14 minSummaryRead it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook editionPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
Gold promises a fortune, but what does the search for it ask of a boy's character?
Tom Nelson heads west to make his way in California during the Gold Rush. In The Young Miner; Or, Tom Nelson in California, Horatio Alger Jr. sets a young hero amid travel, hard work, and risk. Gold is the prize that draws people west, but the mining country offers no certainty that effort will bring the wealth they hope for.
Alger builds this adventure around a question as plain as it is demanding: what makes a person worth trusting? His world has clear heroes, clear villains, and moral lessons that stay close to the action. As Tom seeks his way forward, the promise of fortune shares the stage with courage, honesty, and the value of hard work.
What you’ll discover
- A young adventurer westward Follow Tom Nelson into California, where making his way means facing work and risk.
- Gold Rush hopes Enter a world where the promise of gold draws people toward uncertain rewards.
- Character before luck Explore Alger's belief that effort and good conduct matter more than a lucky chance.
- The price of fortune Look beyond gold's promise to the heavy labor and disappointment that shadow mining.
- Plain lessons, clear stakes Enjoy a direct adventure that puts questions of trust beside the pursuit of wealth.
Who will love it
Readers who enjoy frontier adventure, honest young heroes, and clear lessons about work and fair dealing will feel at home here. It also suits anyone curious about the California gold rush.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Tom expects to earn his gold
- Easy money draws Peabody away
- Tom joins courage with mercy
- Crane falls into another trap
- Tom’s work reaches the family farm
- Fair dealing gives Tom new opportunities
- Dick receives a chance to rebuild
- Humor keeps the lesson close
- Strength includes kindness toward others
Who’s who
- Tom NelsonA sixteen-year-old New Hampshire farm boy who mines for gold in California to pay off the mortgage that threatens his family's farm.
- Donald FergusonA cautious, honest Scottish miner and Tom's closest friend, who turns careful bargaining into a fair share for both of them.
- Lawrence PeabodyA soft Boston clerk who dreams of an easy fortune, dislikes work, and drifts toward Missouri Jack's saloon.
- Bill CraneA burglar with a prison record who wants quick money by theft and keeps meeting people who are cleverer than he is.
- John MilesA strong, kind, honest miner who carries Tom's money to San Francisco and becomes his trusted business partner.
- Squire HudsonThe wealthiest man in Tom's village, who holds the Nelson mortgage and hopes to take the family's farm.
- Dick RussellA young Ohioan who strikes gold, loses it all gambling, and must find a fresh start with Tom's help.
- Ebenezer OnthankA talkative Vermont Yankee who joins Tom and Ferguson on the road, loves doughnuts, and meets a grizzly bear.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 14 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout. The eBook opens when the book texts go online.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then USD 0.14 a day in your first year on the yearly plan and USD 0.27 a day after, or USD 0.66 a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
The Young Miner; Or, Tom Nelson in California in 25 languages, side by side, paragraph by paragraph, once the book texts are online: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
The Young Miner; Or, Tom Nelson in California
by Horatio Alger Jr. · 1879
A sixteen-year-old farm boy pans California gold to save his father's mortgaged farm from Squire Hudson.
Easy read2–5 hours to read20 languages
Learn a language with easy classicsSpanishFrenchGermanItalianJapanesePortugueseEnglishHow we measure levels
Excellent
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeRenews every year · Cancel anytimeHow it works
- Read, large type too
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
“Tom had come to work.”
In short
What would you do at sixteen, poor, and three thousand miles from home, with a mortgage hanging over your father's farm? Tom Nelson, a New England farm boy, goes to California to dig for gold.
The Young Miner; Or, Tom Nelson in California at a glance
- Reading time
- About 2 h 50 min2 h 15 min fast, 3 h 25 min slow
- Length
- 40,600 words
- Library level
- Easy short sentences, plain words
- First published
- 1879by Horatio Alger Jr.
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Tom comes to the goldfields ready to work
The story opens beside a small stream in California, where a dozen men wash gold dust out of the dirt with wooden rockers. One of them is Tom Nelson, sixteen, the eldest son of a poor New England farmer. He does not expect gold to fall into his hands. He expects to earn it.
Phineas Fletcher, a broad-shouldered Illinois farmer, leads the party and has named the camp River Bend. Beside Tom works Donald Ferguson, a serious Scot of firm principles, who has grown fond of Tom like a son.
Renews every year · Cancel anytime
You looked at
Which edition is right for me
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer. Your place follows you, and you can make the type as big as you like.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1879
- Language
- English
- Level
- Easy read
Cite this edition
Alger, Horatio, Jr. The Young Miner; Or, Tom Nelson in California. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-young-miner-or-tom-nelson-in-california.
Alger, H., Jr. (2026). The young miner; or, Tom Nelson in California. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-young-miner-or-tom-nelson-in-california (Original work published 1879)
Alger, Horatio, Jr. The Young Miner; Or, Tom Nelson in California. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-young-miner-or-tom-nelson-in-california.
@book{alger2026young,
author = {Alger, Horatio, Jr.},
title = {The Young Miner; Or, Tom Nelson in California},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-young-miner-or-tom-nelson-in-california},
note = {First published 1879}
}
Free gifts
USD 580 in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
USD 170FREE - Every eBookIn 25 languages, any device
USD 120FREE - 15-minute summariesRead in 25 languages
USD 60FREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
USD 60FREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
USD 170FREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about The Young Miner; Or, Tom Nelson in California
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is The Young Miner by Horatio Alger about?
It follows sixteen-year-old Tom Nelson, a poor New England farm boy who goes to the California gold rush to pay off his father's mortgage. He works steadily, meets honest friends and thieves, and learns how fortune is earned.
Is The Young Miner a sequel to The Young Adventurer?
Yes, it is the second book of Alger's Pacific Series. The Young Adventurer tells of Tom's journey across the plains, and this book picks up in the California goldfields, though it can be enjoyed on its own.
Who are the main characters in The Young Miner?
The main characters are Tom Nelson, his Scottish friend Donald Ferguson, the honest miner John Miles, the dreamy clerk Lawrence Peabody, the thief Bill Crane, and the grasping Squire Hudson, who holds the Nelson family mortgage.
The author
Horatio Alger Jr.
1832–1899 · American novelist
Horatio Alger Jr. (1832–1899) was an American novelist. He was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, and died in Natick, Massachusetts. He moved to New York City in 1866. He wrote novels for young readers during the nineteenth century, including Ragged Dick (1868) and Fame and Fortune (1868).
“Tom had come to work.”
More by Horatio Alger Jr.
See all their booksMore like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
