Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1899-02-25
THOMAS A. WALSH.
The Prominent Attorney Rec
ogniZed For PoetiCal
Ability.


The following compliment from the
pen of Miss Anna Minogue is as deserved
as it is true. Mr.. Walsh has contributed
to our columns, and in succeeding num-
bers we will give place to number of his
meritorious productions:
Thomas A. Walsh, the poet-lawyer of
Louisville, Kentucky, was born i'll Con-
nersville, Ind, December 18th, 1859.
His parents having removed three years
later from that town to their farm i'll the
White Water Valley, the boy grew up
amid surroundings as ideally beautiful as
any he, i'll his later years, has described
with pen POLITICALLY true. At the early
age of six years he entered OH his pur-
suit of knowledge at the near country
school, doubtless one of the dear old
district" schools which are so rapidly
disappearing, giving place to modern
buildings with all modern improvements.
They have now patented sk-and-seat
combination, accommodating only two
pupils, i'll place of the old desks of heavy
wood, defaced by many penknife and
overturned bottle of ink, and long bench
where five youthful aspirants for know
ledge found place, and where seven or
eight could be crowded on when the
winter time brought in an influx of
farmer boys. There are frosted panes
- IL. -, ,f
wooded hill and silvery creek from the
dreamy-eyed children, and the ventila-
ton is effected according to fixed meth
DDS, which makes impossible the dis
tracing sight and sound Of the cardinal
and hooking birds. Perhaps the rising
generation of country children will be
more learned in book lore than their
elder sisters and brothers, but they will
have missed something from their lives
past the power of science to bestow. We
can imagine with what reluctance the
boy of whom, from childhood, it may
we'll be said, "The stars and sunlight of
his nights and days moved over him in
Dreams" quilted the country school for
the one in the town in Connersville. On
completing its course he went to St.
Meinrad's College, afterward to St.
Mary's College, returning at the close of
two years spent in the celebrated Ken
lucky institution of learning to ST. Mein-
rad s, from which he was graduated with
honors. During his years at st. Mary's
he was put in charge of the college paper,
The Sentinel, and in its columns his first
poetical efforts saw the light; but assum-
ing them to be only those illusions which
are as natural to romantic youth as meas
els and chickenpox are to him at an
early age, when Mr.. Walsh entered the
arena of life the Muse and he appeared
to part company. Having determined on
the profession of law, he went to Louis
vile and began his studies under the
eminent Judge Fox, and in 1884 was adj.
mitted to the bar.
In his work at the bar Mr.. Walsh has
been most successful, and is today one
of the foremost lawyers of the old Ken
lucky city, renowned as it is, and has
ever been, for the genius of the men who
have adorned its legal profession. 1t al
most naturally follows that lawyer in
Kentucky is more or less a politician
and Mr. Walsh is not an exception to the
rule. A Democrat of course, he is an
ardent supporter of the good old party
and during political campaign times, Is
active as worker and speaker i'll the in
terest of his candidates. His politics
however, are of that pure type which
works for sake of conviction, not seeking
selfish ends and emoluments. He ha:
never presented himself as candidate fol
Office for which he is fitted by natura
abilities and to which his appointment
would be but the Just reward such an un
selfish party supporter should receive
That this may be said of Mr.. Walsh il
certainly creditable, and it further illus
trates what manner of a man he is wher
it may be added that he is more con
cerned in securing places of honor fol
deserving friends than for himself.
To reach the place he has in his lega
iCHuiiNh al ehN So ~
his mind and unAagging efforts; anc
when that end was achieved ther
thought would return to the dreams o.
earlier days. In odd moments he began
to scribble down the lines of poetic in
SEPARATIONS that would come to him. The
love of nature which through the. busy
years had dwelt with him began to find
expression in poems, which, on being
submitted to their critical editors, wor
their concentrations, and they were
earnest in advising him to develop his
talent to the utmost. 1t is the word of en-
enlargement, bestowed rightly and a
the right time. that is often the main
spring of work whose result is frequently
such, missing it, the world had lost some
thing offworth.