In 1849, the year after gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill in California, the famous California Gold Rush began.  Tens of thousands of people poured in to the territory, newly acquired in the Mexican War.  These people were referred to as “49ers”, claiming land all over California, prospecting for gold, sure they would strike it rich.  Most of them didn’t, but stayed anyway. Finding gold wasn’t the only way to strike it rich, of course.  The English-born businessman Joshua A. Norton understood this.  He came to California in 1849 with $40,000 (which is the equivalent of about $1.2 million today).  Instead of gold, Norton decided to strike it rich in rice. Norton didn’t farm rice, but he bought and sold it: he was a commodities trader, and did pretty well for himself.  By 1853, he’d turned his $40,000 into $250,000 (the modern equivalent of $3 million).  He saw an opportunity to make really big money during a rice shortage that year and ...