It was a sad day for Chet Lampson, Jefferson Gazette owner and editor, when his life long friend, Samuel Jackson, passed away in 1908. He wrote in Jackson’s death notice that he had “lost a warm, personal friend.” The men got together frequently when Jackson would walk from his home to the Gazette office on the northeast corner of Wall Street and North Chestnut and visit with Lampson.
Jackson had helped as a brick mason in the building of the three-story business. The printing press was in the basement, the first floor held the Post Office, the second floor was the editorial rooms, the third floor held the printing operation.
The Great Jefferson Fire of 1906 burned several buildings, including the Gazette and Post office structure.
Lampson was charmed by the life Samuel Jackson had led before ever coming to the United States. As Lampson said, “There was a glamor of romance about the old soldier’s life. He was born in England and his father was an officer of high rank in the Royal army. His father served in the India campaign and in other bloody colonial affrays.”
I can just imagine the two of them sitting down over a cup of coffee as Jackson gave glowing accounts of all he had seen and done. At the age of 12, the young Jackson enlisted in the English navy and went to the China Seas chasing after the Malay, Chinese and Philippine pirates who were smuggling opium out of China.
There were two Opium Wars between the Western Powers and the Qing Dynasty of China. The first one was between 1839-1842 between Great Britain and the Qing Dynasty. Second Opium War, 1856-1860, is also known as the Arrow War, after a ship was attack called the Arrow. In China, it is known as the Anglo-French War and was between Great Britain, France and China.
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