The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-16
MRS. MAoKAY as WIDOW BRYANT.
Gossip From Virginia city
Pioneer
From the New York Press

ieASlShCe 10 tne marriage OF young Gar
ence Mackay. Mrs. Fox, who is nearly 81
years old, possesses an undimmed memory.
Concerning early Virginia City days she
says:
MY husband was In Virginia City a year
| before l arrived there. 1 left Santa Clara
in March, 1860 After three days travelling
arrived in Virginia City. 1t was a dreary
| looking place. with two hotels with poor
| accommodations. The hotels had cots for
| beds, with sheets made OF one width of or
| binary muslin and blue and gray blankets
| Tor covering. The rates were SO a day.
| Small families lived in tents and cabins
! we built little Methodist Church and ali
! denominations met and worshipped there
together. The winter of 81 and go was
| nara Tor many of US, as we were not pre-
pared for floods. Firewood cost $50 a cord
ana 50 for cutting. Flour cost $50 a hun
bred and potatoes s15 a sack
| several OF the mines began to pay, and
| the town became lively and grew rapidly
| PROFESSIONAL men came, among whom was
! Dr. Bryant He was a cultivated man and
good physician, and soon had good
practice His family consisted of his wife
| ana two little girls. His wife was a Miss
Hungerford of Downieville
The Hungerfords were educated, but
| We're poor Mr.. Hungerford was a barber
lie was called colonel. think he had been
IN the army. They had lived in Mexico.
| Mrs. Hungerford was a midwife and nurse
by profession.
DR.. Bryant had not been long in Vir-
| gina when one of the little girls died
that was a great grief to him, for he was
lond OF his wife and children. He would
! sometimes sOothe his grief with whisky
and between whisky and nother-in-law he
used TO get excited and make things I'M
| peasant. Mrs Hungerford had him ar
rested the last time he got on a spree in
virginia; AS the policeman was taking
MN 10 the station house one of his friends
| met him and took charge of him The
| friend took the doctor to Washoe a resort
Tor lnvalids, where he sobered up When
ne realized the humiliation of being arrest
ed he decided not to return to Virginia
| CITY lie went to San Francisco and ac-
cepted situation on one of the steamers
| the Panama. He did not remain there
long, but returned to Sierra county. and
| located In La Porte. Soon after this he
| oled, leaving his family poor
La Forte is small mining town Mrs
| HunSerford and her unmarried daughter
We're there and after the doctors death,
she, with her daughter and granddaughter
returned to Virginia City and occupied two
rooms. They were unpleasantiy situated
| Their roof leaked when the snow melted
or the rain fell and the rooms were smoky.
The doctor in his lifetime was popular
ana had many kind friends who were not
| acquainted with his widow or her mother
| TOOK up a collection. They thought it best
| 10 see some lady who was acquainted with
| mrs. Hungerford and her family AS was
known in church and among the sick and
poor, one of the gentlemen came to me.
i was Well acquainted with Mrs Hunger
ford. but only slightly with Mrs. Bryant. I
| advised them to take what they had col
| lected to Mrs. Hungerford They did so
| The sum realized was more than $500, and
besides there was large assortment of
dry goods all of which was gratefully re-
| ceived. The family then removed to COM
Portable rooms.
soon Mrs. Hungerford found employ
| ment in her profession and Mrs Bryant
became teacher in convent.
john Mackay was miner, and was
foreman in the Kentucky when they
struck rich ore. 1t was there his fortune
commenced He was a rich man when he
married the widow Bryant.
| II was great change for the Hunger
fords, for they lived In a fine residence
which Mackay bought in Howard street.
MIS- iuhSerIord superintendent the house
| and servants. They kept French cook at
500 a month, and two other servants.
mrs. Hungerford found 1t much more
| peasant strengthening the home of a rich
son-ln-law than in working at her profess
sion, but Mrs. Mackay was not satisfied 10
remain IN Virginia, where she had seen SO
much poverty so they removed to San
| francisco, where her first baby bow was
born. She never visited Virginia CITY
again.
Sam and Harry Rosner kept dry
goods store In Virginia City, and Sam had
| the credit of making the match between
| John Mackay and the young widow Mr.
| Mackay proved to be good friend to the
| Rosners The last knew of the Rosners
they We're In New York. Mackay could
| give points to his friends when to buy and
when to sell, and they profited bv n Mr.
! Walker friend Of atr'e b. II
Der yard by the Kentucky mine. Mr., Walk
| er left Virginia City with $4,000 600 and
about two years ago he died poor in a
lodging house in San Francisco.
| william Sharon's first position in Vir.
| Sinia City was In the bank l think he was
one of the firm. He got interested in the
mines and mills A ten-stamp mill would
pay the owners $500 a day above expenses
Mr. Sharon left Virginia City million
| are.
Il was quite well acquainted with his
wife. She was a lovely woman, and like
the true, womahly mother that she was
| she chose to take care Of her children her
! self instead of leaving them to the care
of nurses. The Oldest daughter married n
young man with only a salary. Peonla
wondered that Mr.. Sharon allowed her 70
! marry poor man. but he did allow it. and
| she married well.
James Fairs first position was that ~
secretary in mining company He soon
/ got INTO lhe ring, and left Virginia
millionaire. 1 was also acquainted with
his wife Their two daughters, Mrs. Gel
richs and Miss Fair, reside in New York
Mr.. Hobart worked in the mines ana
| occupied nice stone cabin on the side Of
| Mount Davidson. He was both educated
| and refined. He married a young lady in
! Virginia City who played the organ in the
Episcopal Church. He too, left Virginia a
millionaire. .D
''Mr. Requa's first position was In an as
saying Office in Gold HILL He soon pot
into the mines and in a few years left
! Virginia a millionaire. 1881
Il forgot to tell you that In my pioneer
day l bought my water, as did Others
there, by the gallon at price correspond
ing with everything else. The wnter was
carried around on a donkey, and a very
small donkey at that, and, of course. we
used as little as possible
! please answer me as soon as you can
and hope to get more favora BILE news OF
the dear young man, Mr.. Mackay"
Mrs. Mackay's London residence is at
No. Carlton House terrace. She stan is
| beautiful and her social conquests lone
| baUa boer fha gOesiD ~ tvyo ,,-o,ia.