The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-12-29
JAMES g. FAIR DEAD.
The Man Whose Skill Developed
the C0mstOck Lode.
HIS GENIUS As A N NER.
Hev He Net Flood and O'BFien-The
foor Irish Roy who Became
Mu1si- Miili0nairs.


suffering from asthma. 4 few days ago
he caught cold while going out IN .
rainstorm to view some of his property
improvements at North Beach. The cold
did not apparently affect his lungs. but
settled in his kidneys. Last evening he
was feeling better than for the past few
days and his death was entirely unex-
pected- Death was due TO a compiica-
ton OF kidney and stomach troubles.
His only son. Charles G. Fair. whom he
disinherited about a year ago. was with
his father at the time, OF his death. a
reconciliation having been effected
short time ago. Mrs. Herman Oesrichs.
the married daughter of Fair. is IN New
York, and the younger sister. Birdie. is
with her. They are expected to start at
once for this city.
James Graham Fair was horn on De-
cember 3. 1851. at Clougher. near Belfast.
County Tyrone, Ireland. His mother be-
longed to the Scotch tirahans. All the
Fair family were mechanics. and James
Graham Fair, the pioneer Californian.
was the youngest of four sons. There
were two daughters also. All except the
mother came TO America in is43. and set
tied in Geneva, ILL.,, where James got a
common school education, completed In
the scientific branches in Chicago. AT
first the idea was to make him a lawyer,
but he would have none OF it, declaring
that ito spend a lifetime wranglirg over
other mems quarrels was not TO his
taste" On the other hand he could not
be kept away from machine shop.
wherever located. The yeung man was
bat IS years of age when he came TO
California in 1913 by the overland route
He was not long in discovering the
ephemerai splendor of placer mining and
in divining that the surface deposits
would be worked out la a very few years
He looked 10 the source OF the gold and
found it in the quartz. While others were
hunting for what had been washed out
OF the quartz veins in the glacial and
diiuyial periods. young Fairs eyes al
ready pierced the quartz terraces which
were the mothers OF the deposits in the
foothills and the placer regions Mr.. Fair
first struck 1t rich at Rich Bar, on the
Feather river. Then he began operations
on more extensive scale backed by ju-
dicsously banked deposits. and explored
the recesses of Tabor mountain in 1851,
on Poor Mans creek, in Piumas County
Here he met Flood ana C'Rrien, who had
g store in the locality. After an unsue-
cessfui attempt in farming at Petalunla
in 1853. Mr.. Fair returned to Tabor noun
tain. Thence he followed the popular
rush to Angels camp, where ne united
with Caldwell and Patton to buy out
mine. 1t was at Angels camp that Mr..
Fair did his first quartz mining and APP
piled the processes which have since been
so successfully adopted. 1t was while at
Angels camp that MIR. Fair was led to
Investigations which have made the Com
stock famous and himself wealthy. Dar-
ing his connection with the mills and
mines at Angel some ore was sent from
Virginia City. and Mr.. Fair, finding 1t
could be readily and profitably worked.
went over to examine the ground. He
soon located claims at Virginia City and
Gold Hill. He, however, was net yet sat
sfled, the superficial deposits being poor
but in 1858 and 1850. when it was found
that the quartz ouscropplngs were accom-
panied by seams OF sulphuret of silver
the great bonanza era set in and Mr.
Fair began 10 grow rich. First he work
ed the ophir and the Central. then the
Norcross, and acquired interest in the
Savage, Best and Belcher. Gould and
Curry, Utah, Sierra Nevada and Mexican
1t was in this way. by obtaining control
of this section, hitherto under the con-
troll of the Bank of California. that FAIR,
Mackay. Flood and O. Brien laid the foun-
dalton Of their fortunes. Mr.. Fair pos
sessed superior qualifications for mining
work. He was exceptionally ski,lful at
detecting and tracing uD Indications OF
ore bodies. He had a fine nose for ore,''
as the old miners said. He was also
quick to perceive the value of any new
machines and prompt TO adapt them to
the requirements OF his work. He was
never in the dark in the darkest and
most intricate galleries CT mine. He
was indefatigablc himself and exacted
yeomen's service from his subordinates.
The Comstock lode enriched its pioneer
workers TO the extent of about SIS 0oo, coo.
with dividends OF about s125. 0p0 .oa0 In 1874
the Consolidated Virginia mine paid divi-
dends of s22a.ooo a month. But il men
like James G.. Fair had not expended
their scientific knowledge and their manly
energies in this district the treasures of
the Eastern Slerras would have been as
hcrelessiy buried as those OF Captain
Kidd. In twenty years after the discov-
cry OF It's mineral wealth, Nevada. with
sa.Mo inhabitants. produced twice as
much silver as Mexico ever did, though
Mexico had more than $3.50 0ae people di-
rec.ly or indirectly dependent for support
on its silver mines The enormous burden
OF responsibility which rested on Mr. Fair
will be easily recognized. His courage and
presence 90 mind we're notify exempllfed
In the great confagration of 1875, when
the lives OF hundreds OF miners and MIL
lions OF dollars in property were saved
BY his coolness and prompt grasp of the
situation. IL Was not In mere money
gruh5ing alone that Mr.. Fair showed his
powers. He tapped Lake Marlett, fifty
miles from Virginia City. and brought in
pure water for this region. He not only
founded the Nevada bank. but redeemed
it from ruin when threatened with fail
ure after he had retired from connection
with it.. Only once. in 1879. did Mr.. Fair
rest from his labors under pressure OF i'll
health. He was away eight months DUR
Ing which he made a journey round the
world. IL was while In Paris that he re-
eeiyed and declined a proposition for
nomination 70 the United States senate
from Nevada The offer was declined al
the time, bu. sufficient pressure was put
on him by the opposition party to insure
his acceptance on hts return. II was an
easy thing for a man to act as a United
States senator after having been king
OF the comsfock." with the superintend
ence OF a score OF mines AMI 5000 men
looking TO his abilities aad experience az
a mining expert for their daily bread. In
r..a~xrasa Mr. Fair Wrsa Of rTsaSfstrxs L1s-xs.