The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-07-26

save that Of brains and muscle, come to Ameri-
ca and by their push, work and good luck. &C.
cumulate fortunes which, even by emperors,
kings and princes, are considered colossal.
Whatever may be said of such fortunes they In
ducs scores of thousands to emulate the owners
in devoting themselves to work. and
i'll such degree atone for the
evils they otherwise promote. Mackay
was born in Dublin, ireland. and is the young
est OF the bonanza firm. Refore he was eighteen
years old he was mining at D0wnieville. Sierra
county. He did not have any great luck there
in mining; but it was in that camp he first met
the talented and accomplished lady whom he
married in 1867. before the discovery of the
bonanza" and theirs was union or marriage
founded on mutual respect, love and esteem.
"The Queen Of the Comstock." Madame Mac
kay, is daughter Of Colonel Daniel Hunger
+ I'd, who had served with distinction in the
campaign against the Indians in 1860. Mackay
has had two children by her, q boy and q girl
Mackay has had his run Of rad luck. The
Washoe fever got hold Of him ike the Occur
d Alene did of me. He commenced tunnel in
company with number of miners, In what is
now known as the "Union Ground" and soon
swamped all the results Of his California mining
and saving-the tunnel left him dead broke"
swept every cen. he had in the world away. He
did not curse Washoe as so many othersdid, but
welt to work on the Comstock at four dollars
per day. which was the stepping stone to his
great rtune. I wish Daley or Mike Carroll
would give me three or four dollars day now
in the Anaconda or st Lawrence. that is If the
MINER can't afford to place me on its "staff."
Mackay soon got on his legs and made "snug"
little stake" out of the Kentnck mine In Gold
Hill. This enab ed him to get into the Hale e.
Norcross with Fair, and build up the great for
tune he has made. When Walker threw up the
sponge on account of the COmstock exploring
drift Mackay got ahead. The result of the
drift was the discovery Of the "bonaIza" in the
Consolidated Virginia and California mines.
which paid between the years 1874 aud 1879.
over s. 90 voc, 900 in dividends. 1t was on Mac
kay's Judgment that one million dollars was
spent in tunneling and crosscuttlng by those
whom he induced to invest before q sight of
that ore body was obtained. He had no right or
cause to expect more than the usual average de-
posit, Therefore think when that great body of
ore was iound-the greatest, he richest the
world ever saw-that it was fate, luck or good
fortune, just as MINER readers choose to call it.
Fortune has not spoiled either Mackay or
Fair When not beset wit adventures or
worse still, adventuresses, they are as plain ana
humble as when swinging pick. striking
drill turning windlass or putting in set Of
timbers to Belcher drift. When worth mill
ions upon millions, years ago, they spent
great deal of their time In the mines. visiting
the different workings at all times of the day or
night, and they were thoroughly posted with
every part of the vast labyrinth of drifts. cross
cuts, winzes slopes. shafts and inclines, as well
as with the army of men emploved bv them.
Seven years ago they were just as keen In
searching out the secrets of the Comstock as In
the days when they were pleading hard with
Flood and O'Brien to test the ground. OF the
six original locators, or Comstock company
Comstock understand died in Montana,
OReilly was taken to the Stockton asylum,
Mclaughlin died in southern California, Os-
borne is in an Eastern state aud Penr0d is in
klko-all OF them poor. though tret on the
ground Such is the fate of the prospector, but
time and space forbid me to trespass any further
on your columns or the patience of your readers