University of Nevada - Artemisia Yearbook (Reno, NV)

Page 11 text:

fb ] ,r, .: ,, h rJ X ip J I J cm-: c i » 1 1 1 i I H H H E i • ' ' Im I ' i; i 3 1 ! H l . l v . 1 H ■1 I: ' 1 HH • ■ ■ JOHN W. MACKAY i -— 9 Hf XII JOJai. V::! - • -

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a TO JOHN W. MACKAY WHOSE GENEROSITY AND LOYALTY TO OUR UNIVERSITY HAS EVER BEEN A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION TO GRAND ACHIEVEMENT THIS BOOK IS GRATEFULLY DEDICATED - V

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JOHN W. MACKAY JOHN W. MACKAY was born in Dublin, Ireland, November 28, 1831. He came to America with his parents when a small child and lived with them in Park Row, New York City. At an early age he began the ship- building trade as an apprentice. In the early part of 1852 he went to New Orleans, sailed from there to Chagris, crossed the Isthmus of Panama and from there went by steamer to San Francisco. In the summer of the same year he traveled up the Sacramento River to Marysville and from there commenced to walk to Nevada City. It was on that trip that the stage driver Curley Bill gave Mr. Mackay a lift. This kindness Mr. Mackay and his son, Clarence Hungerford, never forgot and later they took care of Curley Bill until the good man died. Between the years 1852 and 1859 Mr. Mackay mined at Downeyville, Forest City, Sierra City and on the American River. At these places he made a specialty of placer and drift mining. In December, 1859, he and Jack O ' Brien went to Virginia City where Mr. Mackay went to work in the Cook Tunnel for four dollars per day, but soon he became such an expert timberer that he could sustain a roof and because of his con- scientious and efficiency he received six dollars per day. Mr. Mackay was very economical, saving in order that he might under- take something for himself. In 1861 he and John Henning went to Aurora and bought the Esmeralda Claim. This venture proved to be a failure, so he went back to Virginia City, where he went into partnership with J. M. Walker and together they built the Petaluma Mill at Gold Hill. This was a profitable undertaking. Mr. Walker introduced Mr. Mackay to James C. Flood and William S. O ' Brien of San Francisco. The four became part- ners and later James G. Fair joined the group, thus giving each one-fifth interest in the firm. Shortly Mr. Walker sold out to Mr. Mackay giving him a two-fifths interest in the business. This group obtained control of the Gould and Curry, Best and Belcher, Consolidated Virginia and Califor- nia mines. Mackay and Fair studied the characteristic features of the lode and it was after six months ' exploration that they decided to go to the bottom of the Curry shaft, 1200 feet deep and drift north thinking that it would