The Comstock Lode, a small section of dirt in Nevada, changed the destiny of the United States, producing over $65 million in gold and silver between 1873 and 1882. Four Irishmen, known as the Silver Kings, John Mackey, James Fear, William O'Brien, and James Flood, discovered the Big Bonanza, a vein of nearly pure gold and silver, and became fabulously wealthy, donating large sums to charities and leaving behind multimillion-dollar estates.
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