The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-07-21
John w. Mackay,s Fortune.

John Mackay paused on his way up the
Bowery and looked with wonder at a dull,
brownish heap on the floor of show win
dow in a transportation agents office. This
dull heap was gold, real gold, almost the
first tangible evidence of the richness of
the discovery that had been made in Cali
fornia. John Mackay was only poor Irish
boy on his way to work in a shipyard on
the East river. He had his lunch in
bucket and some of his tools in his hands.
The work was hard and the pay small, but
this lad had within him a dauntless heart;
it would take more than mere hardship and
privation to dispirit him.
When in 1S49 the news came of the dis
covery of gold in California it struck an
answering chord in this boys heart. Cali
fornia, land of dreams, land of gold, land
Of mystery. So away to San Francisco
went John Mackay. 1t was a long voyage
around Cape Horn with uncertainty as its
end. AS soon as opportunity offered he
sailed up the Sacramento river with other
gold seekers, and a few days later we find
him patiently standing in water up to his
knees, gold pan in hand, learning the rudi-
ments of the gold miners trade.
For ten years we catch glimpses of him.
At Murphy's camp, on Murderers' Bar, at
Last Chance, on the American river, at
Ione-everywhere the tide of goldseekers
flowed there went John Mackay, now grown
to be sturdy young man. Sometimes he
Jared WELL sometimes he took work from
anybody to regain his financial foothold
lost in some daring speculation. Fortune
was coy. The claim he bought with five
years earnings turned out a failure He
Immediately began TO save for another for
tune. At last the tide of the gold-hunters
turned and ebbed. The places were dope,
the era of quartz mining in California had
begun. There was always living for John
Mackay as an employe, but the fortune he
had set his heart on would never come as
wages.
The word reached him of new discov-
cries on the other side of the Sierra Ne
vadas. in the bleak, alkali. sage brush
was still coy. To live John Mackay be-
came a day laborer in the mines, pushing
an ore car eight hours a day. There he
made the acquaintance of another man as
dauntless as himself. but of a far different
personality. James @. Fair and he came
together by reason of the force that was
in them both. Mackay rose TO be a mine
foreman. Fair became shift boss Both
saved their money. Both had learned in
their ups and downs the complete science
of mining. and Mackay saw in a discredit-
ed, half-abandoned shaft the indications he
had looked for for more than decade. He
told Fair.
In San Francisco they had two friends
who owned a restaurant and had some
capital Flood and O'Bren were taken into
the discovery; what money was needed was
raised. and Mackay, Fair, Flood and
O'Brien fioated mining company reserv-
ing TO themselves most of the shares. They
dug down 1500 feet before they found the
mountains heart of silver.
Twenty years passed. John w. Mackay
walking with John Russell Young. his Wis
itor, on the streets Of Virginia City. New.
pointing TO the mouth of old shaft with
old machinery cluttered about IL. was able
TO say: Il took one hundred and fifty mil
lion dollars out Of that hole"
The West became great country. John
Mackay was one of its greatest financiers.
He married and his wife entertained
princes and dukes in the capitals Of Eu-
rope He was the president of the leading
bank OF the Pacific coast. His old partner
Fair was a United States senator but thev
had drifted apart. Fair. almost rich as
Mackay, was hated. while his partner was
admired. The unscrupulousness OF Fair
his evil life. left him only his millions 10
comfort him. He remained in the West
enormously rich, but with no other claim
to notice.
Mackay returned to New York with Ben
nett; he laid cable across the Atlantic
jaw Gould tried TO crush him for presumins ?
10 compete with the old cable Mackav.
trained TO combat by his years long tight
/ Tor wealth in the mines. turned the tables
/ on the railway and telegraph king and es-
| tablished the Postal Telegraph Company
/ and fought the Western Union to a stand.
/ still He triumphed and extended his lines
/ built great buildings in New York and be.
/ came a figure Of worldwide renown.
I But fortune was not yet done with he,
I tricks with him. The manager OF his Sar
| Francisco bank. taking advantage oi
Mackay's confidence in him. attempted the