By Shore and Sedge

Bret Harte

1836–1902

Best known for bringing Gold Rush California vividly to life, this 19th-century writer mixed humor, pathos, and sharp observation in stories that helped shape the American short story. His frontier tales, especially "The Luck of Roaring Camp" and "The Outcasts of Poker Flat," made him one of the most widely read authors of his day.