The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-02-22
BONANZA FLOOD.
re Romance Of . Young Irish
Immigrants Career.


story of the great bonanza arm OF
Msckay, Fair, Flood and O'Brien, OF
vhich only the two first named mem
hers survive. The history Of these
four men, all Irishmen. and ali rich
beyond the measure OF even the mil-
Iionsires of California, is tale as Wild
= sny the most audacious novelist
Is inyented. James Clair Flood was
horn in Ireland in 1875. He came TO
Nex York st an early age. In the
.ur;ng of 1851 be sailed from New York
- san Francisco In the steerage Of
shs ship Elizabeth Ellen, and saw the
Golden Gate for the first time. A
Young man. named Billy q Brien,
who hsd come with him from Ireland,
~ss his shipmate on the voyage. So
they landed, with scarcely more than
mat they had on their backs, the two
fufare partners of the firm OF Flood
4 0fgricn. Gt whose touch the sand
hills and mountain gulches were soon
- run gold ard silver, and began to
,onk about them in San Francisco for
-ork. Flood and 0sBrien had feg
dollars. enough to start on q very sim
Me scale. q saloon at the corner Of
rsnsome and Sacramento streets.
Tkey formed the acquaintance of two
ofI,er Young men, sturdy sons OF Erin
siso who cast in their fortunes
rith the saioon-keepers. The
four young Irishnen formed q
partnership. Flood and o Brien were
e run the saloon and supply Mackay
and Fair with what money they could
spare and what tools and provisions
fbey needed. Mackay and Fair were
- prospect for gold, and, later on, for
silver. Flood, O'Brien, Mackay. Il
Fair. the richest firm in the world at
tefwards, were TO share alike in the
mineral discoveries.
Flood & O'Brien made money from
the start. Their saloon, the Auction
n what proved TO be busy part OF
the city, and soon mining-stock ex-
change was established in its near vi
cinitJ. Spectators and business men
dropped in to drink, and took great
fancy to Billy 0'krien. who had a
Genial, whole-souled way. which won
Tor him widespread popularity. The
spectators, talking with one another
or laughing or chatting with Billy
O'Brien, would now and then drop
'points."
Nothing was lost on the silent Flood.
Who talked so little. In quiet mo-
,uents he and O Brien would lay their
heads together and discuss the
"points" they had overheard. They
showed a rare acumen in selecting the
really valuable ones.
Flood and q Brien were in the habit
Of receiving from the miners their
g0ld-dnst and locking it up for them,
At the same time plying them with
questions as TO tie paying qaalities"
Of such and such mine, or If any
new mine had been pre-empted they
found il ont. Little by little they
worked, until one fine morning ali
San Francisco was startled by the
knowledge that FLOOD and O'Brien
are proprietors of the Hale d Nor
cross, very rich mine. Next they
sold out the Auction Lunch and
abloomed ont" as possessors OF rich
share of the Comstock lode, holding
II until il deprecated in value and
shifting their burden upon operators
who bought 1t when 1t was valueless.
Flood talked very little OF his eleva-
ton in the world, but y 'Brien "cashed
in before he had chance to use his
wealth, leaving to host Of nieces and
nephews fabulous fortune.
Flood, in spite OF his enormous
wealth, never Withdrew from business
affairs until las. spring, when he set
tied up his affairs and went TO Europe
to try 10 recover his health. He
seemed 10 care little or nothing for
pleasure Of any kind, his whole atten-
ton being apparently taken up by his
vast business interests. These inter-
ests were so extensive as to have ne
cessitated the establishment of bank
as a sort of clearing house tor the af.
fairs Of the firm. II Is the famous
Nevada bank.
In appearance Flood was about the
medium height, slightly oorpulent and
OF full face, which was very pale.
His hair ard whiskers were OF a pc.
culiar copper color. 1t was sometimes
remarked on 'Changelthatlthey almost
matched in color the yellow gold
pieces that he loved SO sell He
dressed very plainly, liked his clothes
rather loose and baggy and was much
given To white waistcoats.
One of the passions NEST strongly
developed In Flood was revenge. He
never fergave an injury or an afiront.
Raiston, a great California financier,
the leading bull OF the San Francisco
mining stock market and president of
the Bank of California, had disa-
grcemcnt with Flood and O'Brien on
some business matter. In a moment
Of anger he spoke in a disparaging way
Of the two on the floor OF the ex-
change, especially OF Flood. He
closed his remarks with the express
sion:
let them take care lest | send
them, dead broke, u again peddle
whisky over the BAR
The words were soon carried to
Flood. His pale face in an instant be-
came sutiused with anger. He said
nothing, but from that day bitter.
relentless war against Ralston was
kept up. Ii was not war of recrirni-
nation, not war of violence. Ii Was
silent war in which millions were
the weapons and the issue OF which
meant financial death.
Ralston, confident in his mental and
financial power, finally stumbled into
financial amhuscades set for him. One
usy there was great crash !;
nm came sweeping down upon
III from every side, and the holder
his paper, the one who was
Passing him on TO his downfall,
vas the hated Flood. Flood fore
sicsei and took possession, relentless
ms revenge, alike of private resi-
sence and bank. The brilliant. gifted
EAistca, broke down and in despair
@nght self-destruetion.
Flood never had been well since be-
Ne the great deal which he closed out
the spring of 1887. He suffered
aom Bright's disease for several years.
u The spring OF iss7 he broke down
40 took 20 his bed. His doctor
uanted him TO 20 To Europe at once
sad rest. But he spent year settling
Vnis Affairs, put his son in his place
a Mr bank and started last spring for
esrmany, which he never left alive.
iae manner in which these men
qalred the Con. Virginia mine on
Is Vomstoek lis proverhiai ON the Pa
s1ae coast Mackay and Fair had de-
.ssa sheir time and money 10 the
ss.as1eht Comstock properties. Con-
SsA'aated Virginia and the adjoining
.oa. california had never paid any
sra, dividends. but they we're 50 i'm
f.sssel with the idea that a bonanza
s..s there that they operated sec
~ With diamond drill. prospect
isf IN advance of ordinary
laoas Having struck it," they
We news 10 themselves and
sneuy bought up all the stock they
eeald lay their hands ON and obtained