The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-11-11
COME FROM ALASKA.
Members of Brown Family in
Reunion in Argentine.

Argentine, Kan, Nov. 1.-THE old
Brown homestead, one mile south OF
Argentine. was the scene of happy
family reunion Tuesday, in which the
eight children of Mr.. and Mrs. G.. W.
Brown met at the home fireside for the
first time in more than thirty years
Three of the sons journeyed from the
gold fields of northern Alaska that they
might see once more their aged parents
and visit the scenes of their childhood
In the group were thirteen grandch1l-
dren, one of whom, the infant daughter
of Mr.. and Mrs. George T. Brown, was
born within 200 miles of the Arctic
circle.
Two of the sons brought their young
wives. who for several years nave
shared the rigorS of the far north WITH
them. remarkable feature IS that
only once since Mr.. and Mrs. Brown
were married. has death invaded the
family circle and there has not been
death in the family in the last forty
years.
The three sons and their wives from
the Klondike who were present were:
Charles H. Brown of Council city,
Alaska; j. c. Brown or Nome, formerly
Of Eagle City, Alaska, of which town he
was mayor for several years; and Geo.
T. Brown, from the FOrty-mile district
south of Dawson City. The other chill
dren at the reunion were r. b. Brown,
a contractor, living on a farm one-halt
mile north of the old homestead; Mrs.
J. r. Cannon, also of Wyandotte coun-
ty: Mrs. Mary Peart of Los Angeles,
Cal; Robert w. Brown. chief clerk In
the trainmaster's office of the Santa Fe
railroad at Argentine. and John H
Brown, who is unmarried and lives at
home with his parents.
Mr.. and Mrs. G. W. Brown are both
natives of Virginia. They came to Wy
andotte county, Kansas, from Texas
overland in a prairie schooner in 1870
and camped near the site of their pres
ent home. At that time the cities of
Argentine and Rosedale were not in
existence and Westport, Mo, was the
nearest postoffice. The country suited
their fancy and the Browns looked
about for a farm. They purchased the
homestead they now own from shaw
nee Indian squaw, Nancy Blue jacket,
who at the time was building herself a
little home on the site of the present
Brown farm house. As part cons1dera-
ton for the purchase they allowed the
Indian woman to live on the place,
which she refused to leave. she lived
in a little hut near the Brown home I'M
til she died, six years later. at the age
of 60 Her body now lies buried IN the
old orchard back of the farm house ana
the Browns have cared for her grave IN
the years that have followed. she was
the last of her tribe to leave that VI
cinity, the other Shawnee Indians, VINO
were numerous in the early '1Os, having
moved to the reservation in the 1ndlan
Territory.
The son George was the first to go
to the northern gold fields. He Went
TO the FortV-mile district south on
Dawson City, in 1895. He was in the
country when gold was discovered IN
the K1ondike in the fall of 1896. he
figured in several accidents. when
gave him the name of "I1oodoo"
Brown. While returning from the
Kiondike in 1901 to Seattle on the
steamer Islander. the ship was
wrecked off Douglass island and he
barely escaped with his life, losing
$4,000 in gold dust taken from his
mine A year later the steamer Cot
tage City, on which he was pas
his way to Seattle to meet the woman
who was to become his wife. The
young woman was Miss Anna Tate. OF
1900 Euclid avenue. Kansas City. who
went to Seattle to meet Mr.. Brown
and to marry him. She afterWard
went to Alaska with her husband and
remained with him until they returned
last week to attend the reunion
J. c. Brown. who, with his wife. has
spent several years in Nome, struck
a number of rich prospects and is now
the owner of some paying mining
properties in that district He says
that Nome is a city of $4,000 people in
the summer months but that in win
ter it's inhabitants all go south. ex-
cepting about $500 He says that in
the KIondike this winter the principal
fuel is crude OIL which is shipped in
from the United States. Coal brings
costs but half that much. The latest
find in the country north of Nome. he
says. is rich deposit of tin. He says
that within the past year millions of
dollars have been invested in tin mines
in that region.