Summary: it was 1871. william ralston had become one of the richest and most powerful men in california, partly on the strength of his shrewd business maneuverings, but largely on the fact that he was an incorrigible gambler, a exemplar of his optimistic age. he lived so largely, and spent so lavishly, on his beloved city as well as on himself, that at the peak of his powers he picked up a nickname that has stuck to this day; "the man who built san francisco".
