St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-11
TO MARRY HIS WIFE AGAIN.
Senator Fairs Domestic Troubles
Approaching a Happy End.
The Great Wealth which the Divorce Disclosed
Fairs Magnanimity-A Lawyer who
is Said to Have Had $780,
900 Fee.
(san Francisco Letter, March SOL

San Francisco Letter, March 30.
A social event that has often been predicted
seems at last about to come to pass. Senator
Fair and his late wife, from whom he was di-
yorced lastspring have effected reconciliation
and the long-separated couple will be reunited
in marriage soon. The property interests at
stake have been so large and the intercessions
of the children have been so potential that
the parents have found it impossible to resist
the influences which seem to draw them to-
gether.
Mr.. Fair was the practical man of the
bonanza firm. He, like Mackey, was a
miner. He was a mine foreman, and, I'M
derstanding his business thoroughly, he be-
came invaluable to his associates. He knew
every detail of the business, and could tell
what was the matter with machine, and
was good judge of ore, of rock, and Of the
hundred things which enter into the calcu-
lations of miner. He was quiet and bust
nesslike.
Mrs. Fair is large, fne-looking woman,
of the Irish type, with dark hair and eyes. In
the early days of the silver mining excite
ment, when Fair was poor, she was his main
stay. She economical in a hundred ways,
and encouraged him to persist in his efforts
many times when he was disheartened and
inclined to abandon his enterprises. She
was good wife, as all admit, and Mr.. Fair
himself never made a complaint against her
except that her devotion to the Roman Cath
Ole church was too great. Four children
were born to them, two boys and two girls,
the eldest being James g. Fair, Jr., now 81
years old, and the youngest Virginia, aged
9. Mr.. and Mrs. Fair lived contentedly to-
gether until year ago last winter when they
separated, and dozen different stories were
put in circulation concerning the cause.
After the separation Mrs. Fair took up her
residence in the elegant home belonging to
the family on Mob hill in this city. The SEN
ator, with his eldest son, took foreign tour,
and on there return secured quarters at a
hotel here.
In the meantime, the prospect which di-
vorce suit in family of such enormous
wealth opened up had caused several attor-
neys and others to take hand in the mat
ter, and this influence was not calculated to
II
divorce at Virginia City on the 18th of last
May, alleging infidelity on the part of the
husband and duplicating several women in
this city. The allegations caused something
of sensation, and it was expected that a
long trial would be the result. Lawyers, de-
tectives and go-betweens imagined that they
had rich picking within their grasp, and Mr..
Fair found himself annoyed beyond measure
by their solicitations.
Feeling that Mrs. Fair had been Improperly
Influenced by some of her counsellors, the
senator determined to make no contest of
the suit. In a card to the public he denied
the allegations made in his wife's BILL and
day later Con the 9th of May), he issued the
following:
am the man, and am willing to bear all
the odium which the public, in ignorance Of
the real facts, may choose to cast on me;
but my regret is for my wife, whose name
has been improperly associated and incor-
porated in dispatches transmitted all over
the country. Now, as always, my desire
has been to do that which would contribute
to the happiness Of my wife and children.
If have in any way failed, God knows it
has not been prompted by desire to do So
Now, as ever, l want that which will best
contribute to the happiness Of my family.
If my wife thinks a separation will contri
butte to her further happiness, then her mind
and mine are alike, / have done nothing
to merit the obloquy cast upon me. Those
who best know me will tell you what my de-
sires are. God has blessed me with wealth,
and have never used it for any mean or
unmanly purpose. My heart and hand have
always been open to those in distress, and
will continue to be to those who seek or re-
quire my help. / repeat that in this matter
with my wife, which has been made so pub
lie, have nothing to say further than that
it pains me to see her name and mine as
ISOLATED with such dastardly and vindictive
dispatches as have gone forth to the world.
I am the man, she is the woman, and in
these relations l will shield her name at
every point in my power.
1t became painfully evident to the lawyers
and detectives that Mr.. Fair was not going
to defend the case. On the 18th of May the
matter was called in court at Virginia City,
and after an hours hearing with closed doors
the Judge announced that decree would be
given to Mrs. Fair, that the minor children
would be given into her keeping, and that
the senator would pay to her in cash and
United States bonds 81, $50, 900, besides Civ
ing her title to the residence on Mob hill, in
this city The settlement was q profound
surprise to most people here, for no one
dreamed that Senator Fair was so wealthy as
the sum paid his late wife would seem to in
dictate. 1t had been generally understood
that he was not worth more than four or five
millions, but it came out soon after the set
tlement that he could command four times
that amount. 1t is currently reported that
R. S. Mesick, attorney for Mrs. Fair, re-
ceived fee Of 100000 for negotiating the
settlement of the senator's estate.
After the divorce Mrs. Fair, with her son
and two little daughters, took up her abode
in her palatial home in this city. Here she
had beautiful grounds and an extensive con-
servatory. She has gone out but little, and
seems to have slight taste for social life, de-
voting herself to the education Of her daugh-
tiers and to charitable work. She has great
confidence in the increase in value of real
estate, and has built near her own residence
large private hotel which she expects to
rent on profitable terms. The senator still
owns the finest building lot ON Mob Hill,
around which he has recently constructed a
massive stone wall 1t overlooks Stanford's
place, and has much less obstructed view
than the lofty castle Of the widow Hopkins
across the street.
The reunion of the Fairs will be an unend-
ing source of gossip, but Of little more
cheerful description than that which attends
most of the movements of the bonanza kings
and their wives. 1t is understood that the
manly stand taken by the senator at the time
the divorce suit was pending softened his
wife's resentment, and paved the way to a
reconciliation.
He Left Them.
MONMOUTH, ILL.,, April 10.-Hubbard, the
ofa Of bo Nofi oil hoY,l L