Skip to content
Scan a barcode
Scan
Added to your cart
Paperback King of the Comstock South: The Life, Letters and Legacy of Lewis Chalmers Book

ISBN: 1634994450

ISBN13: 9781634994453

King of the Comstock South: The Life, Letters and Legacy of Lewis Chalmers

The untold story of Lewis Chalmers, a resourceful Scottish entrepreneur whose letters chronicle his daring silver-mining ventures in 19th-century California.

This is the untold story of Lewis Chalmers, a Scottish mining capitalist who spent two decades chasing silver sixty miles south of the original Comstock Lode. In lengthy letters to friends and financiers in London, he chronicled his day-to-day struggles at multiple lodes in the mountains of Alpine County, California--from miners' strikes to fending off a series of financial disasters. In addition to hard-rock silver shafts, Chalmers' ambitious projects included the mammoth Isabella Tunnel, a nearly mile-long venture he promoted as a "Second Sutro." Part charming conman, part resourceful entrepreneur, part silver-tongued dreamer, Chalmers wangled funds from influential European friends to keep his mining enterprises going until 1885, when he returned to London. Remnants from his mining days still survive. But the true treasure he left behind was an extensive collection of letterbooks. Excerpts from Chalmers' business and personal correspondence provide a detailed record of his adventurous pursuit of silver and offer a fascinating glimpse into the mind of this brilliant, lively, and tenacious man.

Recommended

Format: Hardcover

Condition: Very Good

$5.79
Save $12.20!
List Price $17.99
Almost Gone, Only 1 Left!

Customer Reviews

1 customer rating | 1 review
There are currently no reviews. Be the first to review this work.
Copyright © 2025 Thriftbooks.com Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information | Cookie Policy | Cookie Preferences | Accessibility Statement
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
GoDaddy Verified and Secured