New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1881-04-13
James G.. Fair, Nevada's NeWly.Elect-
cd Senator.


of California stampeded over the Sierra
Nevada Mountains to the new find. The
Comstock lode had been discovered the
previous year, but the excitement
reached its height in 1860. Mining, as
followed in California up to that year,
was but crude process, requiring no
special skill or scientific knowledge.
Not SO with silver mining, however. To
mine properly and successfully for sill.
yer requires the best of engineering
talent. Fair had no education as an
engineer, but a natural bent for me.
chanics and engineering, and he at once
saw that Nevada was field for the de.
velopment and exercise of the talents he
knew he possessed. On his arrival on
the Comstock he at first engaged in
prospecting and mining, but it was not
long before he assumed q prominent 20.
siti0n as the architect and builder Of
quartz-mills and chlorinizing furnaces,
being recognized throughout the then
Territory as first-class mechanical and
mining engineer. In 1864 Col. Fair as.
sumed the SUPPLEMENTARY of mine
on the Comstock, and since that time
has superintended nearly every promi.
nent mine on the lode.
In 1867 he became associated in part
nership with James G. Flood and w. s.
O'Brien, of San Francisco, and John
W. Mackey, of Virginia City, and in
that year the firm obtained control OF
the Hale & Norcross mine, which was
the beginning Of career of good for
tune that has placed it's members among
the richest men in the world. A big find
in the Hale & Norcross, attended with
some fortunate and wel-planned stock
manipulations, gave the firm a capital
which enabled it to purchase other
mines, among which was the ground
now known as the Consolidated Vir.
ginia and California, in which was con.
tanned the i" big bonanza. The history
OF this chimney of gold and silver ore
has already been written to death, and
it is only necessary to say here that its
discovery was due more to the
knowledge of Col. Fair than to any 9th:
or cause. Fair is probably to-day the
greatest miner in the world. There is
not detail connected with the great in.
dustry of mining with which he is moi
perfectly familiar, both in theory and in
practice. Each day finds him in his
miners rig, moving about through the
drifts and levels, twenty hundred to
three thousand feet under ground, max.
ing critical inspection of all the work.
ings, noting the progress made since his
last visit, and planning, laying out, and
giving orders for further exploring and
new work. Mining has been the study
of his life, and, when he takes his seat
in the Senate, he may have to go to the
Conklings, the Blaines and the Edmunds
for lessons in statecraft, but they viii
have to wait on him: for instruction ir
practical, scientific mining.
Col. Fair stands five feet three
IN his stockings, and weighs two
hundred and twenty-seven pounds
which, taken in connection will
his financial standing, make.
him in every respect solid man. He
wears long, flowing beard, black a.
the ravens wing, except where tinged
with gray, and his head is surmountec
by a heavy growth of black hair, also
streaked with gray. His complexion il
tlorid, which is no doubt caused by his
frequent visits to the heated lower
levels of the mines, where tn.
water would scald man tt
death in two minutes, and the all
reaches q temperature Of 145 degree;
sparkling. He was married in Califor.
MIA in 1861, and has a family Of four
children, two boys and two girls, thu
Oldest, James, 10 years old, having &C
companied him on his trip around The
world. Mrs. Fair is a kind faced, some
what. stout lady, on the shady side o.
forty. She is distinguished in this city
for her pleasant manner, affable temper
and open-hearted charities. She will dc
no discredit to Washington society. Ii
manner, Col: Fair is genial and free
everybody, whether a miner in search
of job or distinguished visitor from
the East or from over the sea. He i
the same to all.