“Did you know that Charles Anderson, the old man who’s pushing a wheelbarrow for $3.25 a day at the sawmill once was a successful gold digger?

They say that he woke up one morning in Klondike in 1894 only to discover that he had bought a worthless claim for $800. He had been drunk and couldn’t remember anything about it! But that’s where he found his gold. A million dollars’ worth!”

He invested the whole fortune in real estate in San Francisco. Then came 1906, and it all crumbled into nothing.

The Lucky Swede they call him! Lucky? Poor guy!”

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Juma
Juma(@juma)
2 years ago

Congratulations on a wonderful story, Christer! I love the line that says his fortune “crumbled into nothing”. This sounds like it could be a true story, but it’s also an allegory – great writing! By the way, I think you were the one who first introduced the idea of a 100-word contest, right? Many thanks to The Voice Club and the entire group who came up with this fabulous idea:  Carrie OLeary… Read more »

Carrie OLeary
Carrie OLeary(@carrie-oleary)
2 years ago

Great story Christer. Sounds very much like the O’Leary breed of luck 🙂

Linda Rock
Linda Rock(@linda-rock)
2 years ago

My gut feeling told me this was a true story Christer. I find a rags to riches story fascinating and absolutely loved this one. Well done on capturing his life in 100 words. The earthquake itself was devastating but to lose all his investments would have brought another man to his knees. I love how you say in your earlier comment that he kept his optimism. I like this man! Great story.

Eric Radcliffe
Eric Radcliffe(@eric-radcliffe)
2 years ago

Hi! Christer, reading the comments below lets you see how diverse we all are, in just 100 words we see the many different aspects to this story Christer, all of which are down to your arrangement and choice of words – We tend to think poor man, but then it depends on whose eyes you are looking through. I had a chuckle when I read that he had been drunk and didn’t… Read more »

Last edited 2 years ago by Eric Radcliffe
Susan Dawson
Susan Dawson(@susan-dawson)
2 years ago

Just looked it up to realise why it crumbled! This site can be a real history lesson at times, Christer.

Danielle Burke
Danielle Burke(@danielle-burke)
2 years ago

To be able to take a life story and condense it into 100 words is truly amazing. I really enjoyed the personable tone of the narrator as well.

Marianna Pieterse
Marianna Pieterse(@marianna-pieterse)
2 years ago

Christer, I have learned something new today. I did not know of Charles Anderson or his life story. I can picture two people looking on as he pushes his wheelbarrow and one tells the other what he knows or has heard of Charles Anderson. You have done a lot with only 100 words. Stories like these make me think I need to read up on history more! This is a great story.

Marianna Pieterse
Marianna Pieterse(@marianna-pieterse)
Reply to  Christer Norrlof
2 years ago

I sometimes wonder if the way people seem to easily forget horrendous things that had taken place, isn’t perhaps some sort of survival mechanism, if that makes sense? Instead of reminding themselves of it, they rather focus on something else, something more positive, in order to overcome it? I might be completely wrong, of course!

Lotchie Carmelo
Lotchie Carmelo(@lotchie-carmelo)
2 years ago

I believe and am convinced that this was based on a real story because many people are fortunate but in the end, they crumbled into nothing.

Lotchie Carmelo
Lotchie Carmelo(@lotchie-carmelo)
Reply to  Christer Norrlof
1 year ago

Absolutely. You’re welcome. Hope to read more from you here. I love and enjoy reading and commenting here.

Katy Bizi
Katy Bizi(@katy-bizi)
1 year ago

Luck is a funny thing: It stumbles upon our lives at unsuspected times and makes fate shine upon us, but it also leaves us when we least expect it. Your story, Christer, is a good reminder of that! Well done!

Katy Bizi
Katy Bizi(@katy-bizi)
1 year ago

I do have a question, though, after reading the comments. Is this story based on particular events of someone’s life?

Katy Bizi
Katy Bizi(@katy-bizi)
Reply to  Christer Norrlof
1 year ago

That is really interesting, I will have to search about this man and found out more about the background and inspirations of this story.

Katy Bizi
Katy Bizi(@katy-bizi)
Reply to  Christer Norrlof
1 year ago

Τhank you, I’ll be sure to check it out!

Alan Kemister
Alan Kemister(@alan-kemister)
1 year ago

Hello Christer, interesting story, fellow’s luck goes up and down several times in the course of 100 words. Quite a trick. I was puzzled by your use of the term gold digger. In American slang a gold digger is someone who befriends someone with the intent of extorting money from them – usually a woman marrying a rich guy for his money. Did you have that connotation in mind when you used… Read more »

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