What sort of jobs did people do in 1850?

Answer 1

There were butchers, blacksmiths, post offfice masters, Timber merchants, sweet makers, grocers, photographers, Watch and clock makers, wheel wrights (makers), coach builders, stage companies, stablehands and the ostlers, tent makers, newsman, bakers and many others...(:

Answer 2

In the modern world, technology makes all sorts of mining easier and safer. An hundred years ago and more, however, mining for gold was a dangerous job that more times than not yielded few results. Most of those who attempted to mine for gold were poor and had little experience in the mining industry. They wanted to make a fortune without the interference of someone taking the best cut of the gold, so they stayed away from traditional mining companies, staked their claim on a piece of land and dug their way into the earth.

The start of any gold mining expedition began with getting at the easy-to-find gold. Panning was one of the standard methods to achieve this. By using the movement of a river, a miner could wash away the lighter materials and, hopefully, end up with some gold at the bottom of their pan. Later, a rocking cradle was used in a similar way, rocking gravel and water back and forth, sifting out the lighter elements and leaving the heavier gold behind.

Once the gold on the surface dried up, miners had to dig their way into the earth to find more. Using little more than a candle and a pick-axe, they made their way down long shafts. The shafts were often so long that they had to be lowered down in an ore bucket, a dangerous process that left them swaying and bobbing all the way to the bottom.

Once they were in the shaft, the real dangers began. There were no hard hats or other safety equipment readily available to most miners. Running into a pocket of methane could mean death by asphyxiation or a possible explosion. The lack of engineering knowledge that most miners possessed meant that cave-ins were another constant danger.

Whether a miner made his way into the ground on not, there were still dangers to be faced on the surface. Frequently there was little or no shelter to be had, exposing a miner to the elements for the duration of their outing. Claim-jumping was another common problem, as people sought to find the best land and take if for themselves. It was not a rare occurrence for a miner to get shot.

Though those who worked gold mine jobs for larger companies had to deal with fewer of these problems, they were not free of danger. Cave-ins were still a problem, as was the presence of methane. Most of the larger companies also used explosives to open up areas where gold deposits were located, which presented another possibility for miners to get injured or killed.

The unfortunate part of gold mining was that most of those who pursued it found nothing or very little. Also, due to their poor training and the less-technological methods they used in mining and separation, a majority of the gold was lost. Nowadays, everything is automated and gold mine jobs are much less hazardous. Back then, gold mining was more than just a job it was a serious commitment.

Answer 3

baker