Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 February 1901 — MAURICE THOMPSON DEAD. [ARTICLE]

MAURICE THOMPSON DEAD.

The Indiana Author Parses Away at Cra wfot djville. Maurice Thompson, the author, died at Crawfonlsville, Ind., Friday morning, after an illness of many weeks. Maurice Thompson came of a Virginia family and was of Seoteh-Irisli descent. He was born at Fairfield, Ind., Sept. 9, 1844. His parents removed to Kentucky when he was a child, and thence to northern Georgia, where they lived until 1868. Ypung Thompson’s mother was a woman of strong character and excellent education, his father a wandering Baptist minister, who rode round the country on horseback and spent little time at home. The son was educated for a civil engineer, but developed more taste languages and literature than for the calling set before him. He learned Greek, Latin and French. His first writings were in verse, which appeared in Southern papers. lie served in the Confederate army during the Civil War. At'the close of the war Thompson made an extended trip to Florida, which laid the foundation for some of his delightful, Southern sketches, published later.' In 1868 he settled in Crawfonlsville, Ind., where he obtained a position ns a civil engineer for a railroad. He married the daughter of Col. John Lee, a railroad president. Sopn after he abandoned railroading and with his brother opened a law office, but gradually drifted into literature. Among. Mr. Thompson’s works are “At Love’s Extremes,” “A Banker of Bnnkersville,” “Sylvan Secrets,” “By Ways and Bird Notes” nnd a volume of poems. But his greatest success is his famous Indiana story, “AlicG of Old Vincennes,” reeeutly published.

Recognizing the danger to property from the presence of a large number of impecunious and idle Frenchmen, the government of British Guiana has approved of a small expenditure from the treasury to enable soma of these men te leave the colony.