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Chapter 4 in Uncovering Nevada’s Past is full of some really good sources – too many to cover in a single response, so I’m splitting them into two parts.

For this response, read “Mark Twain and Gold Fever”, “The Old Corner Bar’s Water Filter”, and “Dan De Quille on Woodcutting in the Sierra Nevada.”

In 250-500 words, discuss how the gold fever described by Twain led to some of the environmental problems described in the other two readings.

Given the enthusiasm that Twain details, do you think that the gold-seekers were concerned about the danger to their health, or would have cared about the lasting damage done to the region?