Francis Bret Harte (1836-1902) was a prolific American author and poet, best remembered for his accounts of pioneering life in California. The spirit of Dickens breathes through the poems and stories of Bret Harte just as the spirit of Bret Harte breathes through the poems and stories of Kipling.

"Selected Stories of Bret Harte" is a captivating collection of short stories written by Bret Harte, a prominent American author, and poet of the late 19th century. Published in various editions, this compilation showcases some of Harte's finest works and highlights his skill in depicting life in the American West during the Gold Rush era. The stories within the collection offer a diverse range of characters and narratives, capturing the essence of the rugged frontier and the dreams, struggles, and conflicts of its inhabitants. Harte's vivid descriptions and memorable characters bring to life the atmosphere of the Old West, complete with prospectors, gamblers, cowboys, and pioneers. Through his tales, Harte explores themes of human nature, justice, morality, and the clash between civilization and the untamed wilderness. His writing often incorporates elements of humor, irony, and social commentary, providing insightful observations on the realities and complexities of life in the West. It remains a beloved collection, offering readers a glimpse into a bygone era and a deeper understanding of the challenges and triumphs that shaped the West

This Is A New Release Of The Original 1887 Edition.

Francis Bret Harte (August 25, 1836 - May 5, 1902) was an American short story writer and poet, best remembered for his short fiction featuring miners, gamblers, and other romantic figures of the California Gold Rush. In a career spanning more than four decades, he wrote poetry, fiction, plays, lectures, book reviews, editorials, and magazine sketches in addition to fiction. As he moved from California to the eastern U.S. to Europe, he incorporated new subjects and characters into his stories, but his Gold Rush tales have been most often reprinted, adapted, and admired. Early life: Bret Harte was born in Albany, New York. He was named Francis Brett Hart after his great-grandfather, Francis Brett. When he was young, his father, Henry, changed the spelling of the family name from Hart to Harte. Henry's father was Bernard Hart, an Orthodox Jewish immigrant who flourished as a merchant, becoming one of the founders of the New York Stock Exchange. Later, Francis preferred to be known by his middle name, but he spelled it with only one "t," becoming Bret Harte. An avid reader as a boy, Harte published his first work at age 11, a satirical poem titled "Autumn Musings," now lost. Rather than attracting praise, the poem garnered ridicule from his family. As an adult, he recalled to a friend, "Such a shock was their ridicule to me that I wonder that I ever wrote another line of verse." His formal schooling ended when he was 13, in 1849.Harte moved to California in 1853, later working there in a number of capacities, including miner, teacher, messenger, and journalist. He spent part of his life in the northern California coastal town of Union (now Arcata), a settlement on Humboldt Bay that was established as a provisioning center for mining camps in the interior. The Wells Fargo Messenger, July 1916, relates that, after an unsuccessful attempt to make a living in the gold camps, he signed on as a messenger with Wells Fargo & Co. Express. He guarded treasure boxes on stagecoaches for a few months, then gave it up to become the schoolmaster at a school near Sonora. He created his character Yuba Bill from his memory of an old stagecoach driver...........