Seth Lesser left New York for California in 1850, prodded by the prospect of enjoying fabulous riches spurred by news of the California Gold Rush. As he was a haberdasher, he knew nothing of prospecting for gold. He came upon the idea of becoming a prospector while reading the August 19, 1848 edition of the New York Herald, which announced broke news in the East Coast. He sold his haberdashery shop. Then off he went to the West, packing his pick and shovel. Always wanting to travel by sea, he rode a steamship.
On the way to California, many dreamers like Seth Lesser died. Having reached San Francisco in one piece was an accomplishment in itself for him. His ship sailed for eight months to the Isthmus of Panama, which connects North America to South America. As if surviving famine, typhoid fever and cholera were not enough, he traveled by mule through the jungle. Having reached the Pacific side of Panama, he waited for a ship that would take him to San Francisco.
When Seth Lesser arrived San Franciso, it was a booming town full of newly-established businesses. The place holds a lot of possibilities for him, even beyond the prospect of finding gold. He rented a room with his fellow-prospectors whom he met on his way. He then learned prospecting for gold, on the job, so to speak. His fellow-prospectors were lucky but he was not. He had to abandon his plan and decided to revert to being a haberdasher. As the population of San Francisco was rising, so was the demand for haberdashers. Seth Lesser became a successful and rich man, even though he did not find gold in the California Gold Rush.
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