The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-08-03

1eid-
An old scotchman. proud of the DO
nanza Kings" success as a money
maker, once said 10 him:
Mac Kay Che pronounced it broadly.
with the accent on the Kaye is noe MAR
an Irishman than I am Because a
eats httied dorm in an oven, is it a
bakers pie?''
Young Mackay came 10 this country
when he was nine years old. He sold
newspapers-but the vicissitudes Of his
early fortunes have often been told. he
went TO Colorado in 1851. two years
after, The Argonauts." He worked with
pick and shovel and as a timber man
in the mines for 81 a day and spent it
for the high-priced necessities OF life.
He drifted into Nevada about 1850, and
in 1864 joined forces with Flood and
O'Brien. James G. Fair became a mem
Der OF the firm IN 1858. At one time there
were five in the partnership, a man
named Walker being the other member
Mackay bought out Walkers share and
so owned two-fifths in the combination.
John Young Russell writes:
II was strolling with Mackay in Vir-
ginia City. when we looked down a
smoking cavity in the ground, that was
soon lost in darkness and at the mouth
of which windlass was slowly grind
ing.
"Out of that hole" ne said, Il took
one hundred and fifty millions OF dollars
of bullion
This was one Of the famous Bonanza
mines. whose history all men know.
The big Bonanza. as it was called. and
as Mackay described it 10 me at the
time was a kidney or a pocket OF
crude ore, about as high as the steeple
Of Trinity and in area as large as the
City Hall Park OF New York. This
ore. shovelled out and reduced. gave the
stupendous yield TO which Mr.. Mackay
referred. and was the foundation of the
Bonanza fortunes
So. there were finally four in the part
nership. Flood and OBrien in San Fran
cisco. and Mackay and Fair on the Com
stock. O'Brien was the least important:
but il was the firm Of Flood and O'Brien.
when they had a saloon In San Fran
cisco. who found most Of the money to
ACNEACpCI tilS CCLSOilNdLc4 vi S1llds
Mackay and Fair were the two that
worked the mine to success. Mackay
was the miner; the man who managed
the deals was Fair. shrewd miner. too.
They built the Nevada block and started
the Nevada bank in San Francisco. 1t
was and is an elegant banking Office.
Mackay came down from the Com
stock when the place was finished. and
walked into the Office. He looked around
and took in the elegance. and said:
Too much quarterback about
this"
Sharon was then the great rival of the
1onanza firm. Sharon and Mills were
The principal stockholders of the Bank
4 California. They were giants fighting
II the time on the stock market. II
as alleged to be a quarrel between
hem and brought the Bank of Califor-
ia to smash. Flood wanted to raise
me money and he went TO Sharon.
haron was not willing and they got
INTO high words about II.
You'd better &c back to your whisky
selling" said Sharon.
If I ever sell whisky again. said
Flood. IN sell it over the Bank of CAL
ifornia'
When the Nevada bank was fiourishing
the Bank Of California wanted gold. The
bank OF Nevada had locked up in its
vaults some $1,000 900, which Flood would
not allow to go out; and the Bank of
California closed its doors. until the dir
ectors put up 81, 10000 apiece and saved
T.
famous wheat DEAF shook the Bank of
Nevada and 1t reeled. A curious thing is
the whirligig OF time. Not long before
the crisis Fair had been weeded out Of
the Bank OF Nevada. He was very sore.
Speaking to a reporter he told how
Flood had deceived him and how they
had put up the job.
1T was a Machiavelllan scheme" said
the learned reporter.
We'll" said Fair. don't know that
1t was anything more Mackayvellian
than FIoodiveIlian.'
Mackay and Flood had not spoken for
a long time. 1t was a quarrel arising
from some domestic trouble Of Fair II
was consequently q double triumph for
Fair when Mackay went to and asked
save It. He did. and then the
Nevada Banks next statement contained
no sign whatever OF the losses on wheat.
But what the difference was to Macksy
and Flood they alone knew
It was reported that Mackay lost any
where from $4,000 TO s15.ooa.o0o In re-
coupling the banks losses on the wheat
deal The deal was manipulated by Geo.
L. Brander. whom Maekay made Vice
President and manager Of the bank.
John ". Mackay was about feet 3
inches tall. He was very why and ath-
letic; even in his last days he did not
show his age. although his face waS
by lines placed there by the
exposure and hard work OF his early life.
His hair which was not thin. and his
bristling rustache was gray. When be
was deeply interested he had a queer
way OF chewing Up his face and grasp
ing his chin with his hand He dressed
quietly and well, but no better than a
man with an income Of 500 4 year.
He wore TO jewelry save q small and
very brilliant stud.
He spoke with rneIIi1ous ard inslnua-
ting hrosue but the brogue OF an eiucat-
ed man
Were you horn IN Ireland7-' asked
Joseph II. Choate Il him as he vas
rross-examiuing him during 4 lawsuit in
January. lssz
7 was. replied Mr.. Mackzy.
Hum. said NJ Choz,e. n his dry