The morning call., 1893-03-22
STORIES OF MACKAY.
Some Yarns About the millionaire
Spun in Gotham.


When Mr.. Mackay comes to New York
ordinarily he slips of the train with his
grlpsack in one hand and his umbrella in
the other and walks to his hotel, says the
New York World. 1t was the Hoffman In
other days before Edward S. Stokes went
to law with him over telegraph matters. OF
late 1t has been the Windsor. He does no.
engage a suite OF rooms by telegraph, but
takes whatever the clerk may assign to
him. He shuns notoriety, and when travel
ing alone seldom pays more than So a day
for his room.
One of Mackay's friends of the old Ne
vada days paid tribute to his straightfor-
wardness Of character in these expressive
words: "Mackay is one of the few rich
men l would care to know If he were poor."
"Were you born in Ireland ?" asked Jo-
seph II. Choate of him as he was cross
examining him during the Stokes Mackay
suit in January, 1892.
y was" replied Mr.. Mackay.
Hum" said Mr.. Choate n his dry wav.
"and you have kissed the Barney stone ?"
Mr.. Mackay regarded him RraYely for
moment and with equal dryness responded
Il have"
Although Mackay was born In Ireland at
Dublin, and describes himself as an Irish-
man, be is Of purely Scottish blood and de-
scent. He is a member Of the Highland
Mackay clan, whose leader went down at
Flodden, and whose members have waded
in Sassenach blood at many fields more
fortunate than Flodden,
An old ScOtchman, proud Of the BONANZA
Kings success as mOney-maker, once
said Of him: MAC Kaye (he pronounced il
broadly, with the accent on the Kaye) Gs
nae maiT an irishman than l am. Because
a cats kiited Dorm in an oven, is it a
bakers pie?"
There are old men in Paterson, n. J.,
who relate how John w. Mackay tramped
into their town one night in the fall of
1916, foOtsore and travel-s;ained from hav-
ing walked from New York, He put up al
a cheap hostelry at Main and Fair streets,
called the Mcpherson House. He told the
people in the house in q rich brogne that he
had been lOngshoreman IN New York, but
that he had trouble with the boss and had
determined to try his luck through the
country. After a few days lie secured work
al the mill as laborer, and proving eneT-
getic aud industrious be finally made his
way up to be a mlllhand. IN 1919, when
the California gold fever broke out, be had
saved little money. and with this and
several companions he started for the
promised land. Mackay is the only one of
the company the Paterson people ever
heard OF again.
Mackay had for several years the usual
UPS and downs Of miners, but managed to
accumulate money. and meeting with James
q. Fair they formed a partnership In the
teaminR business, drawing firewood from
Carson City 10 Virginia City and ore from
the mines to the mills on Carson River.
In those days they settled accounts at the
end of each month. All the bills were paid
and the profits divided. There was no book
keeping, no mplications-just a little
arithmetic, and as little as possible.
There were monthly quarrels over these
simple monthly accounts. and this is the
story of how one OF the disputes was finally
settled.
This much belongs TO me-" Fair IL re-
ported to have said in his mIldest and most
persuasive tones. In Nevada his compan-
ions always called Fair Smooth jim"
You are wrong, JIM" replied Mackay
"Oh, no, John, ! am right" retorted Fair.
'1say you are wrong. JIM" said Mackay,
drawing out a revolver that was almost a
shotgun and putting 1t In his partners face.
Fair looked down the barrel a moment
and finally said. We'll, John, perhaps l