The San Francisco call., 1897-10-01
COUNTING THOSE
FAIR MILLIONS
Appraisers Of the Bonanza
Kings Estate Ready to
Report.
The Total Value of the Prop
erty viii Not Exceed
$l5,OOO,0OO.
The Great Fortune Is Mostly Invested
in San Francisco Real
Estate.

The exact value of the estate CT the late
James G. Fair will be m ade known in
few days. After months OF hard work
the appraisers have about com pleted their
labors and are almost ready 20 file their
report with the court. The document
will make interesting reading. 1t will
show that the estate of the Bonanza
King" is the largest on the Pacific Coast,
but that its value has been very much
oyerrated.
= The findings OF the appraisers will come
almost as a sensation 20 those who are
best acquainted with the dead man and
believed him to be worth anywhere from
$4,000. 600 10 500, 0C0, 600. Instead of this
sum the appraisers say the figures will be
about S12, COO, O00, and not greater than
$l5 O00, 600 at the utmost. quite tidy sum
/ even IN this day Of mlIiOnaires and
money kings.
These figures have been reached after
about seven months careful work by
Richard V. Dey, Eugene l.. Bresse and
Ernest 4. Lelgh, the men who were Sc
Iected by Judge Slack about eight months
ago 10 make an inventory of the Fair
assets. Dey was for years private secre-
tary to the dead man. and in addition to
W
Mrs. Fair is the business agent and con-
tiGeutlal adviser OF the three children.
Both Bresse and Leigh are well-known
real estate men, ana were selected for the
task on account OF their familiarity with
real estate values. The report OF the APP
praisers will settle the oid-tIme rumor
that Fair was neavy loser In some busi-
ness transactions during the last years of
his Lie The bonanza king himself evil
dently believed that he was much richer
man than he really was
1t is interesting to recall that at the
trial OF the foreman OF his Yolo County
ranch IN Woodland some years ago when
asked what he was worth he replied that
he believed he was good for at least $780,
000 600. The findings of The appraisers
wIll also bolster up the old-time rumor
that he lost his cunning for acquiring
ey after the famous attempt he and
others made 10 corner the wheat market
and which came nearly wrecking the Ne
yada Bank.
The estate, however, even as valued by
the appraisers, Is tnuS declared 10 be the
most valuable on the Pacific Coast, with
the exception of the joint holdings, Prob
ably. of the cattle firm of Miller e. Lux
For the most part 1t consists OF san
Francisco real estate, although his fortune
was principally all made in mining. In
fact, Tor many year previous TO his death
the bonanza king devoted his energy TO
converting his mining securities into cash
and investing the proceeds in business
properly IN this city. The purchase OF
the LICK House property was a notabl in
stance OF this sposition on his part.
The princi pal item OF the dead mans
property is about 81 600 coo in bonds OF the
South Pac fic Coast Railroad, winch he
constructed as an opposition line 10 the
Southern Pacific from thlS city to Santa
Cruz. This was the only railroad Venture
which FAIR undertook, and it was one of
the most profitable OF his career, for he
managed TO sell 1t to Huntington at an
immense profit.
TIE bonanza King was great admirer
OF ranching on a large scale, tor he leaves
behind him half 4 dozen big farms that do
much to swell the total value of the
domain he left behind. For Instance he
had a parcel OF 10000 acres III Sonoma
County and other tracts OF a like size IN
Yolo County and similar piece Ut
knights Landing, in San Josquin County.
But 1t is Ill San francisco real estate
that ;he great portion OF the estate con-
sists. The Lick House property 5 of course
the most valuable single piece, although
possibly the best known are The south
west corner OF Pine and Sansome and the
half block at the corner OF Mis- aion and
Eleventh streets, because 1t was TO these
nat Mrs. Craven laid claim under the
pencil deeds. A great many OF the build
lngS and land in the wholesale district,
about the corner of Sacramento and Davis
streets, were acquired by Fair just before
his death, as we'll as many lots in the
southern portion of the town.
Just previous 10 his death Fair planned
| q scheme which he belleve,i would utti-
mately result in changing the water front
| OF San Francisco and the removal OF the
entire manufacturing districi. This was
| the IMPROVEMENT OF more than i mile of
water front. extending from the foot OF
| HYDE street TO Harbor View. The plans
| called for the creation of forty-two city
| blocks of new land by filling IN ;he tide
! flats for manufacturing purposes. Part
/ of this work has already been accom-
| plshed, and its successful com pletlon
would mean millions of new values crea ted
| for the estate. As IL happens suit was be-
| gun few days ago in the Superior Court
TO determine tina; this property did not
| belong 10 The estate, and prolonged llti-
| cagion over its title is now in sight.
| The final distribution of the estate to the
heirs is still long way off although the
courts have been busy ever since Fairs