The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1921-07-18
PLUNGER TAKES
$4,000 FROM
PACKING PLANT
Built up Assets of More Than
Million Through SpeculatiOns
From HORNED Co.
ICY" THOMPSON'S STORY
Reads Like Dime Novel or 1921
Model Movie Scenario
Had Farms de Luxe
ICY" THOMPSON'S STORY

Austin, MINI, 18.-Announcemcnt
OF a shortage of more than $15O,00O in
the accounts of r. ]. (Cy] Thomson,
comptroller for the company was
made today by George A. HORNED &
Co., packers. Thomson has not yet
been arrested. although he is said to
have admitted the defalcation.
The IHormel company does bus1-
ness Of $3O,OO0,0OO year, all OF which
passed through Thomson's hands, and
although the shortage was discovered
a week ago, formal announcement
was not made until the accounts or
the company had been checked by ex-
perts.
The story of the rise of R. J. (Cy)
Thomson, from an awkward country
boy to the MOST Influential resident
of tbs section reads like an OVerWOrk.
ed melOdrama, with all the earmarks
of dime novel heroes and the boy who
went back to the old home town to
show them that he had made good.
Bankers, farmers and business men
have been kept guessing as to the
source of the hundreds of thousands
of dollars Cy put into his Oakdale
ventures, but Cy explained that If
"you take ,out more than you put in,
you can do anything" y
Established two Oakdaie Farms
Thomson is president and owner Of
the palatial Oakdale farms at Bloom
ing Prairie and Leroy, Mimi, the
former north of Austin, the latter
south of here. The enterprises rival
the gorgeousness of historically fam
ous Venetian palaces and contain
every possible conception of elegance,
ranging from POISON gas fly killers
and steam heated hog barns to spacl'
GUS dormitories for the hired men,
decorated with draperies and rugs
valued at $4,000.
The financial orgy of the hero in
"Brewsters' Millions" is only close
second to the wholesale distribution OF
wealth that Thomon poured into his
agricultural holdings in his consum-
ing desire to raise monument OF
grandeur on which the world might
gaze with awe and rapture.
On the Oakdale property grazed the
finest herds OF Holstein cattle that
money and genius could purchase and
over the fertile stretches of the Leroy
farm arose the royal" cackles Of the
worlds finest. hens-hens that spent
their evening amid the warmth OF
princely architecture.
Born Near Leroy
Thomson was born th1rty.slx years
aeo lust south of here on farm near
LEROY, He came to Austin when he
was is years old and got job in the
HORNED packing plant He worked at
various jobs in the plant, but failed
to make good in single case and
was discharged
Then Cy-only he was Ransome j.
Thomson then-went away to school.
A few years later he returned to the
packing plant and announced to-
George Horned, president, that ne
was back again ito make good And
he surely did.
A dozen years ago Cy ran little
confectionery department in Hormeps
Offices selling chocolate bars, salted
peanuts, gum, etc., to boost his wages,
which then were $12 week.
One day he announced that he had
been left a forty.acre farm at Leroy.
and when asked what he was going
to do with it, replied: I'm going TO
start a chicken ranch
He said later that he had no idea
at the time of starting chicken
farm. but the idea kept developing.
When he had his chicken farm COM
plete, he was so CARED away by the
nub,icity that resulted, that he
branched into other lines.
Made Rapid Advancement
With lightning-like rapidity-at
least for business-Cy worked up
through various departments of the
Horned concern and finally was made
comptroller of finance.
Mr. Horme9 today said Cy was ore
of the most capable men that ever
came into the Office. He was re.
markable organizer and in a short
time had the office organized 10 TIC
last degree of perfection. Every
stenographer in the Office was regis
tered as to her efficiency"
From the $12 week loWly clerk OF
a decade ago, Cy soon climbed tne
ladder to the Millionaire class, aud
made a name as doer of unusual
things. Every week he had some
thing new and spectacular to pau
out of his sleeve" and make the ma
tiyes sit up and take notice.
He took an old farm lying south OF
Leroy village-the one he said he had
fallen heir to-and spent $4,000 on
it, It became a mecca for travellers.
Thomson laid out beautiful parks
on the farm; erected dancing paw
ilion at an expense Of $4,000 with
dancing floor to accommodate 1,OOt
couples, and had it decorated 10y the
artists who decorated the Hippodrome
in New York and the Coliseum IN
Chicago. ,.
TWO thousand electric lamps help
ed to turn this pavilion into fairy
place.
Large Hotel Erected
On the farm, Cy erected hote
with fifty beds and a dining room tt
care for seventy-five diners. The'
he built a fire station and installe
two chemical engines with perman
ent fire fighting force.
And there was music by band
ADutinued on Page Stx)