Trama

Chimmie is sent to Death Valley, California as part of a railroad scheme. He's to pretend to have discovered gold there, then set a new transcontinental record heading East. It doesn't quite work out that way.

Irish Bowery lad Chimmie Fadden is engaged to Hortense--whom he calls "The Duchess"--the lovely French maid of his former employer, millionaire Van Cortlandt. When offered $10,000 to carry out an advertising campaign for Van Cortlandt's Western railroad, Chimmie agrees. As instructed, Chimmie travels to Death Valley, scatters gold nuggets around a deserted mine and reports a gold strike, which creates a sensation. When a government agent investigates, Chimmie arranges to be held-up, but Hortense and Miss Van Cortlandt, in San Francisco to see the Exposition, arrive and have the holdup men arrested. After bluffing the investigator, Chimmie, now famous, makes a record-breaking railway trip to New York to publicize the railroad. Exploiting the excitement, Van Cortlandt sells stock in the fake Chimmie Fadden Mining Company. When Chimmie's brother Larry tells Hortense of the swindle, she refuses to marry "a thief." Previously unaware of the company, Chimmie now returns the $10,000 to Van Cortlandt and tells the press about the scheme. Van Cortlandt returns the investments, and Hortense and Chimmie marry.—Pamela Short

Chimmie and the "Duchess," the little French maid at the Van Courtlandt house where Chimmie formerly worked, are engaged. He is offered $10,000 by Mr. Van Courtlandt to go to Death Valley, where he is supposed to find a gold mine, hire a special train and make a record-breaking trip to New York City as an advertising scheme planned by Mr. Van Courtlandt, vice-president of the Southwestern Railroad, and Preston, the advertising man. The "Duchess" and Miss Van Courtlandt start for the San Francisco Exposition about the same time. Being a Bowery boy, Chimmie has many amusing adventures on his way to the wild and woolly west. At a small town on the edge of Death Valley he procures a pack outfit and starts to find his supposed mine. Preston has given him several bags of gold nuggets, some of which he scatters about a small mine he finds and the balance he spends in the small town upon his return. The news of the supposed gold strike is spread broadcast and Chimmie is the idol of the hour. He becomes involved with a government inspector, who demands to see the mine and to save himself plans to be held up. Miss Van Courtlandt and the Duchess, hearing of Chimmie's strike, leave the Exposition and arrive just in time to have the hold-ups arrested before they can save Chimmie. Chimmie manages to bluff the government inspector and gets back safely to town. He orders the special train over the Southwestern and the party made their record-breaking trip east. Van Courtlandt and his companions, realizing the sensation the reported gold strike has created, decide to organize the Chimmie Fadden Mining Company and sell stock in the fake mine. Chimmie knows nothing about this until the day of the wedding, when his brother Larry tells the "Duchess" that the mine is a fake. The "Duchess," knowing that thousands of people have been victimized by the owners of the fake mine, calls him a Chimmie and refuses to marry him. Chimmie goes at once to Van Courtlandt, gives up the check for $10,000 and tells the newspaper reporters that the mine is a fake. Van Courtlandt and his companions are forced to return the money to the poor people who have bought their stock. Chimmie is heartbroken at having lost his money, his mine and his girl, and returns to his home. There the "Duchess," having found out the true situation, finds him.—Moving Picture World synopsis