The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-11-21
TWO wayne COUNTY
PEOPLE f|AO GOLD
Mr.. and Mrs. Thurston, Hag'
erstown, Wrest Fortune !
From Gold Fields. /
palladium Specially


HAGERsTOWN, Ind. Nov. 2l.-T.
l.. Thurston and wife. having amassed
q fortune in the gold fields OF Alaska,
have returned to visit relatives and to
renew old home scenes. T. L. Thurs
ton Is a son OF Dr. f. II. Thurston, OF
Hagerstown.
The Thurstons landed in Fairbanks,
Alaska, on July Is. 1905, practically
penniless. Fairbanks was two years
old. with q population Of three thous-
and. and being one of the chief centers
OF attraction OF the Alaska gold fields,
was growing at rapid rate. Every
line of business was represented, ana
money, figuratively speaking, grew on
business and trees.
Thurston got job at the docks
checking freight at 81 an hour, that
being the wages paid both common
and skilled labor. Thurston took ad-
vantage OF the long summer days that
prevail in Alaska. and worked from
twelve to eighteen hours day, which
was not unusual for the new and en-
thusiastic arrival.
Obtains Place In Bank.
Thurston was an expert accountant.
He applied the Fairbanks Banking
Company and was made head book
keeper OF the only bank in the town
at that time at 5000 month. Every
building was made of logs. and the
bank was a 20x30 log structure.
Mrs. Thurston wished to aid her
husband. Looking about the "City of
Logs she saw above q door the sign
The Fairbanks Daily News" and en-
tered the room just as the power press
was set in motion to run off the daily
issue, a six-column folio. She asked
for a place a. society editor. This
employed, for Fairbanks society even
then had its pink teas, receptions.
church fairs. etes The salary was good
and she Immediately began getting
copy for the nd days issue. The re-
suit Of her work was 4 big increase of
subscribers. Notwithstanding the sub
scription price Eas rs cents the single
copy.
Thurston began waking gold claims,
some Of which, now being exploited,
give such evidence OF riches that the
repeated offer Of 500. 1000 for a prom
Using claim has not been considered.
When prospectors returned to Fair
banks with reports OF big pay" on
Flat creek, the Thurstons joined the
stampede. Out from Dawson, Nome
and Fairbanks went large numbers,
and on May 4. 1909. the gold seekers
camped on the Iditarod. five hundred
miles southeast of Fairbanks. A city
OF tents. to which they gave the name
Of the river. rose in a day and shelf
cred five thousand people. In two
months 1ditarod was full-fledged city
and her citizens demonstrated their
loyalty by rousing celebration on
the Fourth Of July.
At Iditarod, as at Fairbanks, the
Thurstons staked gold claims. Mrs
Thurston, clad in moccasins. hood and
coat, Of reindeer fur, was her hus-
bands companion on many long and
perilous tramps. They report great
yields Of gold. $3.50O.0OO being sent
out from Iditarod last summer, with
prospects of that amount being dou-
bled the coming summer.
Luck Follows Them.
Almost from the time OF their land
ing In Alaska luck followed the Thurs
tons. A gold nugget outlining the form
OF the letter r, which Mrs. Ihurston
found ON visit to placer mine soon
after landing at Fairbanks, she de-
clares Is their taliSman. This nugget
she wears attached to a chain and so
strong 10 her faith in its magical in
fluence that money will not tempt her
to part with it.
Thurston IL postmaster OF the Idita-
rod office and Mrs. Thurston is his
deputy. Mail is received once a week.
During the winter season the mail is
tQken in by dog teams, which make
tho trip from Fairbanks. a distance of.
five hundred miles, in eight days. The
amount OF mail carried by each team
10 from five hundred to one thousand
pounds. Miners will tramp three hun.
dred miles to lditarod. through snow
and storm for their mail
More than One-half OF the worlds