The San Francisco call., 1908-04-04

Roughly. the district has been cut into
two divisions. One. the Virginia end.
Is controlled by Charles Hirshfeld. who
pays himself some 500 a month in sal
aries. The Gold Hill mines are under
the control OF Robert Morrow, who
draws no salaries. but uses the control
70 good advantage In stock opera
tions.
Hirshfeid is known as the king OF
the Comstocke. His control extenoe
over some fifteen mines, located in both
the north end and the central portion
OF the district. Included IN the nortn
end mines which Hirshfeld controls
are the Sierra Nevada, Union Mexlcan n,
Ophir. Consolidated Virginia Gould
and Curry. Best and Belcher and saw
age In the middle group. comprising z
what are known as the Ward smart
mines. are the Chollar. Potosi, Bullion,
Julia. Exchecuer and the Alpha All
these are under the control or Blrsh-
field although his stock holdings In the
various companies are so small as 10 De
almost of no consequence. He obtains
control by means of proxies. elects
himself president of the various COM
panies and draws salary from each.
In some cases he pays himself 800
month. in others $50, but there is no
work TO speak of in any case beyond
the signing of certificates and checks.
Hfrshfeld is a shrewd broker, who
looks on the Comstocks, not as min
ing proposition, but as financial me-
dfum for his own enrichment.
bob" Morrow's dominion extends
over the bulk OF the Gold Hill mines
and includes such well known proper
ties as the Consolidated Imperial, Chal-
ienge. Confidence, Crown Point, Over
man. Segregated Belcher and the Gale
Sonis The Yellow Jacket is also in
this district. but other parties have re-
Gently taken control and an honest en-
6eavor is being made to develop the
property Morrow does not resort to
the petty salary grab. but deals eX-
tensively in mining stocks.
But his son. w. O. Morrow, known
popularity as Billy" Morrow. yachts
man as well a broker, holds many
positions by virtue of his fathers in
terests- He is president of three of the
Morrow properties
While Hirsehfeld and Morrow stand
cut as the two figures in the forefront
Of the Comstock operations a large
number OF lesser lights find profit in
the present condition of the properties.
Charles II. Fish, a Comstocker whose
fortune once scared with the big
bonanza. now anneXes four salaries for
as many presidencies.
william C. Ralston, former state
senator. assistant treasurer OF the
United States. is on the payroll Of the
Bullion mine for slo0 and draws a
similar sum from the Julia. He is Sec
retary Of the two companies. He en-
5oys q salary of $4,000 a year from the
United States government, has full
charge OF the local subtreasury and has
q stock brokerage business of his own.
Herman Zadig's name has been con-
nected with the Comstocks for 80 years
and his part in the stock jobbery has
been exploited at length upon previous
occasions. He is president of three
companies-rhe Chollar. Segregated
Belcher and Occidental-draws a salary
from each and wakes opulent through
shrewd manipulation.
The name OF Raiston is not the only
one found in the list of present day
Comstockers that calls TO mind the men
whose names have become definitely
linked with the great gold camps of the
west One finds the name of Sharon
and James Newlands Jr. Four mines
are presided over by James Newlands
Jr.-all in Morrow's territory. They
are the Crown Point. the Consolidated
Imperial. the Belcher and the Chal-
lenge.
Another name that looms large in the
present administration of the Com
stocks is that of william Bannon. He
pItSluCs over lue IOOT following COnl-
panies and he draws salary from each:
Gould and Curry, Kentuck, Justice and
the New York mining company. 1t is
the Gould and Curry that is cited as the
notable example of how little money
can be spent for actual development
and how much for administration.
There are some 33 mining companies
which occupy a prominent place in the
Comstock list on the exchange board.
In -
Ophir, active work is being done. In
some Of the mines a fair amount of
work is being carried on, but in the
majority little or no development is
under way. The great majority of
these companies pay their president and
secretary 500 a month each; a few
pay only $50.
The following summary OF the off,
GERS Of the various companies will
show by the repetition of the same
name where the assessment money
goes:
Julis-CharIes HirshfeId, president;
w. &. RalstOn. secretary.
BuIliOn-CharIes HirsbfeId, president;
W.. q. RaIstOn. secretary.
AIpha-CharIes HirshfeId. president;
w. c. RalstOn, vice president; Charles
ID. Olney, secretary.
Exchequer-CharIes HfrshfeId, presi-
oGAAs W. y. AtdAAons wee president
Charles Id. Olney, secretary
Andes-CharIes HirshfeId. president
<resigned April ~; John w. Twiggs,
secretary.
Sayage-CharleK airshfeId, president;
John W. Twiggs, secretary.
Sierra Nevada-Charles HirshfeId,
president; William Mcpherson, secre-
tary.
Alta-Charles HirshfeId, president; j.
B. shaw, secretary.
Mexican-CharIes III. Fish. president
Charles HirshfeId, vice president:
Charles ID. oiney. secretary.
IBion-Charies H. Fish, president; A.
II. swain, secretary.
0phir-CharIes III. Ffsh president,
John w. TyvfEgS, secretary.
Con. NirEiBia-CharIes III. Fish. presi-
dent; A. w. Hayens, secretary.
Gould and Curry-WfIIfam Bannon.
presidents j. B. shaw. secretary.
Kentuck-WiIIian Bannon. president:
August Waterman, secretary.
Jusfice-NfIliam BannOn. president:
August Waterman, secretary.
New York Mining COmpany-WiIIfam
BannOn, president; j. b. Shaw, secre-
fary.
Crown Point-James NewIands .Jr
president; c. L. Mccoy, secretary.
Con. ImperiaI-James NewIands Jr-
president; G. l.. Mccoy, secretary