The Young Miner by Horatio Alger, A
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The Young Miner, by Horatio Alger, Jr.
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The Young Miner, by Horatio Alger, Jr.
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Title: The Young Miner or Tom Nelson in California
Author: Horatio Alger, Jr.
Release Date: September 18, 2007 [EBook #22669]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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[Illustration: THE PACIFIC SERIES.]
THE
YOUNG MINER;
OR,
TOM NELSON IN CALIFORNIA.
BY
HORATIO ALGER, JR.,
AUTHOR OF "RAGGED DICK," "TATTERED TOM," "LUCK AND PLUCK," "BRAVE AND BOLD"
SERIES, ETC., ETC.
PHILADELPHIA:
HENRY T. COATES & CO.
FAMOUS ALGER BOOKS.
The Young Miner, by Horatio Alger, Jr.
3
* * * * *
=RAGGED DICK SERIES=. By HORATIO ALGER, JR. 6 vols. 12mo. Cloth.
RAGGED DICK. FAME AND FORTUNE. MARK THE MATCH BOY. ROUGH AND READY. BEN THE
LUGGAGE BOY. RUFUS AND ROSE.
=TATTERED TOM SERIES=. By HORATIO ALGER, JR. 4 vols. 12mo. Cloth. FIRST SERIES.
TATTERED TOM. PAUL THE PEDDLER. PHIL THE FIDDLER. SLOW AND SURE.
=TATTERED TOM SERIES=. 4 vols. 12mo. Cloth. SECOND SERIES.
JULIUS. THE YOUNG OUTLAW. SAM'S CHANCE. THE TELEGRAPH BOY.
=CAMPAIGN SERIES=. By HORATIO ALGER, JR. 3 vols.
FRANK'S CAMPAIGN. PAUL PRESCOTT'S CHARGE. CHARLIE CODMAN'S CRUISE.
=LUCK AND PLUCK SERIES=. By HORATIO ALGER, JR. 4 vols. 12mos. Cloth. FIRST SERIES.
LUCK AND PLUCK. SINK OR SWIM. STRONG AND STEADY. STRIVE AND SUCCEED.
=LUCK AND PLUCK SERIES=. 4 vols. 12mo. Cloth. SECOND SERIES.
TRY AND TRUST. BOUND TO RISE. RISEN FROM THE RANKS. HERBERT CARTER'S LEGACY.
=BRAVE AND BOLD SERIES=. By HORATIO ALGER, JR. 4 vols. 12mo. Cloth.
BRAVE AND BOLD. JACK'S WARD. SHIFTING FOR HIMSELF. WAIT AND HOPE.
=PACIFIC SERIES=. By HORATIO ALGER, JR. 4 vols. 12mo.
THE YOUNG ADVENTURER. THE YOUNG MINER. THE YOUNG EXPLORERS. BEN'S NUGGET.
=ATLANTIC SERIES=. By HORATIO ALGER, JR. 4 vols.
THE YOUNG CIRCUS RIDER. DO AND DARE. HECTOR'S INHERITANCE. HELPING HIMSELF.
=WAY TO SUCCESS SERIES=. By HORATIO ALGER, JR. 4 vols. 12mo. Cloth.
BOB BURTON. THE STORE BOY. LUKE WALTON. STRUGGLING UPWARD.
=NEW WORLD SERIES=. By HORATIO ALGER, JR. 3 vols. 12mo. Cloth.
DIGGING FOR GOLD. FACING THE WORLD. IN A NEW WORLD.
=
Other Volumes in Preparation.
=
* * * * *
COPYRIGHT BY A. K. LORING, 1879.
The Young Miner, by Horatio Alger, Jr.
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To GENEVIEVE AND ANITA ALGER, This Volume IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED.
PREFACE.
When "The Young Adventurer" was published, a year since, as the initial volume of The Pacific Series, it was
announced that the second volume would be "The Young Pioneer." This has been changed to "The Young
Miner," in order to avoid confusion with a book bearing a title somewhat similar to the one first proposed.
Those who were interested in Tom Nelson's trip across the Plains will find in the present story a record of his
adventures in the Land of Gold. Though his prosperity was chiefly due to his own energy and industry, it is
also true that he was exceptionally lucky. Yet his good fortune has been far exceeded by that of numerous
adventurous spirits in Colorado, within the last twelve months. Some measure of prosperity generally awaits
the patient and energetic worker, and seldom comes to those who idly wait for something to turn up.
NEW YORK, Oct. 1, 1879.
THE YOUNG MINER;
OR,
TOM NELSON IN CALIFORNIA.
CHAPTER I.
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CHAPTER I.
THE GOLD-SEEKERS.
A dozen men, provided with rockers, were busily engaged in gathering and washing dirt, mingled with
gold-dust, on the banks of a small stream in California. It was in the early days, and this party was but one of
hundreds who were scattered over the new Eldorado, seeking for the shining metal which throughout the
civilized world exercises a sway potent and irresistible.
I have said there were a dozen men, but this is a mistake. One of the party was a well-grown boy of sixteen,
with a good-humored and even handsome face. He was something more than good-humored, however. There
was an expression on his face which spoke of strength and resolution and patient endurance. The readers of
"The Young Adventurer" will at once recognize in our young hero Tom Nelson, the oldest son of a poor New
England farmer, who, finding no prospects at home, had joined the tide of emigrants pouring from all parts of
the country to the land of which so many marvelous stories were told. Tom had come to work; and though he
doubtless shared to some extent the extravagant anticipations of the great body of Eastern visitors who hoped
to make a fortune in a year, he did not expect to succeed without hard toil.
His companions belonged to the same party with whom he had crossed the plains, under the leadership of
Phineas Fletcher, a broad-shouldered Illinois farmer, who had his family with him. Next to Tom was Donald
Ferguson, a grave Scotchman, and Tom's special friend; a man of excellent principles, thoroughly reliable,
and held in high respect by all though not possessed of popular manners. On the other side was Lawrence
Peabody, a young Boston clerk, who had spent several years behind a dry-goods counter. He was soft and
effeminate, with no talent for "roughing it," and wholly unfitted for the hard work which he had undertaken.
He was deeply disappointed in his first work at gold-hunting, having come out with the vague idea that he
should pick up a big nugget within a short time that would make his fortune and enable him to go home a rich
man. The practical side of gold-seeking--this washing particles of dust from the dirt of the river-bed--was in
the highest degree unsatisfactory and discouraging. He was not a bad fellow; and his companions, though they
laughed at him, were well disposed towards him.
Among the rest, mention may be made of John Miles, Henry Scott, and Chapman, owner of a refractory
donkey named after King Solomon.
Not far away from the river were the tents occupied by the miners. There was but one house, roughly built of
logs. This was occupied by Captain Fletcher and his family. He had not had the trouble of building it, but had
found it ready for occupation, having been constructed by a previous party who had wandered farther down
the river in search of richer washings. In fact, it was this building which had decided our party to remain.
"There isn't much difference in places," said Fletcher. "We may as well stay here."
"Then why was it deserted?" suggested John Miles, dubiously. "That's rather against it, isn't it, captain?"
"Not necessarily, Miles. You've been on berrying parties, haven't you, when at home?"
"Many a time."
"You've noticed that many of the pickers leave good places, just from love of novelty, and wander about the
field, often faring worse than if they remained where they were?"
"That's so, captain."
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