Life on the Plains and Among the Diggings

In this true story of the perilous journey faced by forty-niners in their quest for gold and adventure, Alonzo Delano describes his adventures with a keen eye for detail. Unlike many of the other gold rushers, Delano was a highly observant and literate man. In this book, compiled from correspondence he sent back home, he recounts the incredible adventure to California, one that was filled with humor and equal parts unrivaled optimism and crushing tragedy; not all of the hopeful prospectors survived the journey. Not only does he describes his trek across the plains, but goes on to recount how he settled into a new life, becoming an influential and well-regarded correspondent in California, pioneering the so-called California humor, a satirical style of writing that influenced such writers as Mark Twain. A wonderful first-hand account of the craze that was the gold rush. Facscimile of the original 1854 edition. Softbound: 376 pages: 5.5 x 8.25"