During the Gilded Age, perceptions of American society did not always match reality. One of the most prominent myths at this time stated that if you worked hard, you will succeed. This tradition is distinguished in Horatio Alger's American fable "The World Before Him". Alger's stories suggest that the good fortune of those who have succeeded can be attributed to their hard work. The Captains of Industry used to say that the more a worker works, the more success he will achieve. The perception they wanted to show was that of myth, not reality. The harsh reality was that luck at work made an individual triumphant. Many immigrants came to America with the perception that it was the land of opportunity, that anything was achievable. Middle name?? in “Farmer's Problems 1865-1890,” “By 1890, prices of agricultural products had fallen to about half of what they were in 1865… most farmers responded to falling prices on an individual basis… the only so for them maintaining the same income level meant raising more the following year. The increase in production caused the prices to fall…...