Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-12-20

SENATOR FAIR.
A self.MaAe Man with Remarkably
Well Developed Imagination.
From the s. Louis elobs-Democrsa
| SAN FnANcDoo, Dec. d.-Last week Senator Fair
| sold his narrow-gauge railroad, known as the
South Pacinc Coast railroad, to the Southern Pa
| cthc company. HIS Management OF this property
and the long continued negotiations which finally
ended IN its absorption BY the great railroad mo-
nopoly OF California are characteristic OF the man
and throw light ON one OF the most individual and
peculiar OF PaciAc coast millioaAireA
The secretiveness Of the Nevada Senator was
never better shown than in the buying and selling
Of this road. When rumors were afloat that he
proposed to purchase It, q reporter called to see
| the Senator and propounded q number Of ques-
| tons about the matter. Fair happened at that
time to be laying new kind OF aSphaltum pave
ment IN front 81 his large business block on San.
coloquy was something like this:
"Bu, Senator, you can tell me whether there
"My son, responded Fair, ibid you ever see a
more perfect pavement than that! Carriage
wheels make no more noise on 1t than on velvet,
An0 the conversation never got beyond the pave
ment. When the transfer was made 1t proved q
surprise to all except those who were in the in
| side.
when he came to sell the senator did not sue.
ceed In preserving such complete secrecy, but he
myStified every one, and cast so much doubt over
the matter that 1t was only when Stamford and
other Southern Pacific of1ciais took tour OF in
that the thrifty Senator made about clear mil
lion out OF his railroad purchase. He wanted
this, and the southern Pacific was the highest bid
der for the property. It may be accepted as fact
that Fair ola not sell out without good round
means to increase the revenue Take a single in
stance Of thriftiness. There was plot OF ground
no use. Fair laid this out as base ball ground
and gave tito one OF the associations. Since the
base ball boom set in there have not been less than
their railroad and ferry fare passed into Fair
pocket. Thisis kind Of generosity for which the
Among those who know the Senator he is famous
for his imaginative efforts and for his inventive
skill In embellishing story. This was first no
| ticed on the Comstock, where miners and specu-
| lators were wont to take his pointers by con-
traries He was known there as slippery Jim, be-
cause Of the elusive nature OF his and
his proverbial fondness for keeping wide Of the
truth. He Is very mild-mannered man. He
speaks IN soft, deprecating tone, slowly, as
he Will astOnish any listener by the blood-curding
oathS Which he brings out in an ordinary CONVEX
sational tone: He is a master Of picturesque pro-
be spontaneous and unstudied.
Perhaps Fair never distinguished himself In the
way Of Munchausen stories as he did when taking
his tour around the world. He was in company
with select party from San Francisco, mostly
business men off for Jaunt. Fair was the central
advantages he had more general Information than
any OF the others, and his wealth was then sup
poseo TO be almost unlimited. He went into for
elgn travel with the zest OF q boy on vacation
He was delightful travelling companion, as he
was iul OF all manner OF stories which he knew
now TO embellish with an infinite variety Of pic
turesQue Effects The popularity OF his imagfna-
ton was that It made him the center, the hero Of
nearly every experience he related, no matter how
stanfy It might BE- HIS companions were con-
ture, which would have made the fortune Of a SEN
| sational novelist.
One Of hts greatest exploits in this line occurred
| in China The party was invited to spend a day
| OF two at the sugar plantation OF wealthy Eng
lishman, who had made q delightful place on the
his guests over his plantation. and showed them
with much pride hts hundreds OF acres of growing
| cane and his machinery for converting 1t into
sugar. Now, 1t happened that Fair had once
| spent a month on the Hawaiian islands, and, &C
| cording to his custom, had made an exhaustive
every one connected with one OF the great planta-
| lions OF Spreckles. He knew sugar through and
! through. One OF his pectliarfttes is memory
guired. when the talk turned on sugar he Simply DIV
brought out his old Information acquired on the
islands. g., He paralyzed o his friends by suddenly
remarks:
ayes have a small patch Of sugar cane myself
in southern CALIFORNIA; mere bagatelle OF $1,000
| acres"
And then he went on with wonderfully lucid
| explanation of the amount OF sugar he secured
from the various joints OF the cane the processes
he adopted In refining, &c; In fact, he showed
such perfect familiarity with the mnutest details
| and, despite the fact that no amount Of sugar
forced to believe tie californans realistic story
"But this little plantation is only beginning.
propose next year when l return to put in
10000 acres. Then home consumption will be
dtSfancpd Wi taL 20 l.pr
place In the markets OF the world as sugar-pro-
ducing state"
asked his companions If it could possibly be true
that the sugar cane grew with such luXuriance in
California Fairs friends assured him that there
| must be some exaggeratton in their companions
talk, but that he had so many business ventures
that he might have sugar plantation without
Another popularity OF Fair was the belief that
the coming OF q California millionaire was known
| in all the places which they visited. His COM
| ment out of 1t. When they were driving through
the streets OF Alexandria their carriage happened
70 pass oy the Knedive ismaal ana his escort Ae,
| foreigners who bowed to him, and as he returned
the ceremonious greeting Fair, the Comstock
| complacent smile said: "He knows mel" II he
had been the Prince OF Wales on his Indian tour
| he could not have been more thoroughly impressed
with the belief that everyone was on the lookout
| for his party.
Some of Senator Fairs experiences in Washing
ton were very funny. Every one Will remember
| the time when it was telegraphed over the cOun-
| try that the bonanza senator from Nevada would
spend half million in securing the nomination OF
Bayard for the presidency. This gave Bayard and
| all the southern chivs. great encouragement.
They naturally felt grateful to the rich man who
| had come out OF the west, and who proposed to
| put up the sinews OF war for their campaign. So
| for few months Fair was the lion Of the most
exclusive society OF Washington. He was invited
to the houses of all the southern leaders. In re-
turn he gave select little dinners to young rose
| buds just coming out In society, and it was the
general opinion that he could have won the hand
Of any OF those charming girls II be had cared to
venture again into the matrimonial field. Finally
the time came around for work before the nOmina.
| ton. Some OF Bayard's confidential friends
! waited on the Nevada Senator and reminded him
| OF his promise.
"Oh, yes" smilingly assented Fair; 81 shall have
to start very soon for Nevada. There Will be very
| lively times out there"
| "But" said visitor, 1--WE want you here. The
battle ground is In the east, not in Nevada The
| money that you promised VIII have to be used to
| win over doubtful delegations"
why" was the response, see you have COM
| pletely misunderstood my offer. That money /
propose to spend In Nevada. 1t will help the state
| and help me at the same time that it will nomi-
| nate Bayard."
And the smile which he turned upon the delega-