The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1893-10-04

orship in 1884 that Cleveland his chief,
might be elected? Tom was for years the
leading lawyer of Hartford, twice mem
Der of Assembly in the Connecticut Leg
islature, once Senator and twice Governor
of the Nutmeg State. lie failed the third
time because he inundated himself on
the political altar to save Cleveland. The
President rewarded his self-abnegation
by making him Consul General at Lon
don, the richest Office in the gift of the
Administration. Tom is now, in conse-
quence, not compelled to labor at his
profession but is enabled to live in ease
and luxury from the fortune he has ac-
quired.
Tom Waller has more romantic and
even more interesting story than David
b. Hill. Forty years ago he was news
boy on the ferryboats which piled be-
tween Brooklyn and New York. There
was no big bridge in those days, and the
boys lowered around the ferryboats
which carried all of the human freight of
the two great cities at that time. The
lads real name was Thomas Waller
OGrady. Like Richard Croker, dictator
of Tammany Hall, he was the ofIshoot OF
a noble race. Croker, as is known, is a
lateral descendant of the redoubtable
Squire Croker, OF Ballinagar, famous in
Irish History. Thomas Waller O'Grady
is also descended from family renown-
ed in Irish history. One ancestor is the
famous Baronfeather O'Grady, Irelands
greatest jurist and the compeer of Graf
tan, Curran, Phillips and other renown-
ed Irish barristers. His grandfather was
Thomas Standish Waller O'Grady, the
bitterest Tory and hardest landlord in the
good old bailiwick OF Limerick.
Thomas Waller O'Grady's parents died
while he was almost child in arms. He
was adopted by an old Dutch family in
New York, but the restrictions placed
upon the future statesman was SO irk-
some that ne ran away and became
newsboy. Many is the time in his pre-
carious calling in those days that young
Tom was compelled to sleep in dry
goods box at night after an unsatisfactory
days labor. Tom had dropped the
family name and was known by his
youthful associates as Tom Waller. One
day while crossing the Fulton ferry from
Brooklyn to New York he met fussy
old gentleman who wished copy of the
Hartford Courant. II was the favorite
paper OF his native town, and, as he
thought, away ahead of all metropolitan
journals. OF course New York newsboys
did not sell country papers and Tom told
him so.
However" said the cute little fellow
in reassuring way, 81 think | can get
it for you" BY good luck Tom had seen
an old lady in the saloon reading that
very paper, which he recognized by the
ancient type in its headline, and he
forthwith came up to the dame and
offered to exchange q copy of New
York paper for the medieval country
sheet. The lady was New Highlander
and ready for a bargain. She had read
the COurant and had no further use for
it. She thought she had made clever
deal when she exchanged the country
morning paper for bright metropolitan
evening journal. Tom knew he had.
When he presented the Courant to the
fussy old gentleman that dignitary gave
him dollar for his pains. Then he in
quired his name.
''Tom Waller" promptly responded
the newsboy. The old gentleman stood
aghast. 1t was his own name. He took
down the lads address, looked mp his
references, and in fortnight adopted
him. He had no children and Tom was
his idol. He gave him sound pre-
liminary education and then sent him to
Yale College. There Tom graduated
with high honors His subsequent
history is too familiar to the public to
require repetition.