# Higbie — Roughing It character guide

> Higbie in Roughing It by Mark Twain.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Mr. Higbie, staid and steadfast Higbie

**First appearance:** 0001-roughing-it

## Snapshot

A staid, steadfast miner and the narrator's partner, he stakes everything on a blind lead and a mysterious cement vein.

## Who they are

Higbie is the reliable partner whose one lapse—chasing the seductive rumor of a cement mine—costs the pair their claim. His tension is between his ordinarily dependable nature and the mining fever that no old prospector can resist. He matters because his missed note and broken-down horse turn the blind lead into a lesson about trust, timing, and the folly of leaving important matters to chance.

## In the story

### [Roughing It](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/roughing_it_se/chapters/roughing-it)

A steadfast companion in the mining endeavors, representing the earnest laborer.

### [XXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/roughing_it_se/chapters/xxvii)

Not directly named in this excerpt; the two young lawyers are Clagett and Oliphant, but Higbie is not mentioned.

### [XXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/roughing_it_se/chapters/xxix)

Mentioned as a younger partner who grows sick of the promiseless toil alongside the narrator.

### [XXXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/roughing_it_se/chapters/xxxv)

Implied as a companion in the mining venture, though not directly named in this excerpt.

### [XXXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/roughing_it_se/chapters/xxxvii)

Higbie recognizes Whiteman in town and helps organize the secret expedition; he struggles with packing the horse.

### [XXXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/roughing_it_se/chapters/xxxix)

Accompanies the narrator on the boat trip; his strength and daring save them when he jumps into the drifting boat.

### [XL](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/roughing_it_se/chapters/xl)

Suspicious of the Wide West ore, sneaks into the shaft, discovers the blind lead, and partners with the narrator and foreman to claim it.

### [XLI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/roughing_it_se/chapters/xli)

Returns too late to save the claim; had left a note for the narrator that went unread.

### [XLII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/roughing_it_se/chapters/xlii)

Persuades the narrator to try mining once more, but the attempt ends in frustration.

### [LXXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/roughing_it_se/chapters/lxxviii)

Possibly one of the friends consulted about the lecture; his steadfast nature contrasts with the narrator's panic.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/roughing_it_se/characters/higbie
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/roughing_it_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/roughing_it_se/characters