The Peak of Gold
The Peak of Gold, written by Charles Fletcher Lummis, is a novel that explores the themes of love, loss, and redemption in the context of the California Gold Rush. The story follows the journey of a young man named Jack as he travels to the West Coast in search of fortune and finds himself caught up in a web of romantic entanglements and moral dilemmas. Through his experiences, Lummis examines the consequences of greed and the importance of personal integrity in the face of adversity.
By Charles Fletcher Lummis · First published 1896 · Genre: Historical fiction, Adventure, Western · 3,476 words
First lines
The most remarkable myths that appear in American history are those which were so eagerly listened to by the early Spanish conquerors, who overran two-thirds of the two Americas long before the Saxons so much as attempted a foot-hold in the New World. There was the famous myth of El Dorado in South America-a living man covered from head to foot with pure gold dust and nuggets. In Mexico was the fable of Montezuma's untold tons of gold and bushels of precious stones, and many other impossible things. Ponce de Leon, the gallant conqueror of Puerto Rico, paid with his life for the credulity which led him to the first of our states ever entered by a European, in quest of an alleged fountain of perpetual youth-a butterfly which some of the world's learned doctors are still chasing under another form.
What this Textopian page supports
The Peak of Gold is listed on Textopian as a short story by Charles Fletcher Lummis, dated 1896 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Charles Fletcher Lummis
- Date: 1896 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Historical fiction, Adventure, Western
- Length: 3,476 words
- Structure: 1 section, 40 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Peak of Gold by Charles Fletcher Lummis
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Peak of Gold?
- How does this short story by Charles Fletcher Lummis fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Historical fiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- An Ulm by Stanley Waterloo
- The Rebel Double Runner by Charles Fletcher Lummis
- Into Thy Land by Gilbert Parker
- Sydney Cove by J. H. M. Abbott
- The Prospectors by Edward Dyson
- The King Of The Peak By Allan Cunningham by Dinah Mulock
Genres
- Historical fiction — The book is set in the historical backdrop of the California Gold Rush.
- Adventure — The story involves a journey, exploration, and elements of risk and danger.
- Western — The narrative includes the elements of the Old West, and the geographical location also classifies it as part of the Western genre.
Tags
adventure · exploration · gold rush · American West · historical fiction · frontier life · mining · survival · nature · courage · treasure · conflict