The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-03-28

monumental. Camp life and military
service had so affected his health
i that he would have been justified in
1 relaxing his labors. This never oc-
Cured to him, though in the early
days. following the war, while work
ing Interchangeable in the composing
room and as reporter for the Journ-
al, he was obliged to work an hour
and rest an hour. Later he seemed
to rest scarcely at all. For long
term of years he worked almost liter
ally night and day. AS a reporter and
as city editor of The News he would
put in full days work, and as cor
respondent of the Cincinnati EnQuir-
er he would work far into the night.
The few hours he gave to sleep and
rest were taken with the telephone
at his bedside.
Belonged In Front Rank.
Mr.. Thompson founded no newspa-
per and WAS not an editor and yet he
belonged as distinctly TO the first rank
OF indianapolis Journalists as any edi-
tor or owner. He gave a splendid ex-
ample of the efficient work of the
true reporter. No better example has
been given to the fraternity Mr..
Thompson was essentially reporter
seeing things rightly. and describ-
ing them as they were. with their
proper relations to men and affairs.
His first permanent connection, AS a
reporter, was with the Journal in the
late sixties. Early In the seventies
he became city editor of the Septinel,
succeeding George C. Harding.
The city editorship was not for
mldable office In those days, but it
involved an immense burden of real
work. Those were what were called
by Mr.. Thompson himself the ragged
days of indianapolis life-too soon af-
ter the war for society to readjust
itself to the new condition. Indianap-
oils was just struggling out of the
chrysalis of the village into the broad
er life of the city Such conditions
gave Mr.. Thompson his opportunity,
He ranged almost at will over the
news field, and many an unconsidered
trifie developed under his hand into
an Interesting and valuable historical
incident
Conspicuous Reporter Of His Day.
He remained with the Sentinel until
Richard j. Bright sold the paper. and
then Mr.. Thompson came to The
News, which had been established
shortly before that time by John II.
Holiday, and which had become the
city's first permanent afternoon pa
per. 1t was mere that Mr.. Thompson
developed to the full. His inordinate
capacity for work. his inventive gen
Jus in the creation of phrases, some
of which have gone into literature,
and his unerring instinct in ferreting
out municipal evil dong and political
skullduggery, all marked him as the
conspicuous reporter of his time.
All this time he was know as
Snacks. Dunn's history of Indianapo-
lis says Thompson picked up this
cognomen at Danville, where he once
took part in an amateur play He
was not generally known to the rest
OF the cast, and the young women in.
CURED about him. He declined 10
satisfy their curiosity, but assured
them thai he came from nowhere.
was going no place and had no mis-
sion In the world"
Got Name of snacks From Play.
knowing nothing else about him
they called him snacks, the name OF
the part he took in the play. From
that time he was so known
AT one time, one of the city's fire
engines was named Snacks, in Thomp-
sons honor. In those days the city
editor was supposed to keep In touch
with every fire alarm. For years Mr..
Thompson followed this custom, and
knew everything there was to know
about the fire department, its history,
its equipment and the experiences of
its men. He rode the engines and was
as faithful as the FIRE chief himself
But fires did not receive his exclus-
i've attention. He knew all the ms
and M, ~