From Farm to Fortune; or, Nat Nason's Strange Experience

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

22565

Title

From Farm to Fortune; or, Nat Nason's Strange Experience

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

A classic Horatio Alger tale of a poor country boy who leaves his miserly uncle to seek fortune in the city. Nat Nason faces swindlers, mistaken identities, and hard work, ultimately discovering a hidden inheritance that transforms his life from struggle to success.

Summary up to 500 words

In *From Farm to Fortune; or, Nat Nason's Strange Experience* by Horatio Alger, Jr., a sixteen-year-old orphan named Nat Nason endures the harsh life of a farmhand under his miserly uncle, Abner Balberry. Living in Ohio, Nat works from dawn to dusk with little food or freedom, dreaming of a better life in the city. His patience breaks after a quarrel involving spilled milk and a denial of supper; he resolves to leave the farm. Nat obtains a sum of money by accident but is quickly swindled by a sharp operator named Nick Smithers, who tricks him out of his savings. This experience teaches the young boy the dangers of the city and the importance of caution. Nat secures employment as a private clerk for Mr. Garwell, where he demonstrates persistence and integrity. Through his diligence, he eventually uncovers a legal claim to a valuable tract of land near Central Park, originally owned by his grandfather. After exposing Smithers' fraud and seeing the swindler imprisoned, Nat's share of the land is valued at sixty thousand dollars. Upon turning twenty-one, Nat becomes a wealthy man. True to his character, he generously shares his fortune with his uncle, his employer, and his old friend Dick Talcott. The story concludes with Nat forming a successful real estate partnership and settling down in New York City, having risen from poverty through hard work and moral fortitude. The narrative highlights themes of perseverance, the contrast between country and city life, and the reward of honesty.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

Download URL

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/22565.epub.noimages

Local file path

data/epubs/pg22565.epub

Removed after upload

Downloaded at

2026-07-07 00:08 UTC

Categories

• Adventure
• Fiction
• New York History