The record-union., 1891-09-25
jim FAIR IN SO.
"Reminiscences of the Bonanza Mine
Owner.
How He Made the Strike that Started
Him on the Road to Fortune-The
Wouldn't Run Up Hill.

$50 they say that Jim Fairs got some
thing to do with the electric street rail
way that's to be built here, eh2" remarked
j. NJ. Baxter to friend, as the two stood
talking at the foot of the Na5L office stairs
this noon.
$50 they say"
swell, l knew Jim Fair when ] would
not trust him for plug of tobacco"
'fYes."
Eyes stree. He jumped his board-bill
on me, and it was six months before l
got the spondulics. / was keeping hotel
up in Columbia about the year '59 and
Fair was my boarder for three weeks.
Board was 81 day in those days, and
Jim Fair was so dead broke he couldn't
settle. One day he got into a fight over
at Table Mountain and had the biggest
sort Of a head put on him. He came back
TO Columbia full of whisky, and popped
up to the bar with his face and bosom all
covered with blood.
+" Baxter, says he, stepping up, lend
me so, will your
"'Lend you twenty?' said
"'YeS'
MOT if know myself
"'Why?'
Because you owe me for three weeks
board already, and you don't get no more
trust here. Why don't you put on aclean
shirt and wash that blood off?'
Il haven't got any other shirt, Mr..
Baxter he said, except one that's over
at Sonora
"'Well,' said I, go and see my wife
and she'll give you one of mine
He went and washed the blood off his
face and put on one of my shirts. Then
l. i
was then worth about $500, to my wife as
security for his board bill, and on the
strength of that 1 lent him $40. He said
he was going away and might be back in
two weeks but maybe notfor six months.
About three months after that he stepped
into my hotel again, paid his bill and took
his watch.
II heard no more about Jim Fair until
about the year 1862, or somewhere along
there, when he popped suddenly up into
prominence. A corporation took q con-
tract for over hundred thousand dollars
to construct what was called the Kern
River Canal. They sublet the contract to
Fair for S35, 600, Fair having in some way
secured people to back him. Well, Fair
brought big gang of men up to the place
to go to work. He found that the cor
poraion'S surveyor had run the survey
on the contrary grade-that is to say,
when the canal was finished according to
the survey the water would have to run
up hill instead of down.
1.-THE honest, ordinary, everyday clod-
hopper would have reported the sur
yeyor's mistake as soon as he discovered
it, but Fair didn't. No, sir; he just went
to work on that canal, remarking that il
the surveyor and the head contractors
wanted to make water flow up hill it was
none of his business: he wouldn't inter
fere.
About three weeks afterward the
head contractors discovered the blunder
that had been committed and wrote to
Fair, asking him to come down and see
them. He wrote back saying he was too
busy. They wrote again, telling him
they would pay him for lost time if he
would come. He wrote back saying he
couldn't think of such a think
"A few days passed by, then the head
man among the contractors appeared in
Fairs camp. Jim was just rushing
things-had $50 horses at work
'''See here, Fair he said, there's
little mistake here, and before you go
any further we'd better rectify it,
"'Couldn't think of it, said Fair; I'm
going to run this canal just as l agreed to,
according to the survey, and if there's
any mistake you'll have to settle it after
ward with the canal company. You're
responsible for the work, not T.
Pm give you SIC, 900 to quit right now.'
mo, SIT; on, no; coulonG tnlnk OF
quitting before the contract is completed.'
"'Ill give you $35, ,000.'
Cant; l never like to undertake a
thing without finishing it, and d me
I'll finish this canal or bust
"'Mr. Fair says the man, getting pale
about the lips if you'll only call your
men off and just stop work right here,
We'll release you from your contract and
give you $4,000 clear
"Weu. said Fair .I'll take it-tbouqh T
would like to finish this canal and see the
water running up hill, because 1 never
saw such thing before. But I'll take
the $4,000
Fair stopped his men, took check for
$4,000 and went to San Francisco and
had it cashed. He was Mr.. James G.
Fair then. From San Francisco he went
to Virginia City and there made bis for
tune in speculation. ."-Stockton Mail.