The Washington herald., 1909-05-30
Illinois Senator
By JAMES B. MORROW.

l.
that they might partition the same among
themselves.
They were young men. mostly. and gave
feeble old age youths customary dis
count However, as a matter OF record.
that the distribution might be official and
pro rata, they organized.
At the election which followed. Shelby
Moore CuilOm polled every Republican
vote in the legislature Of Illinois He was
q years old. but he had outmarched. cut
Haaked, outgeneraled, and outfought his
enemies, who failed to understand that
strategy is very ancient science, and
that age, though venerable and even ante
oiiuvian, when watchful sensible, and
enterprising. employs ali the new and use
1ui inventiOnS-war balloons and machine
guns, for instance.
had followed Senator Cullom upstairs
10 his library and had noted his long.
even footing, and ? had talked to him for
more than an hour. finding him 20 be sure
In his grasp Of remote events. humorous
IN the quaint touches he gave TO his an
'ecdotes, cheerful and hopeful in his phil
.osophy, and unawed by the mysteries
which the future hides from the knowl-
edge Of men.
The compression OF the years had les
sened his height-he stood in Abraham
Jancoln's parlor, when q committee came
from the. Chicago convention, and over
the head OF every one present had a clear
view Of all that was dOne-yet his angd-
lar shoulders were square, his lean body
was straight. and his slender legs, seem
1ngly, were as long as ever. Nor had
time roughened a note in the low deep
voice OF blurred the keen and kindly gray
eyes. Sagacity and simplicity, a mighty
partnership in the management Of men.
shone forth, alternately and then in con-
junction. from his long, pale face. a ras-
cal. with mining Shares OF a book. know
ing his business. would probably say:
Obviously. he viii treat ne fairly, but I
must not try any Of my tricks on him"
You viii be eighty years old on
November - ] remarked. trying to
learn a secret that has bafied the whole
OF mankind. What rules would you lay
down TO those who desire 20 be octogens-
Tians. hale in body and robust IN mind?"
I have never followed a single rule in
ny living Senator CuIIom replied.
with the consciousness that IL was 4
rule. ! have never taken exercise be-
cause II was exercise, although. until my
Illness two years ago. 1 always moved
about considerably. Ny diet gives me no
concern whatever. 7 eat the food Ike.
If don't feel entirely well may take
q large piece Of mince pie for luncheon.
When enter the toast-and-tea period
shall know that am played out
7 have neither hunted nor hshed-
Standing in the door. as boy. I often
saw dozen deer eating grass or drink
ing from a slough not far from our house,
but had no desire 20 shoot them Occa-
sionally my father. wanting some venison
as a change from pork and poultry, would
quit work half an hour before sundown,
and. taking his old rife. which was as
long as a fence rail. would disappear IN
the brush. Pretty soon We would hear
the crack Of his gun, which meant that
he would soon return with deer on his
back"
Slaves Set at Liberty.
Your father a farmer in Kentucky,
gave his two slaves their freedom when
he decided TO move 20 I.Enois7' said.
He may have had three slaves" Sena-
tor Cullom answered, but whatever the
number. all were set at liberty. A small
landowner. living in a region Of planta-
tons on which there were as many as
- negroes. he challenged the institution
OF slavery. both on the grounds Of moral
fty and because Of religious convictions
Selling MS farm. he moved TO Illinois.
travelling in a wagon drawn by oxen. His
two married sisters and their husbands
one OF whom was Methods. preacher.
accompanied him
Fifteen years ago, being in Tennessee,
- be present ct the funeral Of a Repre-
sentative in Congress, visited my faith
eT's brother, who lived in the country
some distance from Knoxville. The courts
adjourned for the day. and the Judge and
many members OF the bar went along
With ne Ny uncle was past eighty years
OF age and had retired from public life
and his practice as a lawyer. After we
had assembled in the largest room Of
his house he said:
Until to-day, I hadn't seen Shelby
CullOT since carried him. on dancing
horse, 20 the boundary lire Of Kentucky, |
and he was 50 small that had to hold
him in my arms
so" Senator CuIlom went on TO saw.
while my mother and father emigrated !
IN wagon drawn by oxen. I Travelled I
part OF the way al least on horseback |
We settled in TazeWeu County. on so /
acres OF prairie land. living in q house 1
which my father built at the edge Of a /
grove"
Worked Way Through School.
I have heard that you paid your way
at Mount Morris Seminary by breaking |
land for farmers with your fathers team 1
Of ten oxen2''
7 chose Mount Morris Seminary be-
cause my parents were Methodists, OBJ /
taining money for my expenses, as you /
say, by plowing new land for neighbo-- /
ing farmers. ! was paid SIS an acre and |
could break two acres q day by starting 4
early and quitting late. In those times |
S250 day was generous pay for Eve /
yoke Of oxen and an able-bOdied youth /
like myself
After I became a student at the sem
mary / often cut cord wood. which was 1
piled in long rows behind the building, 1
working until 10 o'clock at night and get. /
ting credit on the books. But my health \
failed and ! did not finish my course. I i
was seventeen years old and, as I be- 4
heved. was doomed to die early in life /
I would have gladly given all had and /
signed away every earthly prospect IL 1 /
could have been guaranteed against death /
Until I was thirty-ive.
The doctor said I should live out OF /
NOO4S- AAICt returning nome mOpeQ Il
about the house for q week OF twC and 4
then I went into the hay field with a L
scythe. I was never good at grading.
the color Of the ripe wheat and oats af-
fecting my eyes, but I could swing a
scythe IN Tire timothy from morning until
night and not get very tired. In two or
three days l was leading a procession Of
twelve men around the field, giving them
the swing Of their stroke and the meas
uTe OF their speed. After that I had no
trouble with my health. ! seemed to re-
cover my strength ali at once"
Calls on Abraham Lincoln.
when you decided to study law YOU