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Who was the most interesting gold miner you learned about?
William Swain. He left his home in Youngstown, New York in April, 1849.
Seven months later, after a very hard journey, he arrived in California. He
stayed for 22 months and was a failure as a miner. But he kept a diary, and
wrote letters back and to his wife Sabrina, describing all the things he
experienced. How hard mining was. How sick he got. The gambling, drinking, and
violence. The cold weather and the terrible food. The homesickness. He
described the disappointments of mining life.
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