The Savannah morning news., 1902-07-21
J. w. MACKAY DEAD
LAST OF THE FOUR "BONANZA
KINGS" OF NEVADA.
PASSED AWAY IN LONDON.
ROSE FROM POVERTY TO GREAT
WEALTH.

ProstrattOn-Har Work, Native
Ability and Good Fortune Combin-
ed to Make Him u Great Million
afre-One of the DISCOVERIES and
the Chief Owner of the Famous
Bonanza Mines of Nevada-Was
James Gordon BENEFITS Partner
in Laying the Atlantic Cables and
Inaugurated the Pacific Cable Line
Now Under Way.
London. July 2O-John w. Mackay
of San Francisco, who had been suffer-
ing from heat prostration since Tues
day last, died at his residence on
Carlton House Terrace at $50 O'Clock
this evening.
Mr.. Mackay's condition, as stated
tient had bad night and this morn
ing a consultation was held by three
physicians Mr.. Mackay grew worse
as the day progressed. He was un-
conscious most of the time and died
very peacefully. The immediate cause
of death was heart failure. The right
lung was found to be congested and
the symptoms indicated pneumonia.
Mrs. Mackay, her mother, and Count
ess Telfener were present when Mr..
Mackay died, and Princess Galatro Co
lonna arrived from Paris half hour
after her step-father's death
story of Mackay's Life.
John William Mackay was the last
of the famous quartette of Bonanza
kings of Nevada, the others being
James C. Flood, John G. Fair after
wards United States Senator from Ne
vada, and William O'Brien. Mr. Mac
kay's early career and successes in
the great and new West were roman
tic and redolent of the region. He was
one of the many to rush westward
during the great gold excitement in
California, and one of the few who
found the precious metal in great
quantities. But his fortune was not
made in California. He struck pay
dirt in that state, and accumulated
quite a large sum of money, but lost
it pretty nearly all, and moved into
new diggings, in Nevada, where the
tickle goddess smiled on him and his
luck was something tremendous.
Mr.. Mackay was of Scotch-Irish
on Nov 49, 1881. At the age of nine
years he arrived in New York with
his parents, and where his father died
shortly thereafter. The boy obtained
a common school education, and was
apprenticed at the ship building trade
in the yards of William H. Webb,
which were famous for the craft they
turned out. From New York young
Mackay drifted to Louisville, KY,
where he saved a little money, and
where he was working when the Cali
fornia gold fever broke out. He caught
the fever, and made up party of
twenty-five to try their fortunes in
the new Eldorado., Among his friends
at that time were Flood and OBrien,
with whom he formed a partnership.
His partners stopped in San Francisco
and engaged in business, while Mac
kay went on to the mines and actively
engaged in prospecting the mining.
For several years he delved as COM
mon miner, and acquired practical
and technical knowledge of mining;
and this stood him in good stead in
later years. He was partially sue
cessful in California. and before he
was thirty years old he had won and
lost fortune there.
When reverses came in California he
Nevada. This was in 1860. In his new
home he prospered, and became a lead
ing spirit among the rough miners in
the wild country. Mackay was rigidly
temperate and indomitably energetic.
1t was to his habits of sober peace and
industry that he attributed the fact
that he was not engaged in any of the
bloody affairs that characterized the
early days of the Western mines.
Discovered bonanza Mines.
In 1872 he was among the discover
ers of the Bonanza mines, on a ledge
of rock in the Sierra Nevada noun
tains, under what is now the site of
Virginia City The discovery of the
vast deposits of gold and silver in these
mines is the most noted and most ro-
mantle incident in mining history, not
excepting the Klondike and Rand dis
coveries of later days. The output of
the Bonanza mines literally changed
the face of the silver markets of the
world and to nations like India and
China became an important and en-
barrassing factor in their political
economy. The mines of the Bonanza
group were owned by the big four,
Mackay, Flood, Fair and O'Brien, who
became known popularity as the "Bo-
nanza Kings" OF this interest Mr..
Mackay owned two-fifths, 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, the practical mining members of
the firm, took out $3.50 100000 in silver
and gold. In 1875 the working of the
mines was interrupted by fire. but the
owners continued to pay dividends in
order that the shareholders, many of
whom were working people, should not
lose their income.
worked in Lower Levels
During the active yield of the mines
Mr. Mackay devoted himself PERSONAL
ly to their superintendent, working in
the lower levels as an ordinary miner
In 1873 with Mr.. Flood and Mr. Fair
he founded the Bank of Nevada, with
headquarters in San Francisco. In
1884 Mr.. Mackay. in partnership with
James Gordon Bennett, laid two cables
across the Atlantic from the United
States to England and France. These
cables are under a system known as
the Commercial Gable Company Mr.
Aiackay's last large business enterprise
was the Inauguration of the construc-
ting of a great Pacific cable, from San
Francisco to the Philippine Islands, by
way of Hawaii. This work Is now I'M
der way, and several hundred miles of
the cable have been laid.
While living in California Mr.
Mackay met and married the widow Of
Or. Bryant. The widow had one child.
a girl who in 1885 by marriage became