The History of the Early Settlement of Norton County, Kansas

Page 153

and hence knocked the persimmons. He was elected over A. D. Herford and William B. Rogers. On the 22 day of August of the same year, he was married to Miss Julia A. Maxwell, daughter of Andrew Maxwell of Leota township. Mrs. Thompson was one of the leading teachers of Norton county.

Mr. and Mrs. Thompson have two children, Mark B., born May 23, 1881, and Pearl, born September 18, 1882.

Lafe, as he is familiarly known, was again candidate for the nomination of county attorney before the republican convention of 1882 but was defeated by Hugh McCredie. He was then tendered the nomination on the greenback ticket which was at that time a formidable opposition to republicans in Norton county, they electing Hon. L. Warner over Dr. Smith, the regular republican nominee. Mr. Thompson declined to accept the nomination, saying he preferred to remain in the republican party and believed he had been fairly beaten for the nomination. At the expiration of his term of office he located at Westmoreland, Pottawatomie county, Kansas, where he remained for about three months; becoming dissatisfied with the location he returned to Norton and formed a partnership with P. H. Loomis, register of deeds, in the real estate and law business.

During the year 1882, the Norton cornet band was organized, Mr. Thompson being one of the charter members, its first secretary and manipulator of the big bass drum, February 1884 he with Mr. Loomis established the Norton CHAMPION and Mr. Thompson became its first editor. In the same year he was nominated by the republicans for county attorney over Hugh McCredie, his opponent of two years previous. He was one of the delegates to the republican state convention of 1884 that nominated Hon. John A. Martin for governor. He was elected county attorney by a good majority over Jerome C. Babcock, democrat. Following this election as county attorney he retired from the editorial management of the CHAMPION and was succeeded by John W. Conway, its present editor and proprietor. He then became associated with Judge Adams in the land and law business. In 1886 he declined to be a candidate for re-election and was succeeded by his old competitor, Hugh McCredie. In the year of 1887 he formed a partnership with C. D. Jones which was dissolved by mutual consent August 1888. When the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific railroad was built into Norton he with Mr. Jones was appointed local attorneys for the road which position Mr. Thompson has held ever since with the exception of one year. He was selected as alternate delegate from the Sixth congressional district of Kansas to the republican convention at Chicago, which nominated Benjamin Harrison for president. He was nominated for county attorney for the third time by the

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