The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-03-12

itow did biinu man ever get INTO
the United States Senator For that
matter, how did blind man ever
have the courage TO pick out that par
ticular career and TO make II the OBJ
jcct OF his greatest ambitioni
There is one answer to both ques-
tions. lie did il by being Thomas p.
Gore.
Being Thomas p. Gore means a
good many things. II means being
~ years old, in perfect health. Of in
domitablc will and unlimited energy.
II means being by turns a good
fighter and a generous eonciliator.
1t means the ability to get and to
keep friends.
II means, moreover. having had a
good mind to start with and having
given Il twenty-five years Of almost
unexampled training. And II that
isn't enough to explain the Senator
ship. Il means having Mrs. Thomas
T. Gore for wife and helpmeet.
When the present Senator was only
7 or 8 years old he was accidcntly
struck in the left eye by stick which
companion threw down. The
whole thing was an accident, the stick
rebounding and striking him on the
under part Of the eycball. Some in
jury to the optic nerve resulted and
the sight gradually failed In that eye,
When he was II years old and a
page in the Mississippi Senate-he
was born and brought up in that
State--he bought an air gun TO take
home IA his brother for a Christmas
present Some OF the children at the
hotel where he was living wanted to
see Il work and naturally an ll-year-
old boy did not need to be asked
twice. 6s.
While he was showing il of, the
rod !, fired kept catching in the bar
rel, so finally having placed il in po-
sition, young Gore squintcd down the
barrel--with his good eye, of course
TO see II everything was all right that
time. Somehow or other the gun
went off, and so did part Of his right
eye N i~ti-
OF course. the sight was destroyed.
An operation was performed, the
front Of the eyeball removed and a
false eye substituted, Owing to the
fact that not all the eyeball was
taken away, the glass eye moves so
naturally that many persons never
suspect that 1t is not the real thing.
Since he was II years old, Thomas
?, Gore has not been able to read
word. For few years he could dis
tinguish outlines Of some objects. but
since he was Is or 10 he has lost even
that power.
At II he was too young to have
acquired trade, profession or even
an education. After he lost his sight
he promptly decided on the education
rs the first necessity, and set about
getting one.
He went through the public schools
hen the normal school, then the
Cumberland University at Lebanon,
Tenn, One Of his earlier school
accompanied him to Lebanon and
cad to him. Every bit Of his work
vas done this way, He was valedic-
orian OF his class and one OF six
graduates with highest honors.
When he left college he went to
Jackson, Miss, for six months to
earn to read with his fingers. He
wen bought two books in Braille
ype, Longfellow's poems and the
Constitution Of the United States,
But getting his learning through his
ingers was too tedious method to
'uit man so eager so fairly cove
GUS Of knowledge as young Gore
vas.
The two books for the blind with |
which he supplied himself then have
lot grown into library, He never
bought third--and he's not very
;ertain OF the whereabouts of the |
original two. He has a library all
light enough, but 1t isn't composed
i books for the blind.
He cannot read one word in the |
'olumes with which he has surroun-
led himself; yet he knows their con-
ents with thoroughness which
would make most men seem, in con-
rast, to be strangers to their to their
,wn book shelves. Not only does