Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-12-07

7 ~. I IlIINH Y anu INC ollNl NHh ~
~ rJ/j#4AS be a member Of the
81. <ZsE%Sl United States SEN
[/feD II ~, ate.
lCaY, IN VI These were the
IlSfti ~ 80 words Of Mr.. John
NJ. Thurston, the man who takes Gen.
Manderson's place at Washington this
week as the new Senator from Nebraska.
They we're uttered last night during a
long chat which had with him In his
rooms at the Arlington Hotel. had
asked him number Of questions about
his life and he had told me how starting
as a poor boy he had worked his way
up the ladder OF fame aud fortune. He
is now, you know. one Of the most
prominent men OF the west. For years
he has been one Of the greatest OF our
lawyers. His legal income has run into
the tens Of thousands OF dollars a year,
and he has for years been the chief coun.
sci Of the Union Pacific railroad. His
first ambition was long since attained
lie has now for the hrst time realized
bis second ambition, as the representa-
tive OF one OF our greatest states in the
United States Senate.
Before give you the story OF his life
as he told Il to me let me describe his
looks. Picture to yourself a slender,
Misunderstanding man Of about six feet
Let him be we'll dressed and well
eroomed. His black silk ha, Is OF the
latest block. His prince albert coat was
evidently cut by broadway tailor and
his pantaloons show a decided crease.
His hair is as black as his polished boots.
II Is cut long, and Is combed rather
carefully across his scalp above high,
full forehead, with Just suspicion OF
badness. Let this man have eyes OF
the deepest blue and let his long, thin
face be intellectual In It's cast Let his
complexion be dark and rosy, and let
the face make you think more OF a
college professor than OF a great lawyer
and OF the chief representative Of the
politicians OF one Of the livellest and
toughest states OF the Union, and you
have a fairly good idea OF John NJ,
Thuraon, the new United States Sena.
tor from Nebraska. II you could chat
with him you would find him man OF
much personal magnetism lie has
melodious voice and a good, healthy
laugh. He talks freely and he tells a
good story. lie is man OF ideas,
and after he has passed through the
apprenticeship which the older Sena-
tors make all young men undergo before
they are permitted to do much In The
Senate chamber he will probably show
himself TO be one OF the ablest and most
influential men OF that body.
A FAMILY or FARMERS.
Iasked Senator Thurs,on to tell me
something about his ancestry, and
especially as to where the name Thurs
ton came from.
He replied 81 don't care much about
genealogy. think II is more important
TO know what a man is than what his
ancestors have been. AS for Thurston,
the name is Scandinavian. II originally
meant Thors-stein, which, translated, Is,
| believe, the son Of Thor. My ances.
tors came from Scandinavia to England.
They emigrated to America about 1896
Va Tue nltlt sup MARY AANNtt anu tut
FIRST Thufstons landed at Newburyport.
Some Of the family took part In the
revolutionary war, ana they were, be.
lieve, very respectable people. BY the
time my father appeared ON the scene
they had driited as far west as Vermont,
and II was in that state that was born.
What did your father do, SENATOR"
asked.
"He was a farmer, as his father and
grandfather had been before him, There
were, IN Tact, seven generations Of
farmers in my line before my father tried
TO make a living out Of the poor land on
the Vermont mountains lie added,
however, the tanning Of leather to the
tlllng OF the soil, and in time he saved
a few thousand dollars. This he took
with him and went west to invest Il in
real estate and to grow up with the
country. | was lust seven years old at
the time We LEFT Vermont We first
settled at Madison, Wis, and thence
went to Beaver Dam, where By a series
OF unsuccessful investments my father
lost all he had"
now ONE nov GOT AN EDUCATION,
"Where did you 30 to school, Sena.
tori"
81 had a hard time TO get an eduga.
ton" replied Senator Thurston. u
went 10 the common schools at Madison
and Beaver Dam, and aherward worked
my way through a small college In
Wisconsin, The most OF my schooling
was during the spring and fall. My
summers aud winters were devoted TO
work.
What kind OF work, SENATOR
IAN kinds" was the reply. 81 did
anything ! could get to do. worked
with my father ON the farm, and / re.
member ] once made a lot OF money
making a fence. got twelve cents a
rod, and have made as high as forty
rods day; which any fence maker wifi
tell you IS pretty good work. The fence
was OF boards. The posts had TO be
snnken in the ground, and four boards
nailed on to them and another board ON
TOP The posts must be OF an even
length and most OF them had to be sag
ed of after they were set. made con.
Siderable in this way, but the chief part
OF my income came from hunting and
hshI,ng' which carried on in the win.
asked. ""'''''
We Gshed through the ice, was the
ieply' There is large lake near The