St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1889-02-28
DEATH OF A BONANZA KING.

lanes Clair Flood, the second of
the four famous bonanza kings"
whose mining and stock exploits in
California read more like fabulous
tales of the romancer than the solid
trial balances of business, is dead.
Mr. Flood up to the wheat DEAL
crisis that almost swamped the Ne
vada bank nearly two years ago, had
enjoyed perfect health. When he
emerged from that speculation his
bank dropped a cool Sc, OOO, 900, and
his health was broken. He settled
his vast estate as far as he could,
made his will and went to Europe
He was told that he was suffering
from Bright's disease, and that his
life could be prolonged but a few
months. A report was sent from
Heidelberg early in Octoberlast, that
he was dead but it seems he surviv
ed the serious relapse that OCCASION
ed the false dispatches, and fingered
along until Friday. The millionaire
princes of California may be ranked
in groups, one below the other, by
which means the position of Mr..
Flood may be the better realized.
were John w. Mackay, James G.
Fair, w. S. O'Brien and ]. c. Flood.
Next to them stood a group of small
er bonanza kings, like w c. Ralston,
William Sharon, John P. Jones and
J. M. Walker. Still lower come the
company of men that sought their
fortunes in railroads as well as min
ing ulationS,-Leland Stanford,
Charles Crocker, Mark Hopkins, c.
p. Huntington, James Lick and
score of others. 1t is probable that
the conditions will never permit the
rise of another "big four" They
were all full-blooded Irishmen, al
though Mr.. Flood was born in this
country. Mr.. Fair was the only one
having any education. They were
carried on the wave of gold seekers,
and were continually tossed into the
highest places that fortune had to
bestow upon the citizens of the Pa
cific coast. Mr.. Flood always re-
scented the imputation that he and
his associates were born to be
lucky" He claimed that by cool
ness and judgment he fairly earned
every dollar he owned.
There was a liquor saloon called
the Auction Lunch" started in 1851
on the corner of SAMSON and Sacra-
mento streets in San Francisco by
two young Irishmen who had just
arrived from a voyage around the
Horn in the packet Elizabeth Ellen.
The adventures, having seen how
men were daily stranded by the tide
of speculation that was sweeping the
coast, had concluded to do little
legitimate business, and speculate
with their earnings only. The head
of this liquor firm was a tall, solidly
built man, cool, cautious, taciturn
and stubborn. His hair was as yell
low as the gold which all were after,
and as he passed his goods over the
modest bar he never allowed a word
about mines and rich lOdes to escape
his notice. The junior member was
more of a ''plunger, but keen wit
ted, and well equipped to carry out
any plan that was advanced by his
partner. This was the now famous
firm of Flood & O'Brien. A stock
exchange was started near the sa
loon, shortly after it opened, and
brokers made the auction Lunch
their regular resort. Here was
opened the first great opportunity
for the young prOprietors to make
money. They gathered in pointers,
and after business hours planned out
their little speculations. Among the
professional gold prospectors were
two Adventures named Fair and
Mackay. Mr.. Fair was in the habit
of employing Mackay as his miner
and assistant in hunting for lead"
Thus the four men were thrown to-
gether, and finally formed a kind of
partnership or common agreement.
Flood and O'Brien furnished money
to search for gold, and Fair and
Mackay did the work. For six years
or more their success was moderate.
In 1860 Fair and his miner Mackav
were working in Washoe, on the
Comstock lode in Nevada Bv hard
work the two men were earning $500
per month as superintendent Flood
and O'Brien had accumulated enough
to give up the Auction Lunch and
to set up as mining brokers and
spectators. Their operations were
at times extensive enough to attract
the attention of the exchange. While
Fair and Mackay were in the Sierras
they heard of a young man who had
struck lead" and they secured it
for q few hundred dollars Flood and