The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-30

the diggings of Ell Dorado county.
There, for nine months, he to.led with
pick and shovel, but the nuggets did
not come to his pan. He decided to try
his fortunes in Sacramento. There ne
obtained a position in the recorders
office, where he displaced three men
and did all their work, remaining at
his desk II hours a day. His employ
ment gave him an insight into land
values, and the financial condition of
many land owners He saw a chance
for safe speculation. and invested $3.50,
all his capital. He was successful AMI
soon had several thousands.
About this time Mr.. Tevis met James
B. Haggin, whom he had known in
Kentucky. In October, 1850. they
formed at Sacramento the famous CO.
partnership of Haggin e. Tevis. which,
for nearly half a century, was a power
in the West. Considering its duration
and the magnitude and vast importance
of its transactions and innumerable
holdings. the firm of Haggin & TeVis
was doubtless one of the foremost pri-
vate partnerships in the United States.
AT the commencement the association
was for the practice of law, but as the
partners accumulated capital and in
creased their investme ntS, the partner
ship soon lost it's identity as a law
firm and became one famous for the
amazing strides made by 1t in the bust
ness and financial world.
So successful We're they that at the
end Of 1853, a little over three years
after the formation of the partnership,
they found Sacramento too small for
them, and removed to San Francisco.
Ever since that time the headquarters
of Haggin & Tevis have been in this
city.
Tevis was not bold investor, but he
was a patient accumulation. Most of
I..l,1
him from his association with Hagsin
and his other partners.
The growth of the firm kept pace
with the development of the state, and
was frequently ahead of it. for Haggin
e. Tevis spent millions on the develop
ment of some of the interior counties,
Kern alone having been given the bcne-
fit of hundreds upon hundreds of
thousands of their dollars. Although
they were among the largest land own
ers in the world, they were also promi
nent in commercial and industrial af-
fairs.
Mr.. Tevis was connected with nearly
every commercial enterprise of inn
portance projected in San Francisco
during the past 80 years. He was
heavily interested in the California
Steam Navigation Company in It's
palmy days When the State Tele-
graph Company began building its
lllltS iltuI tllt oldlt, iit ihNtSt'u
in it. Subsequently he cleared $780,
900 without investing a cent of his own
by successfully conducting the negotia-
lions for the purchase of that CCrpor-
atoms plant and right by the Western
Union. He was one of the projectors OF
the Southern Pacific railroad, of which
he was president for some time. He
conducted the negotiations by which
the road and it's franchise were sold to
the owners Of the Central Pacific. The
California dry dock was his enterprise,
as was the California market. He was
the president and principal owner in
the Pacific Ice Company, and was also
heavily interested in the Potrero Gas
Light Company. which subsequently
merged into the San Francisco Gas
Company. He started on this coast
the Pacific Express Company, which
was bought in by Wells, Fargo d co.
Mr. Tevis and his associates secured
control of Wells, Fargo & Co. by the
deal and he became president OF that
great corporation. He was a large
holder of Spring Valley stock, and was
also heavily interested in the Califor-
nia-street road, the Risdon Iron Works
and the Sutro tunnel. He owned rich
mines in California, Nevada Utah and
Idaho: at one time he owned 1900 miles
of stage lines; his cattle and sheep
were numbered by the tens of thous-
ands and his landed properties by the
square mile. MIR. TeViS was one of the
originators of the scheme to reclaim
the tule lands and invested fortune
a,.f IL