Roughing It · Chapter
LVIII explained
The narrator reflects on his financial ruin after the Nevada mining bubble bursts, his subsequent idle life in San Francisco, and his experience of the great earthquake of 1865.
What happens
The narrator reflects on his financial ruin after the Nevada mining bubble bursts, his subsequent idle life in San Francisco, and his experience of the great earthquake of 1865. He also learns of a missed opportunity to profit from a mine sale that would have made him a millionaire.
Themes in this chapter
Get-Rich-Quick Schemes and Speculation
The narrator's involvement in silver stock speculation, the mania that gripped all classes, and the eventual collapse of the bubble.
Humor and Exaggeration
The narrator's humorous descriptions of the earthquake's effects, such as pictures turning to face the wall and a lady's child being born clubfooted.
Characters to notice
- The Narrator
Describes his butterfly idleness in San Francisco, his financial losses, and his reaction to the earthquake.
- Dan
Mentioned as the person to whom the narrator entrusted the sale of his silver mine; letters to him went unanswered.
- Mr. Goodman
One of the proprietors of the newspaper who kindly allowed the narrator to resign rather than be dismissed.
Key passages
“Once more native imbecility had carried the day, and I had lost a million!”
My own foolishness had won again, and I missed out on a fortune.
The narrator laments his failure to capitalize on the mine sale.
“I fell in love with the most cordial and sociable city in the Union. After the sagebrush and alkali deserts of Washoe, San Francisco was Paradise to me.”
I adored San Francisco's friendly atmosphere; compared to the harsh Nevada desert, it felt like heaven.
The narrator contrasts his previous harsh environment with the pleasures of San Francisco.
“What a gambling carnival it was! Gould and Curry soared to six thousand three hundred dollars a foot! And then—all of a sudden, out went the bottom and everything and everybody went to ruin and destruction!”
It was a wild gambling spree; stocks skyrocketed, then suddenly crashed, ruining everyone.
Describes the frenzy and collapse of the silver stock market.