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13 Expanding Horizons I n the beginning of 1895, William Bourn learned that conditions at the Empire Mine continued to deteriorate. Ever since George Starr's departure for SouthMrica, his replacement, Robert Walker, had gone through one barren zone after another. The owner, James D. Hague, received no profit from the mine, but he had a daily payroll to meet and all the expenses associated with searching for gold. In addition, there were complaints from investors who were not realizing any return from their stock. Rumors reached Bourn that the mine might soon be for sale. Will also kept in touch with Hague, who was becoming very discouraged. Bourn did not offer to purchase the mine, because he thought that would seem wrong in that he had sold the Empire to Hague. Still, he made up his mind that ifHague wished to rid himselfofthe mine, he would buy it back and put all his efforts into working through the barren zones. He still had faith in the Empire, and he believed the mine had many rich years ahead. Will decided to wait until Hague was ready to call it quits, then he would step forth and try the "Bourn Luck" once again. Meanwhile, Will continued to work to bring about a merger of the San Francisco Gas Light Company with George H. Roe's Edison Light Power Company. fu Bourn saw it, the City and County of San Francisco had to combine all gas and electric companies supplying the city; this was the only solution to the chaotic competition that did not serve either customers or producers with a fair and reliable system. But even as Will talked to other owners, they listened but did not act. Bourn was convinced that the time 13 Expanding Horizons I n the beginning of 1895, William Bourn learned that conditions at the Empire Mine continued to deteriorate. Ever since George Starr's departure for SouthMrica, his replacement, Robert Walker, had gone through one barren zone after another. The owner, James D. Hague, received no profit from the mine, but he had a daily payroll to meet and all the expenses associated with searching for gold. In addition, there were complaints from investors who were not realizing any return from their stock. Rumors reached Bourn that the mine might soon be for sale. Will also kept in touch with Hague, who was becoming very discouraged. Bourn did not offer to purchase the mine, because he thought that would seem wrong in that he had sold the Empire to Hague. Still, he made up his mind that ifHague wished to rid himselfofthe mine, he would buy it back and put all his efforts into working through the barren zones. He still had faith in the Empire, and he believed the mine had many rich years ahead. Will decided to wait until Hague was ready to call it quits, then he would step forth and try the "Bourn Luck" once again. Meanwhile, Will continued to work to bring about a merger of the San Francisco Gas Light Company with George H. Roe's Edison Light Power Company. fu Bourn saw it, the City and County of San Francisco had to combine all gas and electric companies supplying the city; this was the only solution to the chaotic competition that did not serve either customers or producers with a fair and reliable system. But even as Will talked to other owners, they listened but did not act. Bourn was convinced that the time LAST BONANZA KINGS for action lay not far in the future, so he kept in touch with the owners of the various utility companies and waited for the right time to act. All in all, in the beginning of 1895 it seemed to Bourn that he was playing a waiting game. As a firm believer in change for the future ofSan Francisco as well as for California and the United States, Will was not content to see the city, state, or nation rest upon past laurels. As a child born ofparents who had seen the rowdy times ofthe Gold Rush years in San Francisco and who had himself seen the impact of the Comstock Lode upon the fortunes ofSan Francisco, Will did not want the city to become mired in legends of its frontier past while the challenges of the future bypassed it. The past and the future combined in the February 26th wedding offortyyear -old Maye Champney Bourn to fifty-one-year-old...

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