He had known and had been the intimate friend of such men as Terry, Broderick, General Baker, Lick, Alvarado, Emerich, Larkin, and, above all, of the unfortunate and misunderstood Ralston.

Once he had been put forward as the Democratic candidate for governor, but failed of election.

After this Magnus had definitely abandoned politics and had invested all his money in the Corpus Christi mines.

Then he had sold out his interest at a small profit--just in time to miss his chance of becoming a multi-millionaire in the Comstock boom--and was looking for reinvestments in other lines when the news that "wheat had been discovered in California" was passed from mouth to mouth.

Practically it amounted to a discovery.