The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1896-04-09

made him an important figure in Con-
gress and in the Presidential Cabinet
during vital periods Of the nations his
tory, manifest themselves powerfully
when he Is called upon to express his
sentiments on questions Of the day.
Brought up in the vicinity Of such men
as Jefferson, Madison and Monroe, the
associate of Adams, Jackson, Webster,
Clay and Calhoun, the intimate friend
Of later statesmen and orators, his
memories embrace the most interest
ing phases Of national politics, and all
clear as canoes. Other men in various
positions in public life have accumu-
lated millions of dollars. Col. Thomp-
son is far from being wealthy, as rich
men are rated, and the competency he
enjoys was derived from sources who'll
ly separate from politics.
The venerable ex-Secretary Of the
Navy was born near Culpeper, Va, in
1909, of ingrained American stock, and
throughout his life his habits of
thought, his hospitality, his culture and
his courtly ways have been those Of the
educated, well-bred Southerner. Tween
ty-One years later, at the Christmas
season, he left for the West and set
tied at Bedford, Ind, as young law
yer. In 1912 he came to Terre Haute,
and a brilliant career opened up for
him. A term in the State Legislature
had been followed by one as State Sen
ator, and he was now in Congress. He
was returned in 1913, then appointed
Circuit Judge, and from that event
until he was handed the naval port
folio by President Hayes was nearly
all the time serving the people in a
judicial capacity. During the war he
was provost marshal of his district and
drilled four regimentS-an official ca
pacity fraught with danger in that par
ticular district, where that somewhat
mysterious and deadly association, the
Knights of the Golden Circle, were a
strong present social feature. 1t was
in his first term in Congress, in 1S41,
| that Col. Thompson met Abraham Lin
coin. The acquaintance grew into q
| friendship which endured until the
death of Lincoln. When the latter was
President he urged Col. Thompson to
| take a seat on the bench of the Court
of Claims. The ex-Congressman de-
clined, as he had the proffer of the
Austrian mission under Taylor and the
recordership of the Land Office in Fill
more's administration, but he was a
prominent figure in all campaigns. In
the old Tipecanoe campaign he gave
the elder Harrison jealous support on
the stump. AS a Presidential elector,
he cast his vote for the first President
of the name. Nearly fifty-six years
afterward his support materially aided
the grandson in securing the nomina-
ton and election. He was several times
a Presidential electOr, and was a men,
Der Of all the historic or notable Re-
publican conventions after the forma-
ton of the party. Col. Thompson re-
tired from the Hayes Cabinet shortly
before the close of the administration,
to become president Of the American
committee of the Panama Canal Com
pany. He was also a director of the
Isthmus Railway.
Col. Thompson is passing his declin-
ing days in tranquil home, surround
ed by great elms that look as II they
were natural forest growth, planted by
himself and his young wife close upon
q half century ago. He has just COM
pleted his interesting Personal RecOl-
| lections." Full of entertaining anec-
dote, he is as well rare analyst OF
human. excellence and the national
progress. He believes that Webster's
grafton will never die, that Calhoun
was a brilliant man always underesti-
mated, that Clay was the greatest
speaker of his age; but he does not
believe that American eloquence died
with them. He considers that as great
questions come up for settlement, able
disputants will meet the occasion, and
that American pride and energy can
compass all requirements that arise to
make it necessary to maintain the SUI
premacy of the United States.