The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-07-22
GREAT MINER DEAD
Best of the Rich Men of
America Passes Away
BORN POOR IN DUBLIN
He Put Manhood Above Every
thing Else in the World.


San Francisco. who had been suffering
from heat prostration since Tuesday last.
died at his residence on Carlton House
terrace at $50 this evening.
/ Mr.. Mackays condition as stated yes
! terday had improved. but the patient
/ had bad night and this morning a con-
sultation was held by three physicians
Dir. Mackay grew worse as the day pro-
ceeded. he was unconscious most OF the
time, and died yery peacefully. The i'm
mediate cause of his death was heart
failure. The right lung was found to be
/ congested and the symptoms indicated
pneumonia
4 Mrs. Maekay. her mother and Countess
Telfener were present when Mr.. Mackay
died, and Princess Galatro Colonna ar
rived from Paris an hour after her step
| fathers death.
San Francisco, July 21.-The news OF
the death of John W Mackay in London
| caused quite a shock here. notwlthstand-
| ing the public were in measure prepared
| for it by the previous announcement OF
| his illness. Mr.. Mackay was the last
/ surviving member of the four bonanza
kings. Flood. O'Brien and Fair. the
other three members OF the quartette
/ have long since died. For the past eight
cen years Mr.. Mackay had not been &C
lively identified with the life Of this city.
but had passed most of his time in the
east. making annual visits TO the coast
10 look after his property interests in
this state and Nevada On the occasion
Of his last visit TO this city. early in the
! summer, Mr.. Mackay completed arrange
ments for landing place for the new
Pacific cable. a project that ne was much
interested in During a visit in 1892 Mr.
MacAay was shot and slightly wounded
by W. D. Rippey who had a fsncied
grievance against him. dating from the
stock broking days of the Comstock.
Mr. Mackay was born IN Dublin in 1881.
He came TO America when a boy. and for
some years was employed in the office
of William II. Webb. the famous ship
builder OF New York. Shortly after the
outbreak of the California gold fever
AIackay was in Louisville where he had
made some money, and when the imml-
grafton to the Pacific coast began he
was one of the first TO become interested.
He made up a party Of about twenty
five to go. Among his friends at this
time were James c. Flood and William
O'Brien. The two latter settled in San
Francisco, in the saloon business. while
Mackay went on 10 the mines. Within
ten years he had already made and lost
small fortune and then, about 1850. he
left California for Nevada, where his for
tune began to improve again until the
discovery. in 1872 Of the Bonanza mines.
changed the whole face Of his life. These
mines are on a ledge Of rock in the Sierra
Nevadas under what is now Virginia
city. Their deposits of silver and gold
have proved so vast that the discovery IL
considered the most remarkable incident
III the history Of mining Mr.. Mackay
had already taken into partnership with
him his friends. Flood and o Brien. in
1864. and in 1868 James c. Fair joined the
firm. The first important success which
they made was during their control or
the celebrated Hale and Norcross MINIS.
which was early as 1861. Obtaining.
through this increased capital. they
worked on the Comstock lode. and az
last opened the Consolidated Virginia and
Comstock mines.
In 1871 this famous mining quartette
purchased the site of the Bonanza terri
tory, north Of the Ophir mine. on the
celebrated Comstock lode. They began
work on a lode abandoned by Sharon aad
other large operators. The enterprise was
a fruitful source Of ridicule in mining
circles. nothing but financial disaster be-
ing feely predicted Without losing heart.
the four men continued expanding half
a million dollars in prospecting opera
tons.
OF the Bonanza mines Mr.. Mackay
owned two-hfths, being double that Of
any Of his partners In 1873 the great
silver vein was opened. and from one
mine alone Mr. Mackay and Mr. Fair.
who were the practical mining members
Of the firm. took out $1,000 90 IN silver
and gold During the active yield OF these
mines Mr. Mackay personally superin-
tended them. working in their lower
levels as an ordinary miner IN the mean
time Mr. Mackay married the widow or
DR. Bryant. whom he met in California
and who had one child. who fl 1915 be-
came Princess Of CoIonna Gsiatro. whose
husband. Don Fernando ii Coleman.
prince Of Galatro. made the Acquaintance
of the young lady while Mrs. Mackay
was residing IN Paris, which has been her
usual habit
II ISIS. with Mr. Flood and Mr- Fair.
Mr. Mackay founded the Bank ~ SeVa-
Ia. with its headquarters IN san Francis
60 In 1884 in partnership with James
Gordon Bennett NJ Mackay laid two ca~
bIes across the Atlantic from the United
states 20 England These cables came
uuder system known as the Commercial
Gable company. although the private
property ~ Mr Mackay and Mr. Bennett
Tn 1855 Mr. Mackay was offered the neui-
nation as United States senator frora Ne-
rsda. with a certainty q ne election.
but che proposition vas declined re
was . member u the Roman Catholic
church. T. xhieh be has beer verT ge1er-
ems with his vast wealth He has. also
been liberai with donations o. charities
n other character having in particular
founded an orphan asyiua Ia Nesaea
city.
Bfr Mackay Tas a man universally re-
s1ected Tor his h-sinees causrlfT. his -
fnarkahle energy and BIS strici infeErifT-
n persor ~ KS an active zirg fe1rc.
erect ara alert. retceni la ne ua-Her
hrt courteous srd cignleed- ard reTT
ruch llksl ard resre1-es - those who
Eeuw hiu hesf
70 accurate estimate - zfr MackaT
ho,alres n tnle Esafe zrf III Ssveaa ear
- made tlr & VII rsn ~ lrso 80 rsii-
;tcrz He sas the ozner - valuable raj
estsfe ca tais eifT ard I'D Interests u
rz.i-ea throughout fhs state a-i Serata
~ Ws~rar go r-r- rs~a Jobs H arr