Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-07-26

cided to go thfthef and test II.
Wingfield found Tonopah "easier"
than he expected. He had a great run
of luck and pyramided and parlayed
al thousands Of dollars. Then, after
he had repaid his $3.50 Nixon loan, he
determined to quit bucking faro from
the players side of the table, so he
started the Tonopah Club. He had
a partner in this, but 1t was not long
until Wingfield's share as principal
owner in the enterprise was valued at
more than s1,000,000.
Up to 1906 Wingfield was not re-
garded as being anything more than
a boss gambler. He attended strict
ly to his business at the Tonopah Club
and made money hand over 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 $1,0OO,0O0 a
month. Goldfeld had a population
of $4,000. The towns bank deposits
totaled $15,000,O00. Real estate on
the main street was held at $1,000 a
front foot. Every one had money:
There were plenty Of saloons and
before men had died of thirst in the
desert which was there. Wingfield
was making big money at Tonopah,
but he saw in Goldfield chance to
make more. What gave him the idea
was another lucky stroke Of fortune.
One night Mr.. Elliott, who had
Cleaned up" in Bullfrog and who had
become a partner in a mine -promot-
ing firm at Goldfleld, was in the Tono-
pah Club. Elliott was a p1unger, and
that night he dropped $4,000 at Wing
fields place. When asked to settle he
rendered a check for $4,000 and a GER
tificate for 100000 shares OF Goldfield
Laguna Mining company stock, which
was then selling at fifteen cents. This
was accepted. Wingfield began to
take an interest in mining stocks from
that time forth. In a short time La
guna was selling freely at 81 share.
Incidentally, every one who worked
at the Tonopah Club got to making
money in mining shares. Wingfield
was the Andrew Carnegie of Nevada.
All his young men" prospered. One
of his faro dealers promoted Goldfleld
Daisy, which ballooned up to q Sc
share on a capitalization Of 100000
shares. At the market price In those
days the mine was worth $9,000,000,
but 1t never earned a dollar for its
stockholders.
That sort of thing made Wingfield
keener than ever. He and Nixon drew
closer together. They made some prof.
table deals in mining properties and
then they formed pool and acquired
ownership of control Of the merged
s36,000,000 Goldfield Consolidated,
which was their corporate. creation.
After that Wingfield's connection
with the Tonopah Club did not take
much Of his time. He was In the thick
of things at Goldfield, ana was reput-
ed to be the power behind the market
in mining stocks. Once Nixon had
been the bigger man; now Wingfield
was regarded as the chief, and Nixon
only a circumstance in the partner
ship. Wingfield belonged to the Gold
field Stock Exchange and was an ac-
tive and conspicuous member. Even
out on the curb, where there was buy
ing 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 mar
kets Of the east as authoritative opin-
ion. The leading citizens of the place
used to congregate at the Montezuma
Club, and there Wingfield would re-
mark cautiously that such and such a
stock would sell at $50 before 1t would
sell at SO. The New York curb mar
ket would have the news by the time
it opened, and the Goldfield Stock ex-
change would have lot Of fresh buy
ing orders from the public by the time
II began business next morning, al
ways at higher prices. Those were
golden days.
wingfield just had turned his thir-
tieth year then. He is described by
one who knew him we'll as being Of
meager frame. His face showed an
extreme pallor that might have come
from Ill health, years Of hardship or
careless habits. This was all the more
striking because nearly every one in
Goldfield or Reno or Tonopah or any
where else in Nevada Is deeply SUM-
burned. Only the dealers and look
outs in the gambling houses are un-
tanned, even by the suns Of other
years. Wingfeld's gaze never was
steady. 1t continually shifted to and
fro, perhaps a matter Of habit. man
who deals or works as lookout in a
gambling house has to keep a swiftly
shifting eye on every part Of the
board. Wingfeld was cold of manner
and taciturn Of disposition. He was
noted for his secretiveness. He was
rated as a cool, calculating, selfish,
sure-t thing mana gambler who had
turned man Of affairs. He was inf1n-
itely patient in waiting for things to
come his way, at the same time accel-
Grating them as quietly and safely as
he could. But, master Of the mining
stock market and boss gambler that he
was, he found his sole relaxation at
playing stud poker. In this, the stiff
est of all games to play, he was a
consistent winner. He was famed all
over Nevada for the half-cunning ex-
preston he was wont to assume,
which deceived his opponents into be-
lieving he was bluffing when he wasn't.
Many tried to initiate him In this
respect, but failed. There was only
one Wingfield. Like Napoleon, he was
unique.
AS the years went on Wingfeld and
Nixon frightened their hold on the
mines and the banks Of Nevada Nix
on was below middle height, rather
inclined to stoutness, but very dapper.
His steel-gray eyes were absolutely
without expression, but he was kind
ly, companionable man compared to
Wingfield. Wingfield gathered news
paper or so into his net. Usually ne
had to take them on foreclosure pro-
ceedings, for he was a patron of liter
ature when it came to lending money
to a Nevada newspaper, although he
was inexorable about claiming what
was due him when the term of the
loan expired.
In those days, about six years ago,
when everything and everyone was
riding on the top wave of prosperity,
the Democrats were victorious in the
state election. Sparks was elected
governor, and Denver S. Dickerson,
the candidate Of the labor unions,
lieutenant governor. Some time be-
fore that Dickerson had been confined
in the bull pen" at Cripple Creek,
when the government had intervened
to quell the labor riots there. Not long
after that labor war threatened Cold
field A few of the wise ones' saw 1t
coming, and sold out their holdings at
top prices. They made millions. They
rather liked the idea Of a labor war, so
they could buy back their stocks at
sale prices. 1t was then
that Wingfield practically broke the
back of the labor revolution that
threatened Nevada. 1t was then also
he proved that he was a man of the
coolest daring.
Goldfield was in the power Of the
miners federation and the high grad
ers" had the situation, they thought,
by the throat and were debating their
own terms. Even the newsboys on the
streets were forbidden to sell papers
that said ANYTHING against the miners