Roughing It · Chapter
XLVI explained
The narrator reflects on the 'flush times' in Nevada, recounting tales of sudden wealth and the nabobs it created.
What happens
The narrator reflects on the 'flush times' in Nevada, recounting tales of sudden wealth and the nabobs it created. He shares stories of miners who struck it rich overnight, including John Smith's naive adventures in Europe and the comical misadventures of Col. Jim and Col. Jack in New York. The chapter also details the immense value of mines like Gould & Curry and Ophir, and the clever schemes of telegraph operators who used inside information to amass fortunes.
Themes in this chapter
Get-Rich-Quick Schemes and Speculation
The chapter is filled with tales of sudden wealth from mining strikes, stock speculation, and insider trading, illustrating the speculative frenzy of the 'flush times.'
Humor and Exaggeration
The narrator uses exaggerated anecdotes, such as John Smith's misinterpretation of his ship's mileage and Col. Jack's comical omnibus adventure, to entertain and highlight the absurdity of the nabobs' behavior.
The Absurdity of Pretension
Col. Jack's attempt to appear sophisticated by hiring an omnibus and treating it like a private carriage, along with his ignorance of city customs, satirizes the pretensions of the newly rich.
Characters to notice
- The Narrator
Reflects on the 'flush times' and shares anecdotes of nabobs he was personally acquainted with.
- John Smith
A former teamster who became rich from a silver mine, traveled to Europe, and amusingly misjudged a ship's daily run.
- Col. Jim
A worldly nabob who accompanies Col. Jack to New York to guard his unsophistication.
- Col. Jack
A naive nabob from the back settlements who hires an omnibus in New York, mistaking it for a private carriage, and generously lets passengers ride for free.
Key passages
“Two cousins, teamsters, did some hauling for a man and had to take a small segregated portion of a silver mine in lieu of $300 cash. They gave an outsider a third to open the mine, and they went on teaming. But not long. Ten months afterward the mine was out of debt and paying each owner $8,000 to $10,000 a month—say $100,000 a year.”
Two teamster cousins accepted a small share of a silver mine instead of $300 for hauling work. They hired someone to develop it and continued teaming, but within ten months the mine was profitable, earning each owner $8,000–$10,000 monthly.
Illustrates the theme of get-rich-quick speculation through a typical mining success story.
“Col. Jack said: 'No, sir! None of your cheap-John turn-outs for me. I'm here to have a good time, and money ain't any object. I mean to have the nobbiest rig that's going. Now here comes the very trick. Stop that yaller one with the pictures on it—don't you fret—I'll stand all the expenses myself.' So Col. Jim stopped an empty omnibus, and they got in.”
Col. Jack insisted on hiring the fanciest carriage available, so Col. Jim hailed an empty omnibus, which Col. Jack mistook for a luxurious private carriage.
Highlights the absurdity of pretension as the nabobs mistake a public omnibus for a high-class vehicle.