The evening times., 1895-12-04
car REEDS BOIHOOD.
How the Man From Maine Rose
From Humble Station.
HIS ENTRANCE INTO LAW
The Dominant Cha racteristics of the
Statesman Were ShOw In His Early
Career--Hir First Political Step q
Vtctory-Interesting Anecd Otes Told
by Old Friends of the Speaker.

On a Quiet street Of the quaint old New
England town of Portland, Me-, Is an old
rambling, dismantled double house. Its
surroundings are in keeping with It,
Though now they are wretciled, they seem
to suggest that ''oDce upon a time.' as
the story tellers say, this whole street
had seen better days.
II was In this big double house that
Thomas Bracket Reed was born. But the
Reed family did not live long in the old
ranlsha ckle house. Over in the western
end OF the town is neat little two-story
cottage, painted a deep shade Of green,
with two dormer windows upstairs, and
the main entrance in the side yard. 1t
was here that Tom, as everyone called
him. engaged in his Juvenile sports, with
all the joys and sorIows Of the boyish
world.
Toms boyhood was not particularly
eventful. He was n very poor boy, al
though that was not noticeable by his
clothes. He was tall and slender, and
had not the chubby face OF his late years
of prosperity and power. He was iDde-
pendent In his ways, and decidedly out.
spoken, O trait he inherited from his
mother.
Toms first school teacher the famous
statesman has never forgotten. Stand
ing, as he does, in the foremost rank OF
public men, he still has a fond place in
his heart for that spare, slim, young
man, who, long years ago, undertook TO
bring order and discipline in turbulent
town school up in Maine.
OFF TO COLLEGE.
One influence WAS now creeping into
Toms life, destined to manifest itself In
one form ard another, for many years to
IT. klrs, with
the State Street Congregational Church,
and goes back TO the period OF his boyhood.
Tom was deeply Interested in church work.
He associated himself with good old Hugh
Carpenter, who was then officiating. The
women workers of the old State Street
congregation looked upon the boy as
promising subject for the ministry. In
one way and another they favored him.
In time it became noised about that Tom
Reed would go to college for the express
purpose of fitting himself for Con-
gregatioual pulpit. But his parents were
poor, SO the women of the church would
help him pay his way! Already the lad
had decided on the advantages.of'a higher
education. He was turning his thoughts
toward Bowdoin College. Longing'y he
looked toward those classic halls.
The college life OF Tom Reed, as he
was known TO his associates, was pos
ses sed of varied interests. He was main-
tained, in part, while at Bowdoin, by the
help of the good ladies of the State Street
Church. At college he took no particular
interest in the sciences, but showed strong
trend toward literature, philosophy and
the languages. He dropped out two terms
in the freshman year TO earn money to
keep going. He taught school, and, as
usual, "bOarded'' round.
Reed now became an Omnivoroua student
of books, generally, however, OF ro-
mantle character. His interest in class
matters Tagged, and when the end came
II was a difficult struggle to get through
examinations.
The spirit of Independence now mani
tested itself, the one ruling passion OF his
life. This 1T is that has made him less OF
q politician than otherwise he might have
been, were he not so blunt and outspoken
in his ways and did he not take such delight
I'm freedom. Mr.. Davis knew him well at
BOwduin. OF Reed this gentleman says:
AT Bowduin, at this time-before 1850
there were two cuilege societies, into
which the whole schuol was about equally
divided. With characteristic Independence,
Tom urga nized society called the Outens,'
meaning the non-suciety fellows or 'barba.
rians.'
Reed was known as the best speaker In
the schoul He had then many Of the char
acteristics of speech which afterward were
destined to make him famous. He had
turn for epigram, wit, and satire that proved
Irresistible In the hard-fought college de
bates"