lood to recover about $26,000,000, the alleged
value of certain 'tailings' on some of the mines. Mr. Flood did not know
what company milled the ore of the Consolidated Virginia; did not
remember who was President of the company at the time; he might have
been; could not say for certain however; did not know where the crude
bullion from his own mines was sent to be melted into bars; could not
tell how much was worked, nor anything about it. He did not remember who
was treasurer of the mill company; he might have been, might now be, but
could not tell for certain."

Mr. Flood owns one of the finest mansions, for a private residence, in
the whole world. It cost one million, and is a magnificent building in
any sense.

Few men surpass him in either getting or keeping money.

JOHN W. MACKAY.

John W. MacKay is not only the youngest and the richest of that bonanza
trio--Flood, Fair and MacKay but immense wealth has not spoiled him. He
is of Irish birth, but came to this country before he was of age. When
the gold fever broke out he was one of the first to seek his fortune in
that auriferous country bordering on the Pacific, in California.
Contrary to the general supposition that his great wealth came through
'good luck,' let me say, it was only by constant toil and slowly
acquired experience that he learned how to tell a non-paying lead from a
bonanza. Several times he seemed about to strike the long-looked for
success only to find his brightest hopes dashed to the earth. But these
failures tempered him for the greater hardships that followed.

The famous "Comstock Lode" is situated among a vast accumulation of
rocks and deep canyons--the result of terrible volcanic eruptions at
some remote period. This mining district was discovered by two Germans
in about 1852-3. Contrary to the opinion expressed by other prospectors,
these Germans saw silver in the rejected ore. Both brothers suddenly
dying, the claim fell to a storekeeper named Comstock who sold out for
a few thousand. Mr. MacKay's investment in the one mine, the
"Consolidated Virginia and California," has paid him unheard of
dividends. This mine produced in a period covering six years, from 1873,
gold and silver to the amount of over sixty-three millions of dollars.
The combined profits of the two mines were over seventy-three and
one-half millions of dollars. Mr. MacKay drifted to this lode, making
his first 'hit' in 1863, and in this section the bulk of hi