$59.92

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ISBN: 978-1-894475-46-4

Gesner’s Dream presents the first-ever comprehensive account of New Brunswick’s lively mining heritage. This romantic, entertaining and ultimately triumphant tale covers three centuries. Read how gypsum smugglers took on customs officers by moonlight. Hear about 19th-century mine developers who threatened their competition with fists in the boardroom and pistols in the field. Meet characters such as Alfred Markham, the fabulous New Brunswicker who survived shipwreck, underground explosion and fire to become one of the most successful – and well-loved – mine managers in Canada. Learn how M.J. Boylen really managed to accumulate nearly one thousand claims in northern New Brunswick … and how his coup prompted the Bathurst Staking Rush of 1953 – the largest staking extravaganza in Canadian history.
Gesner’s Dream is titled after Abraham Gesner, the tragic and eccentric mid-Victorian geologist and inventor. In 1839 he predicted that New Brunswick would become a famous mining centre. This book tells the story of how his prediction – his dream – came true. Beautifully illustrated with photos gathered from archives and attics across the province, it also contains seven coloured maps including Gesner’s previously unpublished geology map of New Brunswick (as modified by James Robb). Gwen Martin studied geology at the University of Toronto and Memorial University of Newfoundland. She has worked since 1975 as a journalist, editor, educator, tour guide and author specializing in Canada’s natural and cultural history.
Softcover – 328 pages, 140 photos, 7 coloured maps (2003)