Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-11-19

teamsters, ana dlu a prOntaOie business
hauling iirewdoi from Carson City TO
Virginia City. amt ore from the mines
Il 10 the mills on ans, Carson river. Their
System Of accounts was quite simple.
Al the end Of tho month they collected
their dues. paid their bills. and met to
: divide the remaining profits. These
divisions. 50 the legends of the Com
stock relate. had been to otheudyantage
of Fair for some time, whep n dispute
arose one month regarding the matter.
ai''This much belongs TO me. John,n
said Fair, in his most persuasive tones.
lyon are wrong, Jim, responded
Maekay 80 .'Ild 'n1'''- H''7i : 'I
ha'0h, no, John. am right ''-eif-
swell, Jim. say you are wrong"
Mackay declared, and emphasized his
opinion by suddenly poking short
double -barreled shotgun, such as
Wells-Fargo messengers still carry.
into his partners face. Fair looked
! down the barrels Of the gun for one
short, thoughtful moment, and replied:
John, think, perhaps, l am wrong"
This is one of the score of stories
one hears on the Comstock about the
early partnership of Mackay and Fair.
As the millions rolled in and one part
ner went to the United States senate,
and the other astonished all Europe by
the display of wealth, their business
differences still furnish material for
much entertaining gossip, although the
shotgun element no longer figures in
the stories. When Mackay and Far
were both in this city last summer ru-
mors were afloat that Fair was so dis
pleased with his partners management
OF the Nevada bank that he expressed
II desire to sell or buy, to give up his
interest or control it alone. His part
ners in the bank, Mackay and Flood.
agreed to buy Fairs interest, but Fair
refused to sell to Mackay unless Flood
sold also, as Fair wanted to saddle the
whole concern on Mackay or else get
Mackay out. The negotiations were
prolonged, rs the trading between
Alackay and Fair had to be done
through third person, but ut last
| Mackay agreed to take the entire stock
of the bank, and one fine day the trans
fer, representing many millions, was
made. Flood retired to his country
palace at Menlo park, and Fair went to
1 Washington, contented to have loaded
up his old partner with heavy amount
of bank stock just as Mackay was sup
posed to be in need of ready cash for
his Atlantic cable and other big
schemes. - -ae '".- ..'..''
But the man who had once held his
own2against Fair with shotgun had
L.. E-s.,
safu in Washington Flood returned to
San Francisco and bought from Mack
nv half OF the Nevada bank that is,
Flood and Mackay each took their
original third and divided Fairs third
between them. 1t is said that when
the smooth senator heard Of this his
suavity forsook him entirely. Not long
ago New YORK financial journal pub
lished some unfavorable reports on the
Nevada bank, coupled with what pre-
tended to be an inside statement of
business calculated to hurt the banks
credit.
A marked copy of that paper was
mailed to every bank and banker in
this city, and the whole job was
promptly attributed to Senator Fair.
have the assurance OF two of the
three bank commissioners that both
Mackay and Flood charge the publica-
tion to Fairs desire to revenge himself
for the manner in which he was let out
by his partners.
n When that publication was made the
z bank commissioners Immediately made
IN examination of the Nevada bank
and reported it in better condition than
+ ever before. One of its assets had
been the bank building and grounds,
but that had been taken by Mackay
and Flood at its original valuation,
81, 900. 600, and the cash assets of the
bank had been increased that amount.
In fact, the commissioners report was
of nature to more than neutralize
any effect of tho report published in
New York, and when Senator Fair ar
rived here he found the bank flourish
ing under the personal management Of
his old partners, Mackay and Flood.
The outlook did not please him. He
determined to show them that "Uncle
Jimmy" had not lost his smoothness.
Rumor has it that he is to do this by
starting an opposition bank and rum
ming it himself, with the assistance ol
ex-Bank Commissioner Evan ]. Cole
man, son-in-law of Duke Gwin. He
: has certainly just purchased q granite
building on Montgomery street, within
half block of the Nevada bank, anC
the local newspapers were, all prompt
ly informed that the building-it is the
handsome building formerly belonging
to- the Real Estate association-''''is tt
be altered to suit the business require
ments of Senator Fair 3s., + q ,'e,1 W,
9 Our very rich men never did manage
{ to pull together with the smoothnes
4 aud regularity Of the Harvard VARSITY
4 crew. When d. o. Mills belonged tt
!, us he stubbornly refused to have an,
. equal associate in his management o
! the Bank of California or any othe
. concern; ex-senator Sharon and Sena
tor Jones were never good friends uu
til they dissolved their business part
ncrship, and that was only done whel
Jones was broke; Huntington was for
ever quarreling with Crocker, ant
! there is now a sad rumer atloat tina
!. Senator Stanford and Crocker find i
pleasanter to keep on opposite side
4 OF the, continent Possibly our yer,
rich mon know each other better thai
others know them. They always seel
their friends outside Of their own cir
cles. Sd,, Francisco Cor. Neso Yor
World. ieyp1 $3.50