Adventure, June 1911 — page 19: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

My. Adventures with Your Money elected, and you, will be renominated by acclamation if you accept.”’ “T won’t run unless you guarantee my electien,’’ he telegraphed. We answered: “We guarantee.” The Governor was renominated by the Democrats... The Republicans placed in nomination as F. Mitchell, a mining engi- neet and mine owner, who was very popu- ‘lar among mining men. There were thousands of miners domi- ciled in Goldfield. The Western Federation of Miners dominated. . {Sullivan,” I said, “isn’t it a cinch these miners. will vote the Democratic ticket. be- cauisé Mitchell has been put forward by the mine Owners? “Is it necessary to spend any, , money with the Western Federation?”’ “Nota dollar!’ replied Mr. Sullivan. ““There’s a meeting of the executive com- mittee to-morrow. I’m going to be around when they meet:Without spending a dol- lar ll bring. home the bacon. Watch me!” Sullivan: reported to me the next day that ‘he. had*succeeded in his mission. ““T didn’t attend the meeting,” he said, ‘but I did see the main ‘squeeze.’ He told me that ‘a contribution to the Miner’s Hospital would be gratefully accepted, but that even that was not necessary, and that Sparks would win in a walk.”’ ‘ The only campaign money advanced by the Sullivan Trust Company was given to Mr, Sullivan, to go to Reno. He asked for $1,000, and he used it in conducting open house on the first floor of the Golden Hotel, meeting people and greeting them. Reno appeared to be a Republican stronghold, and Mr. Sullivan, by baiting the Catholics against the Protestants, succeeded in hold- ing down the Republican majority to an extent that was wofully insufficient to overcome the. Democratic majority rolled ‘up in Goldfield with the aid of the miners. Governor Sparks was reelected by a hand- somé.majority. Had the occasion de- manded jt, we would have “tapped a bar- rel.” ” But it was not necessary. THE. STORY OF GOLDFIELD CONSOLIDATED >» UMORS were rife in Goldfield of a mer- ger of mammoth proportions which was said to be.on the tapis. Great as were the gold discoveries in camp, they did not justify the terrific advances being | chroni- cled in the-stock-market, and it was appar- 205 ent that something extraordinary must be hatching to justify the market’s action. . George Wingfield, who, had enjoyed a meteoric career, rising within ..fiye years from a faro dealer in Tonopah to the-ewner- ship of control in the Mohawk and many other mining companies and to part owner- ship of the leading Goldfield bank, John S. Cook & Company, which was then credited with having $7,000,000 on deposit, was said to be engineering the deal. The names of the properties were not given, nor the fig- ures. It occurred to me that in any merger that was made the Jumbo and -Red Top, because of their central location, must be included. I sought out Charles D. Taylor, who with his brother, H. L. Taylor, and. Capt. J. B. Menardi, owned the control of these properties. He asked $2.50 per share for his stock and that of his partners—all or none. Mr. Taylor had walked into the camp as a prospector. Most of his nights were spent at the gaming tables, and he was reported to be an easy mark for profes- sional gamblers. I put Mr. Sullivan on his trail. Mr. Sullivan reported to me that Mr. Wingfield was hobnobbing with Mr. Taylor. “Get an option on these properties from Taylor,” I told Mr. Sullivan. He held in his hands 20,000 shares of Jumbo, selling at $1.75 per share on the Goldfield Stock Exchange. “‘T won it in a poker game last night with Taylor and Wingfield,” he said. ‘1 have an oral option on the property good for three days at $2.50, but if you leave it to me, Pll wit these properties from him play- ing cards.” I did not see Mr. Sullivan again for a week. Next I heard of him he had ‘‘fallen off the water-wagon”’ and was reported to be celebrating the event in Tonopah. While Mr. Sullivan was “kidding” himself about his poker-playing ability, Mr. Wingfield had come to terms with Mr. Taylor and had bought the control of Jumbo and Red Top at an average price of $2.10 per share. That explained Mr. Sullivan’s lapse. How- ever, I blamed myself. Mr. Sullivan was no match for Mr. Wingfield. In any game from stud-poker to fighting a ,pistol-duel Mr. Wingfield can outwit, outmaneuver and outgeneral a hundred like “Larry.” Both companies had been capitalized COmiclboooks NEXT morning I met Mr. Sullivan. (©