Complex sentence: Pliny Fisk Gardner was born during the 1830s and migrated to California during the 1850s where he made his living as a gambler, earning a reputation as a hard character.
Split into simpler sentences: Pliny Fisk Gardner was born during the 1830s. He migrated to California during the 1850s where he made his living as a gambler, earning a reputation as a hard character.