New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-06
GEORGIA'S "PLOUGHBOI.'
COLONEL. ALLEN u. GAMBLERS CANVASS
FOR THE GOvERNORSElP


7, row seoms certain that Allen ID. Gambler
Ceorpia's Secretary Of State. VIII nave Nv opp'
si,ion for the Democratic nomination for "oV-
error which will be made a few months he"|
There were several other candidates III ''s "'''
No, long o-o but they dropped out one ny one
nc tho ronular strength of Colonel CanoIer ne
co,no moro and more evident. 1t Is haru'y pos
suIo that any candidate can be brought out
ocairs, Gambler with the slightest show OF sue
cess The shre,ydes; politicians in tho S'a'e co''-
slider his nomination foregone concius'o'' anu
therefore. If is needless to say. they are hooking
to his support -.,
,u.n u Gambler is strong and interesting
character He was born about si1ty-t"o year
ar, in Luupkin County. Ca. on what II hh'""
"a Pigeon Roost Hill His father was Il FARMER
NJ small means but he gave MS son Oh '''e
educational advantages then obtainaoie IN tha'
mart Of Georgia and sent him to Mercer oh'Ne'-
sitv. tn. leading Baptist college III "eois
where H., was graduated in 1891.
Tho next year he established school at
Jonesboro. twenty miles from Atlanta ana
taurbt there with decided success until the De-
ginning Of the Civil War. He was an srdeh'
secessonist. and closing mis- school. returned 10
Bic native county and enlisted in the satin
Georgia Infantry He went in as a private pu'
later became a captain. lie declined the ia"N
or coloncl which was offered To him IN re'oS-
,itiou of his lsallantry on thu field, because Il
strong attachment had grown up between MN
and his company and declared his determine
ton "to fight it out" with his boys.
Few soldiers of the COnfederac! saw more
hard service. He in almost every great
hattie in the West. and was wounded severely
several times In the fighting around A'id"'d
his company suffered as severely as any ~
Hoods army. and at Jonesboro more thah nan
&c members were killed. 1t was there that Gap
tain Gambler lost his left eye. and he almost
died from the effect # the wound. Though ne
surrendered as a captain. he has been ca'Ied
colonel eyer since and by that title he * no"
almost invariably addressed.
After the war he did not resume his pr'ieSSio"
OF school teacher. but settled IN ah'SN''''
where he soon became active ana su''e9Si"' do
huudinc contractor. His humble start in this
business is Indicted by his recent rei"d'N'
..vber sci y IL Gainesville | found that had
one wife one ch.ld. one eye and one SILVER uoi-
lar" BY energy and good judgment Colonel
Gambler succeeded in his business affairs To
remarkable degree He has done more to build
,p the CITY Of Gainesville than any other man.
and ne now nosspsscs a comfortable private fort
me His taste fer politics was demonstrated
earlv He was elected Mayor Of Gainesville the
year after he moved there. and tn next year
was sent to the legislature. where he served
several terms ard became one Of the Democratic
leaders If that body when partisan politics Ill
Georgia were rather stormy.
He WAS prominent in the building OF the
Gainesville. jefferson and southern Railroad
and il was while engaged in this work in lNN-
that he was nominated FOR Congress. The dis
trict was then represented by Emory Speer who
had been elected as an independents Speer had
defeated the Democratic nominee twice ana
was considered in,in'ble in the district The
nomination in isS2 was rendered to two promi-
nent Democrats and declined by them before
Gambler was called upon To- take IT. In fact. IL
was almost forced upon him, and ne was m
duced to accept only 10y appeals To his party
loyalty He made an aggressive campaign.
II was when the excitement Of the contest was
at it's height that one Of the campaigners foi
his opponent dubbed Gambler the one-eyed
ploughbOy Of pigcc. IOost' The nickname
stuck but what Was intended as ridcule was
adopted as a campaign shbboleth by the sup
porters Of Gambler The result of the hard
fought contest was Canders election by more
than 5000 majority. lie at once became hero
with the Democracy of Georgia. because ne had
redeemed the bloody IXth.'
Colonel Gambler served three terms in Con
Cress creditably. He declined Il nomination for
a fourth term in order To devote himself once
more to his private affairs. In 1884 he was
elected Secretary of State which Office he has
held since that time.
The movement for his elevation to the Gov
crnorship appears to have been in great de-
gree spontaneous 1t is confined to no