St. Paul daily globe., 1885-05-31
BONANZA KINGS.
Their Private Lives and Fortunes
Discussed.

San Francisco Letter.
The reporters for several days have been
trying to get at the real causes which nave
led to the retirement of Senator Fair from
the Nevada bank This took place last
November, but so reticent is every one con-
nected with this institution that 1t only
leaked out few days ago. The banK Is
one of the largest financial institutions on
the coast and was incorporated in May,
1875, about the time when the bonanza
excitement first began to show signs
of waning. Its capital stock was So, OOO,-
900, and the incorporators were the bonanza
kings-Flood, O'Brien, Mackay and Fair
and Louis McLane, the head of Wells,
Fargo & Co.'s great express company. Nc
Lane retired in about two years, and since
then the bonanza men have ruled the bank,
by means of dummy stockholders. about as
effectively as though it were mine on the
Comstock. The bank has been aEttle mint
in revenue to the mining millionaires, as
they have used it as a tender to all their
speculationS, and its accounts have given
them a fine knowledge of the moneyed
strength of the chief operators on Pine
street. Last fall it seems that Mackay
and Fair had a serious falling out, ana
Mackay declared he would either sell out
to Fair OF buy the senator's share. Fair re-
piled that he wouldn't sell unless Flood
would sell also, or he would buy out both.
He thought at the time that Mackay was
crippled by his telegraph and cable schemes,
and could not accept his offer. Mackay,
however, promptly agreed to his terms, and,
it is said bought the shares of Flood and
Fair, making him the sole owner Of this
great bank. Flood, as a dummy stock
holder, remained in the presidency, and
will continue to discharge the duties OF
that office until next November.
Fair is credited with being the sharpest
and most INSCRIPTIONS of all the bonanza
millionaires. Old Uncle Billy O'Brien never
had any capacity except for drinking
whisky, and his chief service in his last
years was to ornament the front OF the
bank, leaning against one of the big pillars
and giving out false pointers" in stocks to
the credulouS crowd who believed that he
had inside information of rich strikes OF
ore. He died, and his sole memorial is
huge granite and marble tomb in the Cath
olic cemetery, for the erection of which he
had the ShrewdnesS to leave in his will
handsome sum. Flood is as square-dealing
as man who manipulateS mining stock
can be, and his word is said to be as good
as his bond in any business transaction.
Mackay is more popular here than Flood
and there is even more confidence in his in
tegrity. Like Flood, he is very reticent
and has great disinclination to any noto-
riety, never appearing in the newspapers
when he can avoid it. Personally he
doesn't spend 50, 500 year upon himself
as he dresses very plainly in slouch hat
and an ordinary business suit, but it must
falr 10 nf n
the bills of his wife in Paris. Flood is also
very simple in his own tastes and is seldom
seen at any place of amusement, but he has
an expensive family and is building brown
stone palace on Mob hill, which will cost
81. 600, 900 before it is completed and fur
niShed.
The Nevada silver senator keeps no estab
lishment since his wife secured a divorce
and $4 500, 900 of the common property.
Public opinion was against him at the time
Of the divorce suit of his wife. and nothing
has since changed it. She has lived quietly
with her children in her handsome residence
On Pine street, few blocks beyond the
railroad millionaires palaces. She goes
into the best society and gives very hand
some entertainments. The secret of her
success is, not that she has education or
culture, but that she is without any pre-
tense and is a woman of much social tact
and common sense. She has upon more
than one occasion administered well-de-
served rebukes to some of the nouveaux
riches who have made themselves offensive at
her receptions. Her charities are many and
unostentatious About a year ago there
were rumors of her approaching marriage
to a journalist of this city, who was always
welcome guest at her receptions, but as
their relations haven't changed in this time,
this is, perhaps, the best refutation of the
truth of the rumors. The senator, mean
while, has prepared fine lot in the crest of
Mob hill ready for building but no one can
learn anything of his plans. RumOr last
year was busy in coupling his name with
that of Miss Annie Carpenter, the niece of
Tom Fitch of Arizona, the sifver-tongHed
orator, but if Fair has any matrimonial in
tentions he has kept them, with his good
qualities, hid under bushel.