Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-11-08
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I'M BONANZA DAYS.
Whyn All California was WI" III WV
for Wealth.

svh,,p All California Was wild In inc """'
for wealth.
The report that Mrs MaeKey' WIG
of the California millionaire hau en
tered suit against an English news
PAPER for publishing the sta'eiiien'
that her mother was washer"oni'"'
has revived talk about the Old ooh"h@"
DAYS on the Pacific coast. one oi sno
California colony. who makes MS
headquarters at the Gauit MUSE
chatted pleasantly about those 'iihoo
The other night. did you ever
know" said he, THAT 1t was Ill 9"-
loon on Washington street, San ran
cisco. that the bonanza princes OF VIC
coast laid the foundation OF lneir
wealth. 1t was kept by Flood anu
O'Brien. and was great resort LOT
the truckmen in the neighborhoou.
Occasionally an old winner, VINO hao
come down to the bay. as they ca'ieu
If. TO have a good time, visited the sa-
loon: and among them was MacKey
and Fair. who soon picked up an az
ouaiutance with the proprletors.
Flood and O'Brien had some money 10
invest in mining stock, and IL was
agreed that Mackey and Fair would
furnish the points and they would all
stand in together.
The syndicate soon grew, ana iohs
| before the bonanza was discovered, Or
rather. known to the public, the stock
of the Consolidated Virginia and Con-
| solidated California, then selling very
low, was largely held by the four, ana,
in fact. they controlled the majority OF
the shares.
| When it became known to the gem
eral public that an almost neXhausH-
BILE body of ore assaying up In the
thousands and estimated as being
worth billions of dollars had been DIS
covered in the two great Comstock
mines, San Francisco went wild with
excitement. Shares that were selling
at $35 to $40 jumped in week to $S4o'
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, 3oC
EACH
The failure of tho Bank 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, O0'
month. and the entire yield from thu
Comstock lode for the year was $40,
)O0,0 900. In this year Bonanza share
had reached the top notch. being sol'
for close on 81. 400 They went dow
considerably the following year, ant
! we're watered, but the mania for spec
ulation was strong as ever. A youn!
, lad of sixteen named Kuchel stole $50,
: 300 worth of stock from DR.. Fox,
r millionaire broker, who was payin,
him $50 month while allowing tn
boy to handle millions. By speculat
I ing with the stolen securities the DO,
3 made 5000, 900.
8 The securities were missed, and tn
: lad, when arrested, told the detective
he broke down and cried bitterly, an
enlisted the sympathy of the judge
who gave him only five years in State
prison. He was pardoned out in
/, year on account of good conduct an
!, his gallant efforts to put out a fire
;, the prison. On being set free he coo
:, y told the warden of the prison tn;
his mother had 800, 900 of the none
. he had made, and that he was goin
- over to Germany, where she was.
;, help her spend it.
There were multitudes of tragedit
4 connected with the bonanza days, an
" suicide was epidemic. The records
: the coroner's Office showed that tv
, per cent of all the deaths in the cit
, including infants, were those of 81
ia cides. Among the prominent ones W;
that of Sandy Austin, the CT
a treasurer. He was supposed to ha
A. made a few millions, had a town res
,r dence and "a magnificent mansion
ID San Meteo County, near that of Sen
tor Stanford. He was extremely DO
~ ular and shrewd politician. o.
q morning, in his bedroom at his cou
r. try residence, without apparent eau
sa he blew his brains out. An examin
~ ton showed that he had lost all /
"a own money, and, in an effort to /
err cover it $40, O0J belonging to the cit
al IN. Y. Star.