Poems About Gold and More comments

I really don't totally understand the meaning of the poem, so if anyone out there could write it in the comments I would really apreciate it.

I like this poem, I think it is a comment on growing up: We take the bad with the good or some such idea. Here is why. Setting Where, what -San Fran, Gold Rush, town is dirty and there is always dust except when there is fog.

Everything is a little dirty. Picture an old west style ghost town or the new york subways. Who - a grown up or older child talking about his youth. "I was one of the children told"..what type of child would be told this info? The dirt coated everything they touched and interacted with, can you imagine? If it was just dirt, there would be no hope, but gold...possibly there...so much you are eating it. Well that is worth something, it makes you more of something. At least you think it does. -Thanks