The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-03-28
Lite Story Of Gideon Thompson,
The Indianapolis Journalist
Man Well Known in Keokuk and in Hancock County Has
had Brilliant Career in the Newspaper Field.

! i
INDIANAPOLIS, March 2s-Gideor
3. Thompson, the Oldest member Of
The News editorial force in point Of
wears of service, died at his home
ITO College avenue
Mr.. Thompson has been in failing
health for six months. but his energy
and zeal would not permit him to
acknowledge his disability and he was
at his desk at The News office, with
an occasional day off. until one week
ago last Wednesday, when he was
compelled by reason of a severe cold
10 take to his bed
The ailment speedily developed into
bronchitis, with distressing cough
and incipient pneumonia.
The direct cause of death, however.
largely due to the racking cough, was
exhaustion and heart failure
Widow and Two Sons Survive.
Mr.. Thompson is survived by the
widow and two sons, Frank H. Thorn
son, of the Vandalia Coal Co., and
Raymond c. Thompson, of The Indian
apolis News. He is survived also by
two sisters, Mrs. B. F. Hambleton and
Mrs. Mary Hills, of Keokuk, Ia, with
whom he had visited almost every
summer for more than forty years
and by a brother. Will E. Thompson,
OF Chicago.
Comrades to Conduct Services.
Mr.. Thompson was g charter mem
Der of the Indianapolis Board OF Trade
and also of the knights OF Pythias
lodge No. 81 and OF Elks' lodge No.
13. He attended the Second Presby-
terrain church.
He was a past colonel of Encamp-
ment No so, Union Veteran Legion, OF
which he was charter member.
He was member OF George H.
Thomas post G. A. r.. of which he
was recently post commander. That
POST will have charge of the funeral.
which will take place next Monday. at
10 a. m, at the home. The services
will be conducted by the Rev. o. D..
Odell. The burial will be at Crown
Hill cemetery.
Had the Spirit OF Youth.
Gideon B. Thompson had the spirit
of youth; worked with the energy
of man of forty or fifty, looked to
be under sixty and in reality was
more than seventy years old. He was
born August 4. 1870, near Winchester,
o. Those who knew his father, the
Rev. Aaron Thompson. a Presbyter-
ian minister, who lived until a few
Years ago, will know where the son
got his spare, tall frame of iron, his
indomitable will, and his fundamen-I
tai strength of character.
The mother died in the sons in
fancy. He attended the common
schools of his native county, but early
began to feel the inclination to get
cut into the world. and there, really,
he found his school. He first worked
in a printing office, and when fifteen
years old he set out for the west, to
take care of himself For a year or
two he travelled, remaining for short
terms in various communities. prin-
cipally occupied about printing off
ces, which, from the earliest days,
held an attraction for him that in
creased as the years went on.
Set Pace in Local News Field.
Finally he established himself in
indianapolis and for fifty years this
city has been his home. Mr. Thomp-
son became iourneyman printer
while working for the Old Indianapolis
Sentinel. None of the established
newspapers in the city, since that
day, has been uninfiuenced either by
his direct connection with it, or by
the fierce pace he set as a news gath
erer and as writer.
When the Eleventh Indiana yolun-
teer infantry regiment was organized,
in the first year of the Civil war,
Mr.. Thompson, not yet twenty-one
years old, enlisted, and there and then
found the first great passion of his
life-the preservation of the Union,
and the proper settlement of the is
sues, direct or remote, that grew out
OF the war.
Patriotism His Ruling Sense.
Besides ruling sense of patriotism
one other great faculty always pos
sessed him, and that was his news
paper instinct The two were com
bined, in fact, in his service through
out the war. For while he was an
enlisted man, he was also cores
londent for the indianapolis Journal
and wrote over the name "shacks, "
by which name he was known to two