The Grant County herald. (Big Stone City, Grant County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1883, 1880-07-24
THE BONANZA KINGS.

Sketches OF Mack8y. Flood aEd d hrIen-1he
Enormous Wealth Of the Consolidated
Mines.
A Virginia City New correspondent
OF the Chicago Tribune writes: b.
douh,edly John w. Mackay is the wealth
iest gentleman on the Pacific slope. His
wealth is variously estimated az from
$l5,OO0,oo0 to $25,0OO,oo0. He came
from San Francisco, and for several years
remained comparatively poor. He is
now the largest owner in the Nevada
bank, and IN the Consolidated Virginia
| mines. He spends most of his time at
Virginia City, Nevada. His Office is in
| the branch OF the Nevada bank. estab-
| lished in that city, although he spends
much of his time about the mines, con-
ce-ning which he knows every detail. A
thousand men IN Virginia City wear bet
| ter clothes and pu. Oh more airs than Mr..
Nackay does. Every body speaks to llm
| and he speaks to everybody. ! believe
| he could he elected senator OF Nevada by
merely announcing his desire Of an cleo
ton. He Keeps an open house and goes
around with al open neart. His recent in
dividnal contribution Of $4,000 and the
contribution Of $4,000 from the bank
II. which hc is ef.ict owner, 'ol the r.
lief Of the poor IN Ireland, arc only a
trific compared With his donations ioI
charitable purposes during the nast two
| years. There Is aa orphan establishment
IN Virginia City, caring for and edacat-
inc the orphans oi that section Of Ne
vada, 10 which he has ior years been i
constan. contributor On his return
70 Nevada, some weeks ago, one Of I'll.
sisters IN charge came TO him and told
MIN of their necessities, and the poverty
to which they were reduced He was ii
]. hurry. hut. without ceasln. his work
directed bis manager to Immediately sene
the institution ton OF -four ana ten ton.
OF coal, saying the moment he got !,
little leisure he would SO down and SET
what else they needed
| Colonel Fair, like Mackay, lives mann
~ in Nevada near the mines, giving hil
personal attention to their Development
he IS a quiet. unostsnta tious man VIII,
says b ut little, but does a great deal 0
thln king. The outside world has no
heard as much of Colonel Fair as OF tn
other bonanza kings, but bis ability j
appreciated by the people OF the Pacif>
slope, and his Judgment and e1ecutiv,
ability are recognized ty the other mem
bcrs OF his firm.
O'Brien is dead. He is the Mark Tap
ley OF the big bonanza, and no man eve
] found him out Of patience. | have neve
heard his name spoken except with eyi
dent affection. He LETT over S10,0OD,00i
at his death.
The remaining member OF the firm
Flood, has generally lived at San Francis
co, with headquarters at Nevada bank
and il is 10 his genius that much OF tn
success Of the capitalists OF the bank
due. ne is really hefnanciai man OF tn
consolidation, and with powers tbs
would place him in the front rank as
, tinancier had he lived in New York II
stead OF San Francisco. He has much Q
that reserve Of manner which theughtfl
men usually possess. He is calculated I
be much more popular in San Eranclsc
than IN Virginia CRY, where the branc
bank is located. His ways are Just suite
;e read and match the shrewd men Of Ii
city, but not to meet the rough, bustlin.
haii-felloW crowd he would meet at II
Neyadasmlnes.
: From the men whose money is benin
the Nevada bank in San Francisco an
its branches elsewhere. and whose hear
have never been hardened by success
: comes $4,000 III addition to the 5000
which Mackay had already sent for II
! relief Of the Irish poor.
!, The Nevada bank is one OF the gre
institutions Of the world. In conscqucn,
il of the excessive taxation on banking Cal
r isai under the new constitution Of Cal
'orn:a, it reduced its capital on Janual
j, TO 53,o00,000 which leaves on its hant
4 reserve aurplus Of SO 100000 inyeste
in government bonds. In addition, .hel