Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-09-01

COL. ALBERT HOMER CLARQUE.
The subject of this truthful but al
most incredible narrative was born
in roasting ear time, before the Mex
lean war, and the reader will readily
conclude that at the present writing
he is not spring chicken. lie was
born in the vicinity of Crofton and
is consequently native of the north.
His early life was spent in the lap Of
poverty and the lap Of his nurse.
Ata very early period of his life
we find him developing those traits
of character which have enabled
him TO successfully carve out bright
future from the solid rock of dis
couraging surroundings. AT the age
of ten he began to cultivate an ardent
desire to .Imake man of himself.
| AS dame nature had done her part
of the task, the undertaking was not
an altogether hopeless one. His de-
sire even at this early period of his
sublunary career was to amass Il for
tune. With this view lie determined
TO go into business, and that very
night he embarked in The business of
raising watermelons and by the fol-
lowing morning was the proud pos
SCISSOR of two fine melons. These lie
readily sold for ten cents each aud
before nightlall he had laid the foun-
dation of his fortune. In this enter
prise he not only exhibited his abili-
ty to make an honest living, but also
demonstrated that courage was not
lacking in his composition. While
engaged in his agricultural pur-
suits he suddenly beheld fero-
cious bulldog approaching him in a
manner that would have struck ter
f ror to less courageous heart. His
first impulse was TO climb water
melon vine, but as the time for action
J and the dog were both drawing near
, he decided TO evacuate his unfOrtiiieG
position, after making a stragetit
movement to stop the advance Of thu
enemy for at least time. Hastily
, divesting himself of his coat, III
hurled the garment full i'll the fact
of the enraged brute, seized a meloi
under each arm and beat hasty ant
mastery retreat, keeping one eye OF
J, the dog and the other on the fenc
+ towards which he was making. s.
d well had this escape been planned
/. that it was completely successful, al
d though the dog secured mouthfu
from the bosom of his pants as Ii
leaped over the fence. After repair
: ing the damages to his wearing az
q parel, our hero found himself read
a to embark into business in earnes
i with a cash capital of ten cents. TIL
~ he invested in barlow knife an
N starting TO school he resolved to ct
v ucate himself and make money at I'll
same time. The next five years of Ii
life were but one continuous recor
~ of successes. BY swapping kniv'
80 "sight unseen," he found himself
~ the end of his first session the own,
- of knife which he readily trade
II for small pistol. With this he fea
~ lessly prosecuted his chosen avoc
IN ton by night and pursued the floy
. cry pathway of knowledge by da
o' AT the age of fifteen years he gu
r. school, ranking second in class
ed two.
at Upon counting over his money
he found that by strict economy he HI
tn saved enough TO buy suit of sto
lr. clothes and horse and saddle,
tol the time he had attained his majol
i'm ty. lie now declared his purpose
he turning out moustache and ente
ing politics. lie protested the Il
publican faith and announced hi
self as candidate for mayor of CIR
ton. In this contest he made g
,no liant race, receiving not only his cN
the vote, but also that of his brother. l
10. feated by majority of only 329,
:" resolved to leave Crofton and the
on fore emigrated 10 Hopkinsville a
nj. began the study of law and oflens
afr partisanship.
es- Fortune smiled upon him a
whatever he touched turned to &c
and at the age of 30 years he fou
himself independent in all things a
neutral in nothing. His fame a
-. lawyer began to spread abroad
~" the land and his eloquence as an