Roughing It

"Every man you met had his pockets full of 'prospects.'" First published in 1872, Roughing It is a semi-autobiographical travelogue that follows the journeys of young Mark Twain through the American West during the years 1861-1867. He recounts his attempts at gold and silver mining, gets involved in real estate speculation, details his trip to Salt Lake City and encounters with the Brigham Young Mormons, encountering con men and prospectors, Mormon settlers and frontier journalists, all ren...