution Of
California, it reduced its capital on Janu.
ary 1st to So, 900, 600, which leaves on its
hands surplus reserve Of $3, 500, 900 in
vested in Government bonds. In addi-
tion, there stands on the books of the
Treasury Department at Washington, in
United States stocks property OF share.
holders, and registered in three names Of
the bank, $20, 100000, the aggregate Of
the United States securities held by the
Nevada Bank and its shareholders.
And now the question arises in the
minds Of your readers, from whence has
all this wealth come? This same bo-
nanza firm has for years owned CONTROL
ing influence in the Consolidated Virginis
mine and several Others on the famous
Comstock lode. During the past foul
years over $ll8, ,000,00o in gold and silver
has been taken from ;he Consolidated
Virginia mine and $80,0O0,000 Of it paif
in dividends to stock holders. It pai(
the expenses of working after the ex
penditure of the first 100000.
I went down this mine, through tn,
, kindness of Mr.. Mackay, some three
weeks ago, to the depth of 2,450 feet, ant
followed along its different drifts, ant
saw the hundreds of workmen employed
within it, and feel confident it will b.
as successfully worked and as remunera
tive in the future as in the past. Tn,
worst obstacles have been alre dy over
, come, and the whole machinery is in full
: operation, and with the most remunera
tive results. It's managers have had al
, the experience any men have ever had
and during all these years have main
tanned character for integrity that
never heard questioned upon the Pacifi