The sun., 1893-04-06


mind, and the heart of noble man was
stilled forever. The members of the
family are completely Frustrated by the
news of the death of the father and
husband in that faraway country, and
the family physician will allow no one
to see them for the present.
Maj. Thomas Mclean Newson was
born in New York city, Feb. %, 1927, of
Scotch-Irish parentage. His paternal
grandfather was paymaster in the army
during the war of 1912. His father.
Capt. George Newson, commanded a mil
itary company in New York for seven
teen years. Three uncles were in the
war OF 1872. His father removed to
New Haven, Conn, in 1882, and both
parents died there in 1884. The son,
after his parents death, was placed
in boarding school. When he left the
school he
Learned the Printers Trade
md on arriving at his ms iority entered
llto partnership with John 3. Hotchkiss
IA the publication of the Derby Journal,
u Birmingham, Com ecticut. During
This period he wrote poetry, delivered
| lectures, and took an active part i'm DO.
l.tical affairs. He was secretary of the
! Erst editorial association in Connecticut
| and started and conducted for a wear the
lirst daily penny paper in the state. He
WAS one of the originators of the reform
school and an efficient promoter of its
/ interests.
| He came to st. Paul in 1853. where he
was first associated with Joseph r
! Brown in the editorial department of the
| Pioneer, but the following spring, in
company with others. he started the
| Daily Times, which he edited until 1860
| when he leased the material to W. r.
Marshall. The Press was the outgrowth
| OF this moyeme mt. He was one of the
| founders of the Republican party in the
| stae and was sole delegate of his party
in Minnesota to the Pittsburg National
| convention.
At the outbreak of the rebellion he
entered the service of his country, was
commissioned commissary of subsistence
| and subsequently appointed acting as
Sistant quartermaster, with the rank OF
| captain. AT one time he was chief com.
| mlsSary at St Cloud. He left the army
with a splendid record for honesty and
capacity, with the breyet rank of major
| conferred for meritoriOus service, and the
offer of position in the regular army,
| which he declined. In 1866 he was com.
| mander and president of a company
which explored the Vermillion lake re,
| giOn, prospecting for precious metals. He
was the first to assay the iron ores, now
| so famous, in that region. la later years
| he prOspected among the Black hills, en-
| joying the wild life of the frontier and
| deyoting some attention to literature
| While there he wrote a drama of Life
| in the Hills" and delivered lectures al
various times and places, achieving, in
| this line, an enviable success. Since that
| period he wrote and published an interest
| ing work, entitled Thrilling Scenes
| Among the Indians" drawn
From His Own Observation.
and experience; also "Pen Pictures and
Biographical Sketches of Old Settlers Of
| book of 732 pages, in which the driest
biographical details are enlivened with
| amusing anecdotes and witty comments
in which naught is set down in malice
| but every line glows with tho genial
| spirit of the author. He had in contem
| plation, Ii is said, another volume on the
Same subject. He also published He
| lections of Eminent Men"
Maj. Newson was q man of varied and
miscellaneous gifts. He was ready
writer, a fluent and eloquent speaker, q
| journalist, historian and the Oldest edi
| tor in Minnesota. He was at one time
corresponding secretary of the National
Editorial association, and the first and
| only honorary member of the State Fire
association; he was a geQlogist, mineralo
| gist and assayep, a member of the G. A
h.; member of the Masonic and Ode
| Fellows lodges and of the Junior Pho
neers. He was broad-gauged and popu
lar in his views and positive in the ex.
pressions of his opinions. He was mar
| ried to Miss Harriet ID, Brewer in AL
| bany, N. T., in 1857, and leaves a family
| of five girls and one boy-May, Hattie
| Nellie, Jessie, Grace and Z. NJ Newson
| Jr.
He was appointed consul at Malaga by
| President Harrison in the summer OF
| 1891, since then he has lived in that
| sunny cline, performing his duties will
| great conscientiodsness and in man
ner highly satisfactory to his chief. A
| report made by him to the state depart
ment was mentioned In the Pioneer
Press only q few days ago, At the time
| of his death Mai. Newson was sixty-siS
| years OF age. He was friend to all
newspaper men, and many poor re.
porter who suddenly found himself
| thrown out of situation and minus his
weekly stipend will remember Mai. New.
son and his delicate way of appreciatine
the situation with a gratitude thai
are strewn on his sod-covered resting
place will be no fairer than the thoughts
that will ever be entertained for him BIZ
the newspaper men of the Northwest.