Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-19

son. There is a mortgage of $14,500 on
the property. 1 hope to make $25,0OO
this summer by lecturing, and to pay
the debt. oh, yes, and 1 owe $4,000 for
printing. Campaign literature, don't you
know. electioneer with documents;
one year I distributed 100000 of them
in Wisconsin. Aside from speaking, 1t
is the only effective method of reaching
the public. 1 have the names of 100000
voters on my mailing list. If Repub-
licans become uncertain on some ques-
tions I watch for literature that will
do them good. The money L spend in
politics is for postage, clerk hire and
printing"
did you actually take charge of your
mothers farm when you were IA years
old?"
'I did. When my father died was
an infant. He left 440 acres of land
in Dane county, Wis, and money for
a new house; we were then living in
q log cabin. He was born in Ken
lucky, and was of Huguenot blood.
Knowing my mother in southern In
diana when both were children he
made love to her and was told to wait
All the men in his family were swarthy
and grew huge black boards. He was
six feet six inches in height. My
mother was Mary Furgeson, Scotch
Irish, stocky and strong, with blonde
hair and blue eyes. She was energetic
and determined, and never, never
turned back.
A Patient Lover
my father both waited and went
away. He took droves Of horses from
Kentucky to Wisconsin and bought
land. In five or six years my mother
married, but her husband was killed
at a barn raising. My father proposed
to the widow and was accepted. When
he died he left three children. Then
my mother married an old man,
merchant, so that her children could
live in town and go to school. But
my stepfather failed in business and
we returned to the country! The farm
had now been reduced to 240 acres to
pay the board of myself, my brother
and sister / was IA years old and
became general manager Of everything.
Tenants had impoverished the land by
raising wheat and nothing else. ana
we could scarcely make living. How
ever, it was agreed that 1 should have
an education.
when 1 was 10 we rented the farm
and moved to Madison. The cottage
we lived in wasn't even humble, belng
maze OIL TOuRn UOdIOo, tliO SiehSENN' -
which were covered with batten. AT
the end of a year we moved into
larger house and took dodgers. While
was a freshman at the university
ran out of money A district school
five miles away had been closed be-
cause the big boys had whipped the
teacher. I applied for it. The trustees
looked at me and laughed. What is
your weight?' they asked me. one
hundred and twenty pounds l replied,
and in every ounce there Is a ton OF
fight. If 1 can't run your school you
need not pay me-
81 rode back and forth on Morgan
mare that had come from vermont,
and carried a rawhide whip. The first
dav two big fellows started a disturb
ance. 1 called them out separately
and licked them within an inch Of their
lives. I laid the iron poker on my desk
to further the impression that L meant
business. Well, had Sunday school
after that. In my sophomore year
bought a half interest in the University
press. the college publication, and had
no more concern about money mat
ters"
"What turned your mind toward
public speaking?"
Cut School for Lawsuits
"1n the district schools always took
mart in the elocutionary performances
travelling the whole region and recitlng
Juvenile pieces. At the university l
Joined a debating club. Thus got into
the interstate contest to which 1 have
already referred. I can't recollect the
time when 1 didn't speak, If 1 had the
chance, and didn't mean to be lawyer
When there was big lawsuit in Mad1-
son I cut my recitations and sat In
front seat"
Did you attend law school?"
"Only during fourteen weeks. L had
to get money, and, ill-prepared as 1
was, stood for the bar examination
eight months after leaving, the uni
yersity, passed and was admitted to
practice. My successful Grafton on
Iago brought me bills to collect and
other small business. So made liv-
ing, such as it was. That very same
year I decided to be a candidate for dis
trict or prosecuting attorney. | needed
the salary of S66 per month. Moreover