▁Mission ▁W ool en ▁M ills ▁and , ▁later , ▁the ▁Pacific ▁W ool en ▁M ills , ▁which ▁prof ited ▁from ▁government ▁contract s ▁especially ▁during ▁the ▁Civil ▁War . ▁ ▁Simon , ▁or ▁rather ▁Laz ard ▁Fr ères ▁& ▁Co ., ▁expanded ▁its ▁invest ments , ▁especially ▁after ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 9 ▁silver ▁discovery ▁of ▁the ▁Com stock ▁L ode ▁in ▁Nev ada . ▁With ▁Joseph ▁Ar on , ▁El ie ▁and ▁Simon ▁managed ▁silver - b ull ion ▁ship ments ▁between ▁California ▁and ▁Paris ▁and ▁helped ▁fin ance ▁the ▁S ut ro ▁T unnel ▁Company ▁to ▁bore ▁four ▁miles ▁into ▁the ▁hill ▁below ▁the ▁l ode . ▁Ar on ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁tunnel - company ▁president ▁before ▁moving ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 6 . ▁The ▁firm ▁also ▁l ▁funds ▁to ▁operations ▁and ▁became ▁part ▁own ers , ▁usually ▁through ▁mort g age ▁forec los ures ▁of ▁min ing ▁properties , ▁including ▁the ▁Brun sw ick ▁mine ▁on ▁the ▁l ode ▁and ▁the ▁rich ▁Raymond ▁& ▁E ly ▁silver ▁mine ▁at ▁P io che , ▁Nev ada . ▁These ▁sometimes ▁ris ky ▁spec ulations ▁continu ously ▁caused ▁rif ts ▁among ▁the ▁more ▁conserv ative ▁brothers ▁and ▁their ▁extended ▁family . ▁ ▁Human itar ian ▁Activ ities ▁▁ ▁Simon ▁was ▁also ▁active ▁in ▁the ▁wider ▁social ▁and ▁political ▁movements . ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 8 5 0 , ▁he ▁joined ▁with ▁ 1 2 ▁other ▁young ▁men ▁to ▁form ▁San ▁Francisco ’ s ▁E ure