Book

Plazak, Dan, 1951-

A hole in the ground with a liar at the top : fraud and deceit in the golden age of American mining / by Dan Plazak.

Salt Lake City : University of Utah Press, ©2006.

374 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Coal, silver, gold. There is something about the allure of hidden treasure that puts a glint in people’s eyes. By gathering such familiar stories as that of Nevada’s infamous Comstock Lode with a succession of lesser-known scandals, Dan Plazak provides an entertaining and informative volume that delightfully investigates the history of mining frauds in the United States from the Civil War to World War I. -- amazon.com

Mines and mineral resources -- Valuation -- United States -- History -- 19th century.

Mines and mineral resources -- Valuation -- United States -- History -- 20th century.

Fraud -- United States -- History -- 19th century.

Fraud -- United States -- History -- 20th century.

Swindlers and swindling -- United States -- History -- 19th century.

Swindlers and swindling -- United States -- History -- 20th century.

Includes bibliographical references (page 361) and index.

Introduction to mining fraud -- The imaginary mine of Doctor Gardiner -- The Comstock: mother lode of American mining swindles -- Snow job at the Emma mine -- A brief history of diamond-mining frauds in America -- Tin men -- Professor Samuel Aughey: "a first-class charlatan" -- Swindle in South Park -- Leadville: a Comstock in the Colorado Rockies -- Tichenor's gold: Calistoga natural springwater -- Richard Flower: master swindler -- Thomas Lawson: champion of the people -- Aron Beam and his gold process -- Golden sands of the Adirondacks -- Mining gold from the sea -- The spoilers -- Whitaker Wright's house of cards -- George Graham Rice's adventures with your money -- Death Valley Scotty: the showman as mine swindler -- The literary life: Julian Hawthorne, mining swindler -- Selling the pure blue sky.

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