The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-04-26

John w. Mack8y,

John We. Machny,
''Here," said the speaker-as he stood near
a windlass by which ore was hauled out of a
mine OH the COmstock-shere used to stand
and turn for three dollars a day. Seth Cook
was my partner, and he was paid three dol
lars day. Seth Cook is now large owner
in the Standard mine, and one of the rich
men of the Pacific Coast" The speaker was
John w. Mackay, the bonanza king, and one
of the richest men in the world. He is
slender, tall, well-knit man of forty-seven,
with clean, we'll marked face showing de-
csion and frankness. His hair and mus
tache are brown, tinged with gray. His eye
is keen and pei etratiDg, his skin is ruddy,
wholesome, vascular, tanned with Nevada
sunshine and steamed in the Turkish bath
temperature of the lower levels of the Com
stock lode. What impresses one about the
man is that there is nothing wasted in him
he is all muscle and nerve, aud shows tenn
perate and careful habits. When he walks,
it is with the sure, agile tread of the leopard
or the lynx, like one who might spring at any
moment. There is joyous element in the
man, which would be winning were its
owner only a cab-driver instead of the master
of millions. He speaks with half stam-
mer, which at first impresses one of being the
|
speaks This is the bonanza king as he
stands by your side, looking out over the
brown Nevada hills. The miners come up
and speak to him and call him John, and
there is between them sense Of command
blended with comradeship, which appears
odd to metropolitan eyes.
Forty years ago or thereabouts, John
w. Mackay was born in Dublin, He came
to New York in his youth and gambolleI
| nd IL, Jn)I Dali IN,
days, aud was not unhappy when 6ldse
theatre-goer gave him check for the Park
Theatre Among other sights he used TO look
with wonder upon famous man striding up
Nassau street from the old post office
with bundle of newspapers
under his ann. This was James
Gordon Bennett, then curiosity even to boys,
and the work which he was dong was build
ing up great New York journal. California
came in enticing golden splendor out of the
sluices of Swiss Suffers mill; and young
Mackay went with all the world to Eldorado.
About this time there went two Others on the
same errand. One was an Irishman, named
O'Brien--"B O'Brien, as all California
came to call him. Billy had partner a
strong headed, resolute New York lad, who
came from the Broderick section of New
York, and had in all that immense capacity
Tor doing and daring which gave 3roderick
national fame. Billy's partner is now known
, as James G. Flood, of the Flood l. O'BrIen
firm, whose phenOmlnal success was to make
, all The world wonder.
, Mackay went his way, as everybody did in
= those faverish days. He lived in mining
camps; he slept on the ground; he picked and
scratched and washed the gravel in running
streams; he had his ups and downs; be saw
all tf at was gay, all that was golden in Edo
f RADIO life, and then he came with his pick and
! blanket to the Nevada mountains. In the
l meantime Billy OBrien and his partner had
, tired of the sage brush. Giving up mining
l they went to San Francisco and into bust
ness. The young lrshman made their &C
: quaintance. He had found some good pros
= poets, and they had some money. A hard
headed smooth, discreet engineer became
p known to them. by the name of Fair. He
was man 10 be considered, and the result
, was that the four men Mackay, Flood,
: O'Brien and Fair--made that business COM
:. pact known as the bonanza firm, which is now
| "A ruling power on the Pacific coast. In the
q firm Mackay owns two tifths, and, as head OF
the bonanza firm, is known as the bonanza
-, king.
:. His royal honors came to him in the dis
a covery of the big bonanza in the Comstock
|, lode, about ten years ago. Mackay, himself
n to show the uncertainties Ot mining, was
n about to throw up the lode in despair whel
+ his wOrkmen struck vein which was to Weld
!, 81 II 100000. Other mines helped very
r. largely to swell the firms immense revenues
), and thesbOnanza finn, which ten years age
, would have sold its Comstock interest for
/, million, became. the masters of a stupendou
j, wealth. Mackay's income, from his mines
W alone, was put dowu. for a length of time, a
Il SS0O,OO0 a month But 10 one can tell how
much is fiction and how much is truth in 1
p career so romantic. Certain it is, however
II that the bonanza firm became one of the rich
n est in America-O'Bren died in the beginin,
:, of the good days and left several millions
to Fair is in the senate. Flood governs tn
IA Nevada bank and the California busines
~ with sure, splendid intellect that woul
n make him fine secretary of the treasury
II Mackay lives among his mines, except whe
he he runs over to his Partisan palace, under tn
IN arch of triumph, to see his wife and children
NJ and, if the truth were known, to pine for tn
7 levels OF Yellow Jacket and Consolidated Vii
40 ginia as he strolls about the Champs Elysee
or wanders through the arches of the pala
oh royal.
IT. The possessOr of $50 many millions, tn
n bonanza king lives life of studied simplicit
,el He is well-read, knows all about the outsid
on world, keeps himself abreast of the currel
ot thought and literature of the time. Thel
at are few men better informed than as to VIII
is the world knows and does than John v
le, Mackay. of his generosity there are stori
that remind US of Monte Christie. OF h
sof kindness and princely ways, all who kno
are him can speak.-The Hour.
nd