Charlevoix county herald., 1910-05-14

Is III puzzled, IL not actually IU
III q thrilled, by the presence IN
III OF a blind man in that Ill
droning citadel Of feder- II
- alism senator without
power to see the youngest member OF
the american house of lords" repre-
senting the youngest state in the III
Union. IL
II the story OF Senator Gore OF NJ
Oklahoma could serve no other pur- NJ
pose than to illustrate how a brave w
heart and persistent ambition can an
overcome even the greatest difficult NM
ties IN life 1t would be worth telling MN
Loyalty to a set purpose, maintained VNN
resoIutely through 25 years of bitter MN
struggle, raised this poor blind Ameri- NMW
boy to a seat in the most distin- MWW
gushed law-making body in the world. WN\
although he sometimes lived on the M\W
verge OF starvation Nothing could XMN
shake his determination to be SEN Nv
ator. He had eyes, but he had NN
tongue. He had no money but he had INK
courage He was obscure. but he had ~
high ambition. He could not see the
world about him. but he had a smile r.
to win II. a perseverance to compel
Its admiration and support. a
few months after Mississippi was II
readmitted to the Union in 1870 Thorn J.
as Pryor Gore was born on an 80-acre
farm 80 miles from the nearest rail- k1
way.
Here the boy grew up among the
creeks and pines, stocky, gray-eyed little fell
low who could outrun any of his companions
When he was six years old the village of Wathall
was established In the woods nearby and the
Gore family went there to live. Young Tom at
tended a small school set among the trees out
side Of the village
At the age OF eight years the boys left eye
was blinded by an accidental blow from a stick.
Three years later he was employed as a page in
the Mississippi senate and boarded at the house
Of nna
while playing with crossbow, an arrow entered
his right eye and destroyed his sight.
In spite OF his afhction young Gore managed
to stand at the head of his class In school and at
the age OF IT years entered a normal school
which opened. Here he gradually became
totally blind yet he mastered the high school
course.
While Gore attending the high school his
closest companion was classmate. Charles II
Pittman This youth used to read to him. One
day they found old volume Of the Congress
sional Record. Going out to the stable, the blind
student would stand for hours while Pittman read
to him the speeches Of the lawmakers at Wash
ington.
During that winter Gore and his sister taught
school for few months All the while his moth
er, bedrdden invalid. read to him history, bog-
raphy and other subjects connected with his po-
litlcal plans, and he would sit by the bed
strange smile on his blind countenance, dreaming
and brooding and waiting for the day when he
other
His great chance came in the spring of 1891.
The Popust movement spreading rapidly
and he Joined 1t. In the state campaign for
legislature 10 elect a United States senator he
took up the cause OF Barksdale against George.
although boy he had lived in Georges house
The blind orator shrank from conflict. He
even debated with Senator Money whose tongue
all Mississippi dreaded and who smiled majes
ticaliy when told that his opponent was "a poor,
blind schoolboy." Senator Money declared that
but for his antagonists blindness. he would hold
him personally responsible for his words-a
deadly thing TO say in Mississippi. Gore prompt
ly replied, LET him then blndfold himself and l
will meet him"
In September OF that year he went to the law
schoo! at Cumberland university Tennessee. and
studied law for ten months. He was one Of the
leading six students in class Of A. This expe-
reoce cost him 1891 and he returned to his Mis-
sissppl village with only Is cents In his pocket.
In suit OF clothes he had worn for IA months.
He had almost been compelled to leave the law
school months before for the lack Of suitable
hing.
Yet his unquenchable ambition 10 reach the
United States senate grew more intense as the
difficulties OF his situation increased
Cores father had taken UP the practice OF
law In Wathail and, returning from the law
school in 1892 the youth welcomed an
assistant In the Office. That year. too. he a
presidential elector the Populist ticket, at
tackled Grover Cleveland the stump and carried
his county.
The practice OF law not inspiring occu-
patton In Walthal. There actually 45 law.
yers I'm that snail poor village. The blind advo-
cate tried few cases.
After a two years effort to earn living as
lawyer In the place OF his birth Gore decided
to go 10 Texas.
Having saved $40, he started in April 1894
for Texarkana, arriving there an absolute stran
ger with only s21 I'm his pocket. lie secured a
boarding house and promptly offered himself to
the Populist leaders for service In the approach
ing state and county elections His political