The morning call., 1894-12-30
THE LATE JAMES Il. FAIR.

Of the i've bonanza kings, only one sur
vives-JOhn W. Mackay-and he is domi-
cled on the other side of the continent.
O'Brien died in 1878, Sharon in 1885. Flood
in 1889, and now Fair has joined the list.
The first named can hardly be said to
have enjoyed his wealth; he died before
he had settled on the throne of the bo-
nanza king. The other four had a lease of
wealth which averaged about fifteen
years.
To all of them riches came late, after a
long course OF years of toll Mr.. Mackay
lately said that he worked for twenty
years as miner before he had saved any,
thing worth mentioning. Flood and
OBrien kept saloon in the sixties. Fair
was mining superintendent twenty-five
years ago, and even later. They all
made money when they struck it rich, but
the money took wings when they struck it
poor, and one extreme of fortune followed
the other with m0notonous regularity.
Inc great fortunes which they finally
realized were, of course, due in part to
luck. But they may also be traced to the
logged perseverance with which they
pursued their aim. to the fortitude which
enabled them to bear up against disap-
pointment after disappointment, and to
the skill and knowledge which they ac-
CURED In the course of their long appren-
ticeship to their calling.
Mackay and Fair were only two among
a multitude of fortune-seekers when thew
went to Mount Davidson. The camp was
no new discovery. Several years before
1861 outcrop had been observed and had
been traced along the surface of the
ground. Scores of locations had been
staked out. Men who had made money in
Nevada County and Ell Dorado County
took their savings TO Virginia City, bought
few feet on vein, spent all they had in
sinking shafts and driving levels, and de-
serted the camp. pen unless and desparing.
The late Senator Hearst used to tell
story of his first visit to Mount Davidson.
He was pretty good judge of a mine and
was keen at trade; he made few deals
in locations and feet. and when he had
realized $4,000 or $4,000 he came down
"to the bay" content that some one else
might have the rest. Mackay and Fair
were not mining for any trifling stake.
They stuck to the camp, in good fortune
and in evil fortune, and, as il often hap
pens to men OF pertinacity, they finally
won their reward. 1t is a nice question,
though, whether they would ever have
figured as very rich men if the Con. Viz
gina had pc tered two years before il did,
Mr.. Fair was born money-maker His
mind was surprisingly active. With the
large capital which he acquired at the
mines he embarked in all sorts of lucrative
enterprises, built railroads. cultivated
ranches, laid out vineyards, established
stock farms, studded San Francisco with
factories and big hotels and business
buildings. His foresight was reliable and
he rarely incurred losses. Wherever be
planted his money it took root and bore
fruit He stunned corporations and part
perships. His great undertakings were
planned and carried out by himself alone;
he had remarkable capacity for the |
of details. He was as care |
full of minutie when he was administering
a fortune of millions as wnen he was |
directing his miners to follow a stringer OF
ore. He possessed the qualities char |
of the Scotch-Irish stock from |
which he sprang; indomitable energy, IN |
firing industry, uncomfortable vgor in the |
pursuit of the purpose he had set before |
him.
His later years were clouded by FAM |
lily troubles Wnlcn turned his thoughts |
upon business as an occupation for his |
mind. He had undertaken one voyage on |
the sea of politics and desired no more. |
To him the conduct of public affairs was
not satisfying. He was an adherens of |
the doctrine that the citizen best fulfills his |
duty to the commonwealth who INDUCES d |
spirit Of enterprise with common-sense |
view to emolument; but he was a liberal |
giyer to objects of charity.
1t is safe to disregard the published esti-
mates of his wealth. No one lives who |
can truthfully appraiss the various pieces |
of property which go to make up his
estate. The conjectures which are floating |
round are predicated upon haphazard |
words uttered by the dead millionaire |
perhaps in thoughtless moment. His |
will, already filed for probate, throws no |
light on the question. 1t simply provides |
for number of iegacies to relatives, !
friends and employees, divides 1925, 1000 !
among the Roman Catholic, Protestant and |
Jewish orphan asylums of San Francisco, |
and puts the rest of the property, however |
much 1t may be. 10 the hands of trustees |
for The benefit of his children, brothers, |
sisters and their descendants.