Kalish’s depiction of a gold prospector is unusual, because this prospector looks worn down rather than the typical portrayals of rugged, idealized frontiersman about to strike it rich. Kalish’s "Gold Prospector" shows the reality that men faced when they realized that none of them would ever find that nugget. Many of these men would eventually end up in debt. In reality, those who did gain a lifetime of fortune were not in the gold fields panning, but merchants selling tools and supplies to the prospecting men, such as Levi Strauss and Studebaker Wheelbarrows.