A Reunited Heir in a Gambling Den
Thirty years after a pioneer staked his claim, a wandering son is tracked down in a Spokane gambling house to collect his inheritance.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
SPOKANE, Dec. 30—An heir to valuable property was discovered today in a romance of the frontier. Thirty years ago, a man named Padden located property near present-day Whatcom. He died several years ago, leaving several children. Anthony, his son, was the only one who had not yet reached majority. Four years ago, he left home in anger and has been rambling throughout the West. The family property became quite valuable, prompting an uncle, T. W. Padden, to begin a search. He tracked the wandering heir to Spokane and found him tonight inside a gambling resort, where he had gone as a spectator. The young man learned for the first time that his sister was attending the seminary of the Sisters of the Holy Name nearby. Anthony Padden's share of the estate is valued at $13,000.
“He tracked the wandering heir to Spokane and found him tonight inside a gambling resort.”
This story highlights the volatile nature of land value and family fortunes in 1890s Washington. The 'wandering heir' trope remains a staple, but the transition from Whatcom (Bellingham) farmland to the urban center of Spokane illustrates the rapid development of the state at the time.
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