Thomas County cat., 1889-09-12
IN BONANZA DAYS.
when All California Was Wild In the Hunt
for Wealth.

for Wealth.
The report that Mrs. Mackey, wife
of the California millionaire, had en-
tered suit against an English news
paper for publishing the statement
that her mother was a washerwoman.
has revived talk about the old bonanza
days on the Pacific coast. One of the
California colony. who makes his
headquarters at the Gault House,
chatted pleasantly about those times
the other night "Did you ever
know" said he, 'thaL it was in sa-
loon on Washington street, San Fran
cisco. that the bonanza princes of the
coast laid the foundation of their
wealth? 1t was kept by Flood and
OBrien, and was great resort for
the truckmen in the neighborhood.
Occasionally an old winner, who had
come down to the bay, as they called
it, to have good time, visited the sa-
loon; and among them was Mackey
and Fair, who SION picked up an ac-
quaintance with the proprietors.
Flood and OBrien had some money to
invest in mining stock, and it was
agreed that MackGy and Fair would
furnish the points and they would all
stand in together.
The syndicate soon grew. and long
before the bonanza was discovered, or,
~ather, known to the public, the stock
of the Consolidated Virginia and Con-
4. al inc
low, was largely hello ny the four, and,
in fact, they controlei the majority of
the shares.
When it became known TO the gen.
eral public that an almost inexhausti-
bic body of ore a;say.n9 up 10 the
thousands and estimated as being
worth billions of dollars had been dis
covered in the two great ComstOck
mines, San Francisc. went wild with
excitement. Shares that were selling
at $50 to $40 jumped i1avreek to 1910,
and. though beared from day to day
by brokers for speculative purposes,
their value kept on increasing until
they were, in March, 1876, worth 81, 800
each.
The failure of the Ba TX of California
had no effect on the passion of gam
bling in mining stocks, and money
was just as plentiful as ever in the
early part of 1876. Consolidated Vir-
ginia alone was putting out $4,000. 900
month. and the entire yield from the
Comstock lode for the year was $751;
100000. In this year Bonanza shares
had reached the top rotch, being sold
for close on 81 400. They went down
considerably the following year, and
were watered, but the, mania for spec
ulation was strong aa ever. A young
lad of sixteen named lIuchel stole $6O.-
oo0 worth of stoch from DR.. Fox. a
millionaire broker. who was paying
him $50 a month wi lie allowing the
boy TO handle millions. By speculat-
ing with the stolen securities the boy
made 100000.
The securities were missed, and the
lad, when arrested, told the detectives
he had lost all he hal made In court
he broke down and cried bitterly, and
enlisted the sympathy If the Judge,
who gave him only five years in States
prison. He was p;lrdoned out in
year on account of good conduct and
his gallant efforts to put out fire in
the prison. On beirg set free he cool
ly told the warden Of the prison that
his mother had 500, 600 OF the money
he had made, and that he was going
over to Germany, VIZ ere she was, to
help her spend it.
There were multiIules of tragedies
connected with the nc Ganza days, and
suicide was epidemic. The records of
the corOners office sho., ad that two
per cent of all the deaths IL the city, |
including infants, were those of sui !
cides. Among the prominent ones was
that OF Sandy Austin. the city |
treasurer He was supposed to have !!
made few millions. had a town resi- |
dence and a magnificent mansion in
San Meteo County, near that of Seaa-
tor Stanford. He was extremely pop
ular and shrewd politician. One !
morning, in his bedroom at his coun- /,
try residence. without apparent cause !
he blew his brains out An eXamina-
ton showed that he had lost all his
own money. and, in an effort to re-
cover it $4,000 belonging to the city.
N. Y. Star.