The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1893-04-06

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 1872. His father,
Capt. George Newson, commanded mil
| itary company in New York for seven
teen years. Three uncles were in the
war of 1912. 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 a boarding school. When he left the
school he &tHN
Learned the Printers Trade
and on arriving at his me jority entered
into partnership with John B. Hotchkiss
in the publication of the Derby Journal,
in Birmingham, Com ecticut. During
this, period he wrote. poetry, delivered
lectures, and took an active part in po-
itical affairs. He was secretary Of the
first editorial association in Connecticut,
and started and conducted for year the
first daily penny paper in the state. He
was one of the originators Of the reform
school and an efficient promoter Of its
inter ests. :5 a s5
| 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 movement. 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
missary at St; Cloud. He left the army
with splendid record for honesty and
capacity, with the breyet rank Of major,
conferred for meritorious service, and the
offer of a position in the regular army,
which he declined. In 1866 he was COM
nander and president of company
gion, prospecting for precious metals He
was the first to assay the iron ores, now
so famous, in that region. In later years
he prospected among the Black hills en-
devoting some attention to literature.
While there he wrote drama of Life
in the Hills" and delivered lectures at
various times and places, achieving, in
this line, an enviable success. Since that
period he wrote and published an interest
Among the Indians" drawn ri
From His Own Observations.
and experience; also ':Pen Pictures and
Biographical Sketches of Old Settlers of
st. Paul; from 1888 to 1851 racy
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 CLOVIS with the genial
spirit of the author. He had in contem-
plation, it is said, another volume on the
same }; subject bic He also published. IL He i;
lechons Of Eminent Men"
Maj. Newson was a man Of varied and
miscellaneous gifts. He was a ready
writer, a fluent and eloquent speaker, a
Journalist, a 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 geologist, mineralo-
Z glst and assayer, member of the G.. a.
. l L., AcAUGI Ol5 lie MASONIC ana Ouu
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 %. Brewer in Al
bany, N. ~, in 1857, and leaves family
Of i've girls and one boy May, Hattie,
Nellie, Jessie, Grace and Z. M. Newson,
:, Jr.5 0
He was appointed consul at Malaga By
PRESIDENT Harrison in the summer OF
1881 since then he has lived in that
sunny cline, performing his duties with
j great conscientiousness and in a man
y ner highly satisfactory to his chief. a
report made by him to the state depart
ment was mentioned in the Pioneer
) Press only a few days ago. AT the time
Of his death Maj. Newson was sixty-sia
d years Of age. He was friend to oil
newspaper men, and many poor re-
porter who sudd denly found himself
thrown out Of a situation and minus his
! weekly stipend will remember Maj. New.
r son and his delicate way Of appreciating
the situation with a gratitude thai
will never die. And the flowers thai
4 are strewn on his sod-coyered resting
place Will be no fairer than the Thoughts
I. that will ever be entertained for him bJ
the the newspaper men Of the Northw est.