Silver Mining

1 Pages 329 Words

Roughing It

This Literature selection from Roughing IT by Mark Twain was about the gold and silver mining experience of Mark Twain. Everyone at that time had “silver fever”. Mark Twain like everyone else had a goal. Goal to find silver! Mark confessed without a shame that he expected to find masses of silver just lying all round the ground.
Things weren’t as easy as Mark thought they would be! They had to build small, rude cabin. The first chance that Mark got he went away from the cabin; keeping his eyes on the others he began his search. He found something shinny and he realized it was gold.
Never did he dream of finding gold only silver! Making sure no one sees him he started scooping the gold out. He decided to keep his gold find a secret. Eventually he told Mr. Ballou, who was a gold miner about his gold find. As Mr. Ballou looked at the “treasures” he told Mark that it wasn’t real gold! Nothing-gold glitter. Mark Twain’s dreams went down the hill.
When I first read the article I didn’t understand it at all. After re-reading it few times I understood it more. I don’t think I would ever go mining. You spend so many days away from your family with no guarantee. Why not just live on what you have? In my opinion people who go mining are just greedy!
In a way I could see where they are coming from. They just want more and better things for their loved once. They go through so much and in the end in most cases they have nothing. Mark Twain got his hopes up so high and in the end, he had nothing, and that’s what happens to most people.
This article was really had me thinking. I definitely don’t think I would ever go through all that torture just for money. Money isn’t everything. Health and Happiness is!!!...