TWHP


William O'Brien, 1826-1879   

A modest man, William O'Brien reflexively attributed his success to good fortune. Drawn to the coast by riches like everyone else, he soon started selling tobacco and newspapers; ultimately, O'Brien sold maritime supplies until he went bankrupt in one of San Francisco's many recessions. His luck changed when he started the Auction Lunch bar with James Flood. From then on, he seems to have done little on his own initiative, and after cashing out of his mining stocks and the Nevada Bank, he lived the life of a contented rich man. A lifelong bachelor, O'Brien provided a home to his sisters and their children, and he enjoyed escorting his attractive siblings to the occasional social event. He left countless friends behind, and he derived his greatest pleasure from playing cards with old companions in the back room of a saloon; he always kept a stack of silver dollars on the table, available to any hard luck cases. San Francisco mourned him as an honored citizen at his death, and he retired for good to a mausoleum that cost as much as most houses.


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