Gold, Grit, Guns: Miners on BC’s Fraser River in 1858

by Alexander Globe

The first book to reveal the 1858 mining milieu by those who witnessed it firsthand. Only four extensive miners' journals are known to have survived from 1858. Quoting generously from the diaries, Alexander Globe focuses on the miners' actual words providing an engaging authenticity and bringing the miners' distinctive voices, personalities and experiences back to life. History comes alive as these personal testimonies reveal the adventures and dreams of glory that these courageous men sought, the hardships they endured, and the fortunes won and lost. By focusing on ordinary miners, this remarkable book captures the transformative events that led to the creation of British Columbia. For example, Slocumb's diary is distinctive for his many literary quotations, capturing his psychological state at any given moment, like the musical score in a film. In contrast, Beam's diary focuses outwardly on work, providing the most detailed record of 1858 mining practices that has surfaced. GOLD, GRIT, GUNS is the first detailed study of 1858 mining practices, miners' costs and the grim reality of how mining culture compromised First Nations life. The book is richly researched with rarely seen illustrations of life on the Fraser in 1858 and maps of the area. "An extraordinary book."-- The Tyee "A fascinating read." --Andrew Bell, host of BNN Bloomberg's Commodities Featured in the Vancouver Sun . Profiled in BC Book World . "GOLD, GRIT, GUNS is a surgical social analysis of the Fraser Gold Rush, combining a literary deep dive into the personalities of its participants with a detailed exploration of the political crises it engendered."-- The BC Review "Eureka. Alexander Globe has hit a literary jackpot . . . the diaries in GOLD, GRIT, GUNS are foundational."--Alan Twigg, author of Out of Hiding Nonfiction

356 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2019

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author uses diaries from miners that came to the British Columbia Fraser River and surrounding areas during the gold rush of 1858. It also covers the conflict between American miners and Indian peoples many of whom would like to see the area succeed to the US. Referring to these diaries does not necessarily lead to a clear or complete and easily understandable story. There are also lists of shipping and equipment that may not be interesting to most readers. Nevertheless it is an good narrative that provides missing details of a part of history of BC.