New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-07-10
Ief rhemp.on at Home.

General Thompson, Louisiana's distin-
guished chief engineer, has recently paid q
visit to St. Joseph, Missouri, his former
home, and has been cordially received by
his old friends in that place. His many
friends and admirers here will read with
far more than ordinary interest the follow
ing account of his early history, dating
from the time of his first arrival in St. JO-
seph. 1t is taken from the Daily Comm er-
rial of the thirtieth ultimO, published in
that city:
In le47, Meriwether Thompson, q slim
aud gre en- boy, but with au energy that was
irrepressible and spirit that was as buov-
ant E : the winds Of orr prairies, Settled"
in Liberty, Missouri. In lS47 he came to
st. Joseph, salesman in the lead 7g house
of Middleton & Perry. How he worked for
this house only old citizens familiar with
About this time he married Miss Hays of
Liberty. Later he went on business for the
firm named to Salt Lake, when the whole
region between here and there was an In
dian country and the trip had seldom or
never been made by solitary traveller and
never bv one unacuuainted with the plains
and Mountains After some elk months he
returned in safety to h's family end friends.
In 1852 he was at .ched to the work on
the Hannibal and st. Joseph railroad. He
went first as q chain bearer, commissary.
cook or in any capacity that was open, per-
forming every character of work that he
might be with the enterprise in which he
felt so deep an interest and that ne might
take the first step in the profession which
he then foresaw was to become so impor-
tant in this country, and in which his name
has become so widely known. In the field,
at night, at the camp FIRE, everywhere he
studied civil engineering. So on followed
employment in the higher cape .ivies. He
was made city engineer Of ST. Joseph in
1855.
Later he surveyed the lines of several OF
our now most important railroads. The
Marysville branch of the Plat, country,
the st. Joseph and Denver, the St. Joseph
and Topeka, and the other lines were all
| first surveyed by JEFF Thompson. He sur
veyed for the government a large dis,ric,
| N Nebraska, performing the work with q
celerity and 'curacy which were r1rival
| ed. He proje CT ID the river improvements
| which now stand at the foot Of Water and
| Second streets, and which saved the whole
front of the city from the incursions of the
Missouri river.
| In 1858 he went into the real estate busi
| ness and it is no disparagement to others t.
saw that he was the liveliest real estate mar
who ever sold corner lots in this land o.
vast papu towns. No steamboat, rail cal
| or stage coach ever crossed the State O
Missouri without being flooded with "Jet
Thompson's Real Estate Bulletin" st
Joseph had in those days no rival in thu
Missouri valley and it is but to assert al
almost selfevident fact to say that tn,
tireless efforts and intelligent labor of JET
Thompson had more to do with this pros
perity, than any other agency. There wa
no point on the Missouri river which hat
such natural adva1taces as to Overshadov
all Others. 1t was i've men that did tn
work. 1t is to be remarked too that he d il
his work with the utmost care and system
In the paying of taxes, buying of land an
the discharge Of every financial trust cor
tided to him by clients and property holders
he was accurate and prompt to the las
mill.
In 1858 he was elected mayor of St. JOSEPH
| and served out his term with much cre0i
to himself.
Such was the early business career {
General JEFF Thompson in the Northwes
He was scarcely less known or less an oil
iect of interest and curiosity from Bosto
to the Rocky Mountains in 1860 than he
to-day. The qualities which might be easil
overlooked by the casual acquaintance an
stranger, but which have given prOminent
to JEFF Thompson, and will maintain him
the end, are his rnconQuerable energy, b
careful and accurate observation OF this
in his line of life, his precise information
details, and never changing trutbtulness
personal friends. If he caEped but for OF
day in a nelghborhood he would know eve
after where every hollow, ditch, hi an
fence in that neighborncod WIS locate,
This typographical and mathematical taller
| in him is absolutely wonderful, and hs
proved of the greatest value to him on man
| occasions. If it had been appreciated to i
full worth by othels it might have nj
enced more the greatest events III our al
tory. e.s-
We spoke in the opening of this artic
of General Thompson as Meriweth'
( | Thompson. Meriwether was his baptism
name. But from childhood he has bee
nick.named and only known as "Jef
| When he came to figure before the publ
it was matter of the greatest inconver
ence to him to be compelled 20 explain tn
!, | NJ Thompson on paper was JEFF Thomps(
in the flesh. He therefore procured an a
of the Miss ouri Legislature jegalizing Il
| name Jeff. and he became IN. JEFF Thorn
SON."
a General Thompson reached s.. JOSEF
last night at nine o'clock, and was warm
greeted by old friends and family. He "
always be so greeted in this city. His st;
will be brief. His duties in the South
= chief engineer OF the State of Louisiana
o arduous and exacting, and this is the sc
, son of the year when they must be {
i tended to. He will be here but couple
days.