El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-04-07
Made Fortune From Mines
james c. Flood Rose From Saloon
keeper to Northumberland in
Few Years; Perseverance,
Won Him Success.
: BY MADISON c. PETERS

r AMES CLAIR FLOOD was the son of
extremely poor Irish parents who
had a hard time scraping together
enough to bring them to America. The
future man OF millions was in New
York City, October 26, 1920, and so poor
were his parents that they could not
sufficiently clothe him to send him reg
ularly to school
The father was a labOring man, doing
odd Jobs and making not enough at
times to support the family. OFTEN they
were in privatiOn and suffered from
want of food and clothing. At inter
walls young Jim attended the public
school. He was a hardy, ragged urchin,
who preferred the street to the school
room. When he was old enough he was
apprenuced to carpenter, but he had
no taste for the trade.
Gold Craze in 1S4O.
When the great news of the gold
fields OF California reached New York
in 1S49, there was wild excitement and
everybody wanted to rush to the golden
west, but not all had money to under
take such a journey. yet a great many
went, some by the overland route and
some by sea. The latter was cheaper
and less risky, for crossing the prairies
at that time was serious undertaking.
Young Flood managed to scrape to-
gether q few dollars and secured
passage on the Mary Ellen, an old tug
to San francisco by way Of Cape Horn,
then the only seaWay. Flood had only
a few dollars, but he told the officers
he would help to work during the vOy-
age. He was then husky chap Of %.
Opened Saloon in Frisco.
When he arrived in San Francisco he
did any kind of odd jobs that came his
way, and. as money. was very plentiful
he soon had over. 800. Then he met
William S. OBrien, the son Of another
poor irish immigrant O'Brien had pre-
coded Flood to the west and had gath
cred q couple of hundred together. They
z
make money quickly and finally came
to the conclusion that they would open
n saloon.
The miners and other adevnturers
were ready with their money and there
were none of them teetotaIers. Very
soon Flood and O'Brien's barrOOm be-
came the popular resort of the city ana
money was pouring into the cash
drawer Of the proprietors in a golden
stream
Patronage High Class.
The bar was freQuented by most Of
the members of the California mining
exchange and the conversation Of these
men was not lost on the sharp ears OF
Flood and OBrien- Guided, too, by
hints and tips on mining property given
by their patrons, the two saIOOnkeepers
made Il venture now and then In mines
and were successful Also they loaned
money at a high rate of interest The
consequence was that soon they were
rich men for the time
Large Capital Attracted.
They gave up the saloon business ana
in 1856 began to operate as bankers and
spectators in mining stocks, especially
in shares in the Kentucky and other
properties of the ComstOck Ledge.
Large capital soon came within their
disposal In 1864, John ". Mackay and
J. NJ. Walker entered the partnership
of Flood & O'Brien, with the result Of
an extension of operations over a wider
Geld. James Fair joined the firm about
this time and J. N. Walker withdrew,
Mr.. Macl1ay buying the latter's interest.
In 1871 they began to upSh the devel-
Opment Of the COmstOck and in 1875
discovered that famous deposit of silver
ginia mines, whose value startled the
world The stock of these mines rose
to a. fabulous figure and the projectors
reaDed 4 golden harvest from the mines
themselves and the sale OF stocks, be-
coming known as bonanza kings"
Mr. Flood was treasurer Of the firm
and owned one-fifth interest in it. Mr.
OBrien died in 1873. The remaining
three partners continued together in
various enterprises the chief of which
was the founding of the Nevada bank
in San Francisco. Mr.. Fair afterwards
withdrew and Mr. Flood and Mr. Mack
ay remained as owners. Mr.. Flood be-
came interested in San Francisco real
estate. He prospered exceedingly in
all his ventures until he was MANY
times a millionaire. He had Onlv one
setback q few years before his death,
when he and his associates engaged IN
n gigantic wheat deal and lost an i'm.
mense sum.
Mr.. Flood was very charitable, and
he did not forget the land of his faith
ers' being one of the largest subscrib-
ers to the Irish relief fund in the fans
Heidelberg, Germany, on February Fl,