The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-07-20
CALIFORNIA
DIAMONDS.
Some Old Friends Described by a
Veteran of F0rty.nine.
A Number Of Men Of Reputed Fabulous Wealth
That Are Frequently Seen in the Public
Places ef the City CT New York.

"a good many retired CalIforpans are living In
| New York, l believer"
'If you had said tired Cafornians, might
have answered in the affirmative, but as to re-
tiled CalIfornians, why, they scarce as
prohibitory laws in Kentucky The rich Cali.
foInan never rrtres, except late at night"
"But there are good many wealthy Pacific
Coasters settled here, permanently or Oher-
wise?"
Yes there are many sons OF fortune who
have capIul ed their golden fleeces in the mines
and upon the railroads and elsewhere, In the
mountains and the valleys OF the famous Ell
Dorado. who are either permanently or tenn
porarily settled here, and who delight In the
majesty of their enormous accumulatons, and
adore New York as good place 10 spend money
and enjoy life In"
'S0me OF these CaifornIans are pretty Slip
perry, have heard II said?"
" Well, as tile world goes, they have as good
chance 10 Slip into the Kingdom OF heaven as the
majority of your milllonaires here III tie East.
There are good many wildcat oil, sugar.
leather, bank and insurance organizations here,
Just as there are the basest Kind OF mining
steals land bo0ms and wheat deals out there.
The honest farmer walers his milk and mixes
oleomargarine with his butter out there as
well as here and the manipulation Of stocks
California street and on Wall street pursues the
same course with the tens OF thousands OF lambs
Who have fl eces to be shorn."
"But here we are at the Hoffman"
"There is The most un0stentatlous man among
| the California cOlOnists, who really has no per-
man ent home Oh the earth. When in San Fran
cisco he stays
AT THE PALACE HOTEL,
when In New York, at the Hoffman, and when
| in London, at the MetrOpole. He makes at least
| two or more trips TO California ana Europe an-
| nually, and has net income OF $1,000 day. He
takes life easily, has secretary who opens all
| OF his letters and attends TO most OF his bust
| ness; this secretary only reads the names CT
| one-fourth OF The letters addressed TO his mas
| ter; merely glancesSat the contents OF another
| fourth; peruses carefully the other half, aud
| answers half of the latter. The only instruction
| from the master to Iheseeretary is TO treat all
| begging letters with consideration He dresses
! and acts like gentleman at all times. He gives
| his wife all the money she can spend
| Joys H. and that Is his Idea of what there Is
| worth living for. He never 'deadheads' for any,
| thing, ana seldom goes to law, because he makes
contracts for all big things and pays accordingly.
| He gave as much as the nobIest glver TO the
! Grant fund, and agreed 10 double his subscrip-
| tlon II Dece ssary. When III California three
| years ago. he learned from friend, incidentally,
| that the General Superintendent OF the Southern
| Pacific Company was experiencing some trouble
| in Keeping huge wolf from his door. and he sat
| down and made out check for $4,000, and sent
| IL 10 the genial railroad man, and said: Put
this In = stock and sell in thirty days. The
| man of track and train folded lovingly The $4,000
and carried out his benefactors instructions to
| the letter, cleaned up $4,000 and sent a check
| for $4,000 to thai man sitting there
j could tell you lots OF such Storles-all true.
know for fact that i'll presents 10 the rich and
| well-to-do and in charities to the poor and indi-
| gent, he and his wife give on an average $780,.
| 900 year. He has very little Of the look Of an
| Irishmau, but he was born in Dublin, all the
| same, on the 2Sth OF November, 1885. He spent
| his DoyhOod days In this city, ana many time
he and lots OF others OF us have clapped our
hands over the acting of John X. Scott and Tom
II amin at the Old Bowery, and at the Woods
| ana the TaylOrs at the Park. he went TO lie
| Pacific Coast, via Panama. at the age Of 16, and
| at once started for the mines at Downieyie, aud
| afterward worked at Forest City. He became
| u e "A si0Dal
| 10 Virginia City, New, In 1850, and first worked
in Tie famous Gould and Curry He o. spb t;ss-
| quently Joined three other men, and In 1871 this
| Big Four became known as
THE BONANZA FIRM,
| And in a short time had made oo,o0o,0oo.
| He once showed party OF gentlemen through
| the Consolidated Virginia, and upon their exit
| from the bowels of the earth, one OF HE party
| gave The Bonanza King trade dollar. Thanks J
lie exclaimed; L will add this 10 my 100000
| in the bank across the way, as l am going to
make a big purchase Tomorrow His wife Is
| well known as one OF The granGest entertainers
| In Paris and London, while her reception TO
| General Grant In 1878 was one OF the mos; mag
niticent and extrayaRanl OF modern times"
''N bo is that man Win the fai-away lookP
| "He Is Californian, also"
| ~ thought So"
But he hasn't got any principle, and is as
| cold blooded as an Iceberg. See how affection.
