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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (March 31, 1901)
David David 12. Thompson, whose picture ap pears on this page, emtio within four votes of being United StateB senator from Ne braska. He received tlie short term call eus nomination and for several days re ceived Uuj solid vote of those who mrttclpntcd In the caucus held under the Wilkinson call. It was his withdrawal from the rnco In favor of Governor Charles II. Dietrich that hroKo the senatorial deadlock. David Kugeno Thompson is n typlcnl self mado man. lie has won his way from pov erty and obscurity to wealth and promi nence by sheer force- of character and dogged determination. Ho cntno to Nebraska thirty years ago friendless and without means other than his muscle. It la told of him that lie went out on his first trip :is a hrakeman without eating because lie l.nd no money to buy food. It Is uot at all Improbable that from ' Tthls personal experience with the chill of penury much of his lib erality arises. His charity, at uny rate, 1ms never been stinted, and has only been questioned by tils enemies. Theso have al leged that ho never thought of being charitable until lie be came. Imbued with tho Idea of being senator. His friends re count many tales to show how ho has aided poor men and women with no hope of reward, and long beforo ho was even ro notoly connected with party leadership. His political curcer, up till two years ago, when ho entered tho sonatorlr.l contest, was con llnod almost solely to tho local Lincoln arena. Theio lie made himself felt, and accumulated as cholco a collection of hard working opponents as any am bitious politician might wish. It is not known if ho ever studied Whistler's "(Jcntlo Art of Mak ing Enemies," but ho certainly succeeded. Ho also succeeded in establishing himself as the animating power of Lancaster county political affairs. Dur ing tho campaign of last fall lie took a keen and active Interest for the first time In statu polities, realizing that on the election of a republican legis lature depended his chances for going to tho United States senate. UN lllrtli mill HiiMiiieNN 1,1 U- . D. 13. Thompson was born In llinnch county, Michigan, Feb ruary, l!54. lloth parents died before ho was U years of age. From that tlmo until la years old ho lived with an undo In the village of Coldwuter, Mich. At 13 years of ago ho went to learn tho watchmaker's trade in Hillsdale and worked at this trade In Hillsdale and Jackson till 17 years of ago. At 17 ho came to Nebraska and entered tho service of tho Hurllngton lailroad aa freight house truck man In Lincoln. After a few mouths of this work ho entered train service on tho same road as hrakeman. After one year's service ns brakemun ho was mado freight conductor, and nfter two years of this work on tho Burlington ho was taken to tho Santa Fo load by C. F. , Morse, who had been general superintendent of tho Hurllngton and had gone to tho Sunta Fo In tho same capacity, Thompson's llrst s-ervlco on tho Santa Fo was that of passenger conduc tor. At this tlmo ho was 21 years of age. Threo years later ho returned to tho Burling ton road as trainmaster. One year from that tlmo ho was mado assistant division supur- intondont, and in nnother year superintendent of ubout 1,100 miles of lino of tho Hurllngton road, with headquarters In Lin coln. Ho remained In this capacity till 1890, when ho left tho railroad servlco to look after personal interests, and this ho is still doing. Tho personal In V torests requiring his attention liavo been as follows: Two farms in Nobrnska; tho Farm ers' and Merchants' Iusuranco company, In Lincoln, of which ho was president from near tho tlmo of Its organization In 18S5 until sold to an eastern syndi cate in ISM; president of the , com (ias and Kiectrlc since their consolidation organization In 18'jO until sold In early part of the present year; a largo plantation and cnttlo ranch In Old Mexico president of the Aurora State bank Aurora, Neb.; and sine the forep. r' this year, when the Columbia Flro nnco company of Onmlia wos organized, resident. In addition to vo named there have nus smaller ones. una uuuil ns presm ntlolrs as nbov nml n.t n,,..tnHn..H 1 .......vi.MiB B.iiiiiier ones. II U A ll 10 (lie .Soldier. Many stories nro told nf Mr Thmm.wa when "taps" was sounded. Just nbout an on giving his name, ho wns handed an charities " On net T nfterwards tho sentry at the main envelopo-tho most dreaded thing in the Public attention to his methods ore " a ",,rl" Mnc" l" VMo nllowe,, n Borvlc0' ,Ilol,,n1', nf "m'"" ? S any other, probably, wais when ho g v" w'llo of men to pass because of a tele- the fatal missive In the olllce. and went $20,000 to osslst In provld ng snecla tra ns r' 'nll!l nno of thfm caM 1,1 ouU,,l- ()VT thP " 'uf"nn' " ''''""".'i to bring tho First NiraskavoltS very few moments Nebraska. I'ennsyl- ntlon ho tore open ho envelope and from San Francisco. It Is nn old story In vn,,ln n,1,, ro Joining In cheers nut dropped n pass to his home In Illinois. i Eugene Thompson His Nebraska, how the fund had languished until It had all hut failed, and the word was sent on to tho regiment. Just mustered out of the service of the United States, that It was a case of pay fare or walk. Nearly J.lii.ooo was needed, and onlv some $10,000 of ilils sum had been raised when I). I!. Thompson walked Into !overnor l'oynter's olllce one Saturday afternoon In August, lM.ii. and asked him how much was needed to pay for the trains. I wenty thousand Uiil III i n, 1 1'jii 11 (i 1 hit kim ri 11 in 111 u in" Fpon.leut tone, having despaired of securing the fund Mr. Thompson quietly lilted out n check for that amount and handed It to nit1 mivci inn was over. "" "M" "" l"l,"B In the meantime the Nebraska boys had gone lo bed at the l'resldlo In anything tint a pleasant frame of mind, They were 4-- . - mmmmm. DAVID K. THOMPSON-CAUCUS Liu- only waiting tho final order that should his early struggles ui ui me mo- u.uy waning luu nnui inner nun ouuuiu inn nj - Light company turn them out of their comfortable tents parents lived In Illinois, came in from I.U atlon nnd ro- and set them homeless on tho streets of run one day and was handed a tel. groin tho o San Francisco. All efforts to secure rates telling him his father was .lying, me poor r below tho established figures had railed, and fellow had Just gone to work, and had no . .. . 1...... 11.. onnia nni ..ffnr.1 iii elvo 1111 his sugar of by tho Southern l-aclfic. Serious talk or mnrchlng across Cnlliomla and Nevada Insiir - nii.m ,..no imr,i -Wn imvn hlld-ii nrrnss "Thn old nmn wants to seo you." Ni.w he Luzon," said the boys, "and Nevada such bo ' much worse. Wo' were getting been with Agglo then, and now Is a chnnco to ,.. with a railroad company." It ,,ven wltli a ra mail comnanv in this mood they had nut out tho for Davo Thompson. None of them knew the man, unless maybe it was the Lltu oln man. and few of them had heard of him. but all knew what to say about the man who put up $20,000 to help pay for train to haul a regiment over !oo miles of i mountains and desert All Nebraska knows tho rest. l.ln fur 11 llriiKcimiii ()f Mr -,.,,, ,m,hlHis Wu, ,.,,.. mmi mli, l.om,lll.tlir mmy Ht))rl(, an. ,,,, lutl nil tn lltitutftilit tint iixfalal utii'ii ullh m, ,,,.,, ((, ttusluess. When In a 0,.,,it ., ..i,,,..,.,! ..r.1,,1-.. i.i.i bowi,(, (,ri,nl ,,,,,. At4 nll m,M,r ,lf ,,, company he was a strict disciplinarian, an I exacted the closest attention to inles and orders from tils men. He was looked upon as a hard taskmaster, but on at least 1 11 occasion he showed he had not forgot t n NOMINIJK FOIt SHOUT TKUM UN1TF.D A brakemun, whose of position, and was In a quandary as to wlm to to do, when 11 call hoy come to him will, can't "tho old man" doesn't often send ror lunk oven men. nnd not ninny hrnkemen relish being get called Into his presence. With a sense of was added sorrow the hrakeman made his way lights to tho ofneo of the superintendent. Here Life and Ambition good for twenty dn-. ami a $20 Mil II- hail no trouble .11 ranging whh tie nnin master for a leave of ab-.ti. c Thai M.ik. man Is still In I he sctii.c of Hie coi,i..iii not as a brukcituii however, bin l i: uompMin nemo. an unowicig if ih transaction I!i'iii'kIiiii fur tin' hllilren. During the time of the Trnusinlsslsslppl i:piisitloii In 1 he summer of lvv an c citrslou for school chtldieit was inn from Lincoln to timiiha It was noticed that a gieat many vvcto net able to Join the merry throng that pulled out from the Capital Cltv depot that morning. Their wistful faces madu a strong contrast to It the bright eos and ll,is 1 Hat laughed In our anticipation of a day amid the glorious for splendors and marvelous wonders of the cposlllou lleie Is another place where Oavo Thompson astonished the public He STATICS SUNATOIt. quietly mado his iirrangeiiientH and uti - mimical that he wimbi run a special train to Omaha to (tiny all the children of 1,111.0111 wi.ovveiu no ...... ... .um- . unable to Join the school excursion, high hundred vcitnus ers ook back with fond tomombninco to tho day when they were guests id the millionaire, who