The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-08-29
ONCE FAMOUS GAMBLER
NOW in u. s. SENATE
Geo. Wingfield, Nevada's Senator, Has Had Re-
markable Career.-Said to be Worth
Over Twelve Million Dollars.

fist. There was plenty of money in
circulation. The mines in that now
famous district were yielding up
their treasures at the rate of more
than S1,000,000 month. Goldfeld
had a population of $4,000. The
towns bank deposits totaled S15,-
100000. Real estate on the main
street was held at $1,000 a front
foot. Every one had money. There
we're plenty of saloons and gambling
houses. Not many years before men
had died of thirst in the desert which
was there. Wingfeld was making
big money at Tonopah, but he saw
in Goldfield a chance to make more.
What gave him the idea was another
lucky stroke of fortune.
One night a Mr.. Elliott, who had
"cleaned up in Bullfrog and who
had become a partner in mine pro-
noting firm at Goldfeld, was in the
Tonopah Club. Elliott was a plung-
er, and that night he dropped $780,
900 at Wingfeld's place. When ask
ed to settle he rendered check for
$4,000 and certificate for 100000
shares of Goldfeld Laguna Mining
company stock, which was then SELL
ing at fifteen cents. This was &C
cepted. Wingfeld began to take an
interest in mining. stocks from that
time forth. In short time Laguna
was selling freely at 50 share.
incidentally, every one who work
ed at the Tonopah Club got to max
ing money in mining shares. Wing
field was the Andrew Carnegie of Ne
vada. All his young men, prosper
ed. One of his faro dealers pro-
noted Goldfeld Daisy, which BAL
looned up to a Sc share on capitali-
,zation of 100000 shares. At the
market price in those days the mine
was worth s9,0OO,0O0, but it never
earned a dollar for it's stockholders.
That sort of thing made Wingfeld
keener than ever He and Nixon drew
closer together. They made some
profitable deals in mining properties
and then they formed pool and
acquired ownership or control of the
merged s36,O0O,00O Goldfeld Con-
solidated, which was their corporate
creation.
After that Wingfeld's connection:
with the Tonopah Club did not take:
much of his time. He was in the.
thick of things at Goldfeld, and was:
reputed to be the power behind the
market in mining stocks. Once Nix,
on had been the bigger man; now
Wingfeld was regarded as the chief,
and Nixon only circumstance in the
partnership. Wingfeld belonged to
the Goldfeld Stock Exchange and
was an active and conspicuous mem
Der. Even out on the curb where
there was buying and selling far into
the night, he always was in the thick
of the fray. What he said-and he
said little-was telegraphed to the
mining stock markets of the east as
authoritative opinion. The leading
citizens of the place used to congre-
gate at the Montezuma Club, and
there Wingfeld would remark eau
tiously that such and such stock
would sell at $40 before it would sell
at $40. The New York curb market
would have the news by the time it
opened, and the Goldfield Stock Ex-
change would have lot of fr resh buy
ing orders from the public by the
time it began business next morning,
always at higher prices. Those were
golden days.
Wingfeld had just turned his
thirtieth year then. He is described
by one who knew him we'll as being
of meager frame. His face showed
as extreme pallor that might have
come from i'll health, years of hard
ship or careless habits. This was all
the more striking because nearly ev-
cry one in Goldfield or Reno or Tono-
pah or anywhere else in Nevada is
deeply sunburned. Only the dealers
and lookouts in the gambling houses
are untanned, even by the suns OF
other years. Wingheld's gaze never
was ready. It continually shifted
to fro, perhaps matter of habit.
A man who deals or works as look
out in a gambling house has to keep
swiftly shifting eye on every part
of the board. Wingfeld was cold Of
manner and taciturn of disposition.
He was noted as a cool, calculating,
selfish, sure-thing mana gambler
who had turned man of affairs. He
was infinitely patient in waiting for
&c Of ho