ately he strokes that long. dark beard. He was
| once known as pirate during the Civil War,
| aud lie may be now thinking OF The somber days
| lie spent at Acatraz, tie Gibraltar of San Fran
| cisco Bay. He is always running mining deal,
and has got something at present from South
| America ON the market"
| 'Wbat did be give toward the Grant Fund?'
| "He never gave anything toward any fund for
| the living or the dead But he is manipulation
| lambs spoken OF in The New Testament If they
| were not grazing in Celestial pastures. He is the
| hardest mining man from the Slope-why2 Lots
wife was very soft putty compared to this old
J party"
That's ice-lookIng old gentleman he is talk
| ing TO, though"
SWell, he IS trifie more Chrstian.lik to look
at. Still water runs deep, You know"
birds OF feather. l suppose"
That's lust the size OF II. His milk OF human
| kindness wouldn't cream over enough 10 see with
| microscope. He is best known as having been
| the kiugpin in The diamond swindle OF some
| years ago He has been totIeriug 10 his grave
| for ten or twelve years via Broadway. He lakes
| one or TWO drinks alone daily, when bis troubled
| conscience or rheumatic govt does not keep him
at home. He has nne residence in san Fran
cisco and lots OF other 'glt-edge' property there,
but has lived In New York for a number of
years. The last time lie was IN Frisco an old
| mend who had backed him with money years be-
| FORE and whom he had hearilessly robbed un-
| successfully discharged the contents OF revolt
yer at the old mars head, and he hasn't praised
| The glorious climate OF California Since"
"wHo is THAT BoozY-LooKING PARTY
Inviting everybody 10 JOIN him in iulep or
| some other insidious drink"
"He, too, Is several times millionaire and
| goes Oh a perl0dicaP a6 "reminiscences OF old
| times. He made most OF his money OH the
| Sacramento and Colorado rivers, and sold out
his great interests to the Southern Pacific COM
| pany some fourteen years ago. He makes a
flying trip 10 Frisco every once IN while, Just to
| see some OF his old friends, and 10 have GO
| as-you please time with an awful summary. He
| has a fine home near Long Branch. His wife
| died at the Occidental Hotel about twenty-five
| years ago, and he has never again entered the
| matrimonial state. He is the same eccentric,
| tacturn, good soul that lie used TO be, and was
| never known TO refuse an Old. broken-dOwn Cali
| fornian the price of good meal, or enough to
| drown his sorrow until lie could tackle some
other open. handed Pacific Coaster
lg,rf ha Il
has lust returned from Europe, who has lately
| purchased one of the finest mansions on Van
men on the Pacific Slope and is wonderfully
| attached To his family. He makes money hand
| over fist and owns rich mining, lumber and other
properties in California and Nevada. He was
| tremendous Union man during the war and
| gave money on many occasions Tor the preserva.
| tiOn OF The republic"
for a few moments. There are always some Cal
| tfOrDia diamonds there"
owen, one OF the richest and most influential
men In California is just standing in the ladies'
"Yes; see him."
"There Is a study for you. He is surely worth
$4,000, 900, all In good shape, ana while he is
said to pinch dollar for all there Is In 1t and
| does not plunge much for charity, he has given
| up tens of thousands for the education OF poor
| men and women and happen to know that he
is not the sort Of money-bags he Is taken for by
majority OF his felow-ctizens. HIS greatest
pride is that lie comes OF one OF the first families
OF San Francisco. He does not look his age, for
he was born In the Goth of March, 1924, In Shell
byville, KY His father was Il lawyer, and the
son took up the profession.
THE FIRST MONEY
He earned In California was IN the Recorders
office In Sacramento. But unlike many from the
| Blue Grass State, this man saved and saved and
| saved, and loaned aud loaned and loaned, and
| early in his career made 100000 out OF the
| Western Union Telegraph Company Every
| thing he touches turns into gold. Ee Is the
| greatest financier and the most successful all
round orator on the Pacific Coast, and he owns
| large blocks In more colossal concerns than any
| other five men anywhere in the far West. He is
| President OF Wells, Fargo 81 Co.'s Express, was
| the first President OF the Southern Pacific Rail-
| way. aud is Director In scores Of banks nsur-
| ance. Ice and street-raiway companies iron and
| furniture works.
| I" No man can be compared to him that have
| ever met. You see now he seems nervous and
| there Is a look of bewderment about him. He
| Is thinking. thinking. planning. plaDnlng-not to
| rob, as some of the rich Calfornians do. He
| knows just now much reserve every bank in San
| Francisco can show how much Ice Will be need
| ed to keep the people OF California cool next
| wear, and he goes to bed every night with the
evening quotations. OF wheat, barley. quicksilver,