MrPunch's history of modern England . :r,tii!ijiiiraii!.iiiii!i:» in 75 Mr. Punchs History of Modern England. Y^ WVLO GOOSE CHASED AFTERYi: GOLOEN OKLFL,THE GOLD CRAZE IN 1849 The railway boom had stimulated that first infirmity ofignoble minds—the desire to get rich quick —and cupidity,balked of its expectations, turned eagerly towards the gold-fields to satisfy its longings. In 1849 California was the Meccaof the gold craze, and there is hardly a number of Punch inthis year which does not refer to the stampede from Europeto the diggings—the wild-goose chase after the golden calf,as he c
MrPunch's history of modern England . :r,tii!ijiiiraii!.iiiii!i:» in 75 Mr. Punchs History of Modern England. Y^ WVLO GOOSE CHASED AFTERYi: GOLOEN OKLFL,THE GOLD CRAZE IN 1849 The railway boom had stimulated that first infirmity ofignoble minds—the desire to get rich quick —and cupidity,balked of its expectations, turned eagerly towards the gold-fields to satisfy its longings. In 1849 California was the Meccaof the gold craze, and there is hardly a number of Punch inthis year which does not refer to the stampede from Europeto the diggings—the wild-goose chase after the golden calf,as he called it. It was a gold fever in more senses than one,since the diggers suffered terribly from disease, which led tothe cynical suggestion that convicts should be sent there, asthey were not likely to return. Cobden, still in high favourwith Punch as the apostle of national economy, was busypreaching Peace, Retrenchment and Reform, but his effortswere powerless to stem the tide of speculation. In 1850 we find a reference to the glut of bullion at theBank, a state of affairs long strangely unfamiliar. In
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, bookpublisherlondo, bookyear1921
