Arizona republican., 1892-11-20

vested his bottom dollar" according to the custom of the country, in treating him self and the landlord to the good things of life, and then declared himself an appli- cant for a chance to earn his bed and board. Eighteen years from the date of that incident distinguished young law yer and public man of Mississippi re- moved to New Orleans to find a broader field for his abilities.
 His departure from his old home at Vicksburg was signalized by public din ner, and he carried with him the regrets and we'll wishes of the whole people. His arrival at the new destination was marked by another popular demonstration; a salute of twenty six guns greeted him and committee of citizens met him at the wharf to tender him the freedom of the city. The penniless and friendless emi- grant boy at Natchez and the distinguish ed Mississippian toasted and feted at Vicksburg and New Orleans were one and the same-a crowded out New Englander who had anticipated the Greeleyan advice and floated west to grow up with the country.
 Meanwhile, between his lone pilgrimage into Natchez in 1927 and his ceremonious
 
 served a term in congress, had been his party's choice, and that of the popular will as well, for the United States senate, had carried off the palm for oratory in congress, on the rostrum and at the bar, and that, too, in an age of orators. and in frequent travels from the Mississippi to the coasts of his native Maine the journeys had been turned into triumphal process sions by the spontaneous uprising of the people to welcome and honor him, to see him and listen to his eloquence. Now Mississippi in the thirties was the last community in the Union to coddle a pre- cocious and sentimental sophomore from classical New England. Its male popula- tion was popularly summed up in two classes-namely, aristocratic plantecs and river blacklegs-and certainly it was neither brute force nor the magnetism of wealth and lineage that enabled the penni- less and friendless Yankee stripling to sub due and vault over the one class and forge his way to the top through the respect and indorsemeDt of the other.
 Neither was it luck nor phenomenal genius, but a courage of intense convic- tions that tipped that lisping tongue with fire and turned that stunted form into the figure of giant whose frown was as the scowl of a demon and whose smile was as the favor of god. Young Prentiss won his first case at the bar by an exhibition of courage like that of David. He had read law at Natchez while supporting himself by teaching in the family of planter, and was retained in an apparently hopeless case in backwoods circuit. When the case was called he entered demurrer to some of the proceedings, and the judge coolly announced that he wouldn't allow argu- ment on the subject as his mind was al- ready made up. Prentiss was a stranger to all the court, a beardless youth of stunt ed physique, and when the judge made that crushing ruling he modestly but firmly insisted that although technicalities were against him and argument could not change facts, yet the higher law of justice and fair dealing demanded that his clients case be heard, and it was heard, and in speech that astounded the court and all present be convinced the judge of his error and won the case.
 It was no accident that Prentiss' person ality had such power on occasions. His auditors would often call out to him dur ing speech Look this wayp' Once he arose in a political meeting to reply to a foeman that put him to his mettle and whose argument had apparently taken the ground from under the feet of the opposi- tion, leaving Prentiss no foothod to begin An eyewitness said of the scene: His whole soul was aroused; his high, smooth forehead fairly coruscated. He remained