Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-12-24
BIG MlLLIONAlREs.
Personal ReminisceHcesof western
Bonanza Kings.
Some Wealthy California Women, Widows
and Maidens-Senator Jones as a
Gigantic Sucker-Big lega-
cies and Big Lies.


The biggest fortunes on the PACING
coast are those of the Central Pacific
Railroad magnates, and Ex-Governor
Stanford is the richest of the group.
His wealth is estimated at 5000, 900;
that is, his yearly income is equal to
the interest on such capital, and his
property is constantly increasing in
value. He owns more than So
OOO, 900 alone in San Francisco in real
estate, to say nothing of his farms,
vineyards. breeding ranches, etc. The
Ex-Governor has but one child, Leland,
Jr., lad about fifteen.
The richest widow on the Pacific
coast, or in the country for that matter,
with the possible exception of Mrs.
Cornelia Stewart, is Mrs. Mark Hop
kins, widow of one ofthe Central Pacific
syndicate. Her husbands estate
proved up to S2S,OOO,O 600, and the only
two men in California who could justify
ON the widows bond as executrix were
Leland Stanford and Charles Crocker,
two of her husbands business associates.
They were compelled to justify in twice
the amount of the estate, and each
swore that he was .s..'
worth sI6,0OO,00O.
Mrs. Hopkins is an elderly woman.
They had no children, but had adopted
a son, whom Mrs. Hopkins has just
married to q Miss Crittenden, prOtege
of hers, providing her with the dot OF
princess. There are other heirs TO the
estate, but the adopted son, "Ttm,"
will get the bulk of 1t. -...
The richest young and unmarried
woman On the Pacific coast is Miss
Jennie Flood, only daughter Of the
bonanza king. When her fathers in
come from the big silver bonanza was
at its highe he bought S2,5OO,OOO OF
United States per cents and gave them
to his daughter outright, having them
registered in her name. He also gave
his son s., 600, 900 in the same securities,
but the latter does not promise well, and
the bonds have gone back to the fathers
bank vault for safe keeping. Miss
Jennie is charming young woman,
rather plain, it is true, and away out
| of her teens, but she is a good sensible
girl, wholly free from display or atfecta-
ton. She is deeply piOus, and there
has been some talk of her taking the
veil. There was also some talk at one
time of her marrying "Buck" Grant.
Miss Flood only laughed at the idea, as,
indeed, did young Grant himself. The
only one anxious to bring about that
| match was
Papa Flood,
but the young folks couldn't see it.
the richest prospective heiress in
California is Miss Hattie Croker, the
only daughter of Charles Croker, an
other of the railroad syndicate. She
also, Is charming girl, and, like Miss
Flood, is rather plain in appearance.
She is noted for her charities and do
mestic virtues. She was sought In
marriage by Lord Beaumont, an Eng
lish nobleman, but she gave him no
encouragement, and it is believed pre-
fers to remain single. Mr., Croker has
two other children, sons, but his i'm
mense wealth will give all princely
fortune.
The luckiest young man in CalifOrn-
ia in point of wealth is Mr.. James V.
Coleman, of Menlo Park. A few years
ago he was q clerk at mine in Nevada
| at 500 month. But he didn't expect
to be always, for William Il. OBrien,
one of the bonanza kings, was his uncle,
| and Mr.. O'Brien was a bachelor. One
day Mr.. O'Brien got sick and sent for
Jimmie" as he was always called, to
be with him and care for him. In the
last days of his illness the nurses said
Uncle" Billy" and Jimmie" were closet
ed together a great deal, and one even
ing Jimmie" came Outof Uncle Billy's
room with big tin box, which his
Uncle Billy had given him. 1t contain
ed S500,000 in per cents. a week
later
Uncle Billy Died.
and by his will all the nephews and
nieces were left 100000 each, includ-
ing Jimmie" who got that in addition
| to the ante-mortem gift of half mil
lion. But not content with that, Uncle
| Billy made "Jimmien ar executor
without bonds, and the fees as such
| amounted to S464,000. The whole
value of Uncle Billy's estate was little
over S9,0OO,O00. After legacies were
| paid, the residue was turned over to
| Mr.. O'Brien's two sisters, Mrs. Cole
man C"Jimmie's" mother) and Mrs.
Joseph McDonough. The two ladies
Inherited So 100000 each. The lucky
Young man referred to is about 80, q
graduate of Georgetown College, ID. c.,
and has Just been elected to the Assem-
bly, of California. Jimmie" has gone
into training for Congress, and will get
| there in 1884.
The Unluekiesf Man
on the Pacific slope, in point of wealth,
is Senator Jones, of Nevada. There
| has perhaps never been so vast for
tune so quickly scattered as that of
Jones'. In spite of popular belief SEN
atOr Jones to-day is poor, comparatively
speaking. When he was elected to the
Senate in 1873 he was worth at least
SlO,OOO,0O0 To-day he is not worth $780,
600 above his debts, and his Congress
sion salary is no longer despised as a
source of income. 1t would be hard to
tell where Jones fortune has gone, or
more correctly speaking, hard to tell
where it hasn't gone. No man ever
sunk so much money in chimerlcal
schemes, invested so much in bogus
friendships, or became so easy prey to
| financial sharks as Jones. He sunk
g, 10000 hard money in mines in
Pauamint, California, which never
Welded a dollar. He sunk another
million in the Sumner mine, in South
ern California. He built a railroad in
Southern California twelve miles long,
I and it cost enough to have had every
tie of mahogany and every rail Of silver.
Thu Central Pacific afterward bought it
for about 81 900 mile. He bought
every ranch ever offered him-indeed,
he bought one in Nevada which has
never been located to this day. Jones'
agents could never find it. He started
an ice factory in New Orleans. He
| never saw the factory, and never but