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THOMSON 366 THOMSON more than 500 patents for inventions which included the Thomson method of electric welding. He was awarded the Grand Prix, in Paris, in 1899 and 1900, for electrical inventions, received the decoration of Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, for electrical research, etc.; was a trustee of the Peabody Academy of Science in Salem, Mass., a member of ELIHU THOMSON the Corporation of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, Mass.; and a member of many American and foreign electrical engineering and scien- tific societies. President International Electrical Congress, St, Louis, 1904. President Electro-technical Commission, succeeding Lord Kelvin in 1909. First winner of the Edwin Gold Medal, etc. THOMSON, FRANK, an American engineer; born in Chambersburg, Pa., July 5, 1841; spent four years in the Altoona shops of the Pennsylvania rail- road, where he became an expert mechan- ical engineer, and during the Civil War rendered valuable assistance as 2d assist- ant secretary of war, in the construc- tion of bridges and railroads and the transportation of troops. Appointed su- perintendent of the eastern division of the Philadelphia and Erie railroad in June, 1864; general manager of the de- partment of motive power of the Penn- sylvania railroad in 1873; and a year later (July 1, 1874) became general man- ager of the Pennsylvania railroad sys- tem, E. of Pittsburgh and Erie. On Oct. 1, 1882, he became 2d vice-president; in 1888 1st vice-president, and on Feb. 3, 1897, elected president of the Pennsyl- vania Railroad Company. He died in Merion, Pa., June 5, 1899. THOMSON, GEORGE, a Scotch song collector; born in Limekilns, Scotland, March 4, 1757; was educated at Banff; removed to Edinburgh, where he was secretary to the "Board of Trustees for the Encouragement of Arts and Manu- factures" (1780-1830). In 1792 he formed the idea of collecting every ex- isting Scotch meiody, and of giving to the world "all the fine airs both of the plaintive and lively kind." The result appeared in six volumes of Scotch songs, followed by two of Irish songs, and three of Welsh melodies. A large number of well-known authors were engaged to supply words to the melodies — among them Thomas Campbell, Professor Smyth, Sir Walter Scott, and Joanna Baillie — but the most prolific writer was the poet Burns, who contributed over 120 songs to the collection. Besides the pianoforte accompaniment, according to Thomson's arrangement, each song was to have a prelude and coda, with accom- paniments for violin, flute, and violon- cello. For this portion of the work, Thomson secured the services of Pleyel, Kozeluch, Haydn, Beethoven (who re- ceived $2,750 for his share of the work), Mozart, Weber, Hummel, Hogarth, and Bishop. The first volume was published three years after the death of Bums. He died in Leith, Scotland, Feb. 18, 1851. THOMSON, JAMES, a Scotch poet, born in Ednam, Scotland, Sept. 11, 1700. He was educated at Jedburgh School and Edinburgh University, and studied for the ministry. In 1725 he went to London and became a tutor. In 1733 he held a position in the Court of Chancery, and on losing this position was given a pen- sion. In 1744 he was appointed sur- veyor-general of the Leeward Islands. His most famous poem is "The Seasons" (1726-1730), and next to this "The Castle of Indolence" (1748). He wrote some plays, among them being "Sophonisba" (1730) and "Tancred and Sigismunda" (1745). He died near Richmond, Eng- land, Aug. 27, 1748. THOMSON, JAMES, a Scotch poet and journalist; born in Port Glasgow, Scotland, Nov. 23, 1834. He was brought up in an orphan asyliim, and became an army tutor. Most of his life was spent in journalism, and at one time he was special correspondent in Spain for "The World," New York. He suffered much from insomnia, which he made the sub- ject of a powerful poem by that name; and died a victim to the drugs and alco-