provided he train and nnld all their expenses at the gaio and In tho grounds, besides giving each a dollar to spend ns fanry might die- tate. Ills outing for the working women of Lincoln lit Heatrlco last summer Is too upon her eltsiw ami speaking witu inigu recent history to need recounting here, emphasis. "You remember what my am Ho provided accommodations and paid all bltlim has been for months? W-woll" expeitbes ror 100 mothers and children tor sobblng-"I cut both bloomers r.ir one leg, a week of romp and picnic on the batiks of and It wns a remtiaul and I can't match It tho Hlite. any whore." Such huvo been some of his public acts. "My child," said her mother solemnly. Of his unrecorded charities very little Is "your trouble Is Indeed too great lo bear." known. Ills frletiils sa that he has helpc.l overs body In his quiet wa. but Mr Thompson doesn't talk about these tilings He Is a big. Id 11 IT man. with much of the way of a ralltoad man still sticking to htm His business methods are the ilticct nties learned III the strenuous school of active ralltoad wotk lilt political cam palgtis are cat l ied oil us are tils business alfairs, qttletb and energetically. On one point his fi lends and foes agio He Is a rental kahlo man Homelike M pi socles lleslmi Courier Mrs Font Ihhtishaud 1. teally true, as the papers Intimate, th.i. United Stales senators frequentl) la.l. the mere purpose of killing lime'.' Mr. FourtliliiiHb.iinl No quest Ion of n lity dear Mts F What a reprehensible practice. In tie sine Mr V (mindful of the fate of Ills pi edeccHserl 'ci Hue. bill theio are gt eater oll'etidersv urn local ceinclcrv hears litttliunm to I lie existence ul inure f.iml talkers tlniti those whom von license. Detlolt .lout mil' The agi i fanner ami his wife wept fm their tci leant daughter. "Oil, how cruel nf her! moaned the mother, and wiling her hands. "Yen, II will cost all of $10 to get her picture enlarged 111 eiayoii suitably for being liiiued towatd the wall!" sobbed the father, tucking to and fro. The sight of such terrible gl let had the ellecl of composing (he woman, somewhat. She felt that It was het part to be brave, and she went over and kissed her husband's throbbing brow, and bade him be of good cheer At a small coiililty chinch in Ihigliind a new I) married couple wcto just leeching some advice from the oldcilv vicar as to how they were to loudilcl tlioluschcH, mid so alwa)s live happily. "You must never both git cross at once; It Is tho bus hand's duly to pioteet his wife whenever an occasion arisen, mill a wife iiiusi love, honor and obey her husband ami follow hllll whelevor lie goes." "Hut, sir" pleaded (ho young hi hie. "1 haven't yet llulshed," le marked (ho clergyman, annoyed at Ihu Interruption. "She must" "Hut, please, sir (in dcspcia lion), can't you alter the last part? My husband Is going to lie a postman." A young man look Ills gold watch to a fashionable Chestnut street Jewelry establishment re cently to have tho photograph of 11 young woman placed In th" case, reports tho riilludolphla Iteeord. lie JilBt wanted It pasted 1111. "Why don't you have It pho tographed directly on tho In side id the case'.'" asked the salesman. "Wo can have It done for you for $ri, and It la so much more artistic." No; tho young man didn't want that. Ho thought It would bo well enough In huvo It pasted In. "You see, you can't always tell about lliese things," ho Dually said In a burst of cun lldenco. "You can't always lull how thuy are going to turn out, or how long they aio going to last. A friend of mine had his Kill's picture photographed on lila watch and then, after a Willie, tho whole thing was de clined off. It put him to a lot of trouble, einbariassiiieiit and expense. When It's just pasted In, If anything happens, all you huvo to do Is Just to scrape It ir. 1 guess I'll have this pasted In." Tho brldo o"f it brief nionlli etoiiehed In a corner of a dlvnn crouched among her gorgeous pillows, while tliu hitter tears streamed down and stained the delicate fabrics, relates Leslie's Weekly. This was thu end of her young amhitlons, her bravo efforts to mako life 0110 grand, sweet song. As sho uttored 0110 last sigh of despair , ., ... her mother entered the ri on and 1 w to tho dlvati, ''''"ting ),or arms about tun ' ',""'. . . . cr((, My da lug gU 1. at is 1 alio cri. . "Conlldo In your mother. What Is it tnui. th is wr lugs y. r I. art .,....,,. N-nothlng, ma, n-nothlng. H but it is all over.' "What Is all over?" questioned the mother In allright. abusc.l ''' M. ma, sul.l 1.0 In allright. "Has your husband bride, raising herself