The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1909-06-17
SENATOR CORES
GREAT MEMORY,
Blind Statesman's Remarkable
Feats Shown In Tariff Debate.
MEMORIZING, HIS LIFE HABIT.

by the Oklahoma Senator Escapes
Him-Frames His Speeches at Night
In Bed and Does His Thinking For
the Next Day.
If any man In the United States is
entitled to the sobriquet of "the man
who never forgets'' 1t is Thomas T.
Gore, the blind senator from Okla
homa. He might have also, and prop
erly, the nickname of ''the man who
never sleeps" The attention of the
United States recently has been drawn
to Senator Cores remarkable memory
by a demonstration Of 1t the other day
on the floor of the senate. Senator
Lodge Of Massachusetts the day before
had concluded long tariff speech in de-
fense of the New England cotton man.
ufacturers, In which he took issue with
Several statements made ten days pre-
viously by Senator Gore as to the prof
its made In this business.
Senator Gore arose In his seat and,
relying solely on his memory, although
he has q habit when speaking of hold
ing a manuscript in his hand as If
reading from 1t, replied at length, en-
ploying figures and statistics with
which no ordinary man would tax his
memory. In the course of that speech
Senator Gore took up seriatim dozen
firms by name, giving their capital
stock, their surplus, their earnings,
the par value of their stocks and a
host of other fiscal incidentals. A man
with eyes would never have trusted
his memory with such series Of facts,
especially when he knew that his an
tagonists were eagerly drinking in ev-
cry word In the hope of catching him
In a misstatement Of fact.
This feat of memory by the blind
senator Is not his greatest perform
ance. 1t would be hard to designate
any one act of memorization on his
part as greater than several Others
which might be mentioned. For In
stance. when he was a boy of sixteen
years Of age, his friends say, he could
| repeat any ordinary speech after hear
| ing it read twice. Senator Gore is now
only thirty-nine years Of age and al
that time had been blind only few
years. He had acquired the power OF
concentration, however, even at tha
| age, and this is the secret of his grea
memory.
1t Is of record that Senator Gore con
ceived bis senatorial ambition at thu
age of twenty when one OF his friends
read to him debate IN the senat'
from a Congressional Record. He ha'
gained all of his knowledge Of mel
and events since then through friends
and relatives and particularly his wifi
through reading and conversation
Given an even chance in the senate, b
has already demonstrated that he ha
no superior and few equals as read,
debater on any subject which may b
preached. He has facile knack TO
making innocent remarks with stfn
to them. When Senator Smoot q
Utah recently challenged broa
statement OF Senator Cores about tn
profits Of the cotton industry Senate
Gore astounded him by doing pract
cally what he did to Senator Lodg'
quoting a long list Of firms and profits
to offset which the senator from Utal
who is In possession Of all his facu
ties, could from sheer astonishmer
offer nothing in reply.
How does Senator Gore memorize
1t is his habit Of life. Nothing escapt
him which comes from word Of mout
,, In his immediate vicinity. Before b
went to Washington he had lfbral
in his home in Oklahoma Of probabl
600 volumes. 1t is said of him that
could go to any bookshelf In that
brary and pick out the book he wan
ed by feeling Of 1t. Now that this
brary is increased and he has gone
new quarters in the senate office bull
4 Ing he is not quite SO familiar wit
the lay Of his belongings, but he ca
. describe any book he owns. even to
color and texture, SO that any one ell
: can find 1t, and he can detect Il
wrong book when put into his hand
1t is one he has ever held before.
When he wants material for a speet
his memory tells him where 1t can
. found II he has ever heard Of the su
ject before. He has those portions rel
to him which are of the most bene
: to his argument at issue. II they a
figures he may have them read twit
!, During the following days and nigh
!. they are turned over many times In t
: course Of memorization and arrane
!. ments In logical sequence for deliver
Unless the speech Is long delayed
delivery 1t is not necessary for t
!, blind senator to refresh his memo
by a rereading Of the facts Of his ,
= gument. He can carry them for da
. and months, and II sufficiently imp'
tant he never forgets them. The colt
figures which he recently quoted to 81
ators Lodge and Smoot were read
- Senator Gore twice.
!" Not long ago Senator Calling
y sought to confound Senator Gore