Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-01-26

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 I
see it.
The richest prospective heiress in Cali
fornia is Hattie Crocker, the only daughter
of Charles Crocker, another of the rail-
road syndicate. She, also is charming
girl, and, like Miss Flood, rather plain
in appearance. She is noted for her
charities and domestic virtues. She was
sought in marriage by Lord Beaumont.
an English nobleman, but she gave him
no encouragement, and it is believed pre-
fers to remain single. Mr. Gro ker has
two other children sons, but his immense
wealth will give all princely fortune.
The luckiest young man in California in
point of wealth is Mr.. James V. Coleman,
of Menlo Park. A few years ago he was
clerk at mine in Nevada ut 300 per
month. But he didn't expect to be al
ways, for William Z. O'Brien, one of the
bonanza kings, was his uncle, ard Mr..
O'Brien was bachelor. One day Mr..
OBrien got sick and sent for Jimmy"
MS he was always called, to be with him
and care for him in the list days of his ill.
ness, the nurses said Uncle "Billy' and
Jimmy" were closeted together Il great
deal, and one evening Jimmy" came ont
of Uncle Billy's room with big tin box,
which his uncle Billy had given him. 1t
contained S500.000 in per cents. A
week later Uncle Billy died, and by his
will all the nephews and nieces were left
$500, 900 each, including Jimmy" who
| got that in addition to the ante-mortem
gift of half a million. But not content
with that, Uncle Billy made Jimmie" an
executor without bonds, and his fees as
such amounted to 100000. The whole
value of Uncle Billy's estate was little
over 50, 900, 900. After the legacies were
paid, the residue was turned over to Mr..
O'Brien's two sisters. Mrs Coleman
c'Jimmie's' mother) and Mrs. Joseph
McDonough. The two ladies inherited
S3, 800, 900 each. The lucky young man
referred to is about 32, graduate of
Georgetown College, d. c., and has lust
been elected to the Assembly of Califor-
mia. Jimmie had gone into training for
Congress, and will get there in 1881.
Tine unluckiest man on the Pacific slope.
i'll point of wealth, Is Senator Jones. of
Nevada. There las perhaps never been
SO vast Il fortune so quickly scattered as
that of Jones. In spite Of popular be-
lief Senator Jones to-day is poor, compa-
rativcly speaking. When he was elected
to the Senate in 1873 he was worth at
least $40, 100000 To-day he is not worth
$50, 900 above his debts, and his Con-
gressonal salary il no longer despised as
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 i'll chimerical schemes ill.,
vested so much i'll bogus friendships, or
became so easy prey to financial sharks
as Jones. He sunk $4,000 hard
money in mines i'll Pauamint, California,
which never yielded dollar. He sunk
another million i'll the Sumner mine, in
Southern California. He built railroad
in Southern California twelve miles long,
and it cost enough to have had every tie
of mahogony and every rail of silver.
The Central Pacific afterward bought it
for about 81, 900 mile. He bought eve
rv ranch ever offered him-indeed, he
bought one in Nevada which has never
been located 10 this day. Jones agents
could never find it. lie started an ice
factory in New Orleans. He never saw
the factory, and never but once or twice
II.
the st. James Hotel in New York, and
of course it never paid. The last cruel
wipe that Fate had in store lor Jones was
the "Sierra Nevada deal, as Californians
call it, OF four years ago. On mere
prospect the stock was jumped from 81
share to S275. Jones got i'll ut about 5000
on the drop The stock is selling now for
less than So share The Bank Of Neva-
Il 10 hal t,, h.. at ,ol
for him yet. At the time Senator Jones
was talked Of so strongly for Secretary of
the Treasury, Californians who remem-
bered how well Jones had taken care of
his own money could not repress smile
that he he should be thought competent
to take care of the peoples.
But fortunes made in mining are not
only likely to be scattered, if their owner
sticks to the business, but they are also
usually over estimated. The fortunes of
the bonanza men Of Nevada Mackoy,
Flood and Fair were not only greatly
exaggerated i'll the first place. but within
five years they have sadly dwindled. Their
great source of wealth was IN working the
ores of the Big Bonanza, hauling the bull
lion and managing the mines ; and that
has wholly stopped. Their mining stocks
have sunk in value to almost zero, and it
is hard to tell now wherein their great
fortunes consist. Of course all are rich
men, but nothing like ms rich ms they
were five years ago. 1t is doubtful if any
Of them, with the possible exception of
Mackey, who always had twice as much
the others, would now cut up $1,000, 900.
Mr.. Flood owns but little real estate. Mr..
Mackey none at all. Senator FAIR owns
about S2,00O,00O worth. Their mining
operations have been for two years bur
den. Their bank does not pay, and never
has paid, for it never got the confidence
OF on became popular with the business
community,