The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1910-04-15

Here the boy grew up among the
creeks and pines, a stocky gray-eyed little fel.
low who could outrun any of his comnanions
When ne was six years old the village of Walthall
was established in the woods nearby and the
Gore family went there to live. Young Tom at.
tended small school set among the trees out.
side Of the village.
AT the age of eight years the bows left eve
was blinded by an accidental blow from stick.
Ihree years later he was employed as a page in
the Mississippi senate and boarded at the house
OF senator j. q. George in Jackson. One day,
"hlie playing with crossbow, an arrow entered
MS right eye and destroyed his sight
IN spite of his affection young Gore managed
to stand at the head of his class in school and at
the age of II years entered normal school
which was opened Here he gradually became
totally blind yet he mastered the high school
course.
While Gore was attending the high school his
closest companion was classmate, Charles H
Plttman This youth used to read to him. One
Gay they found an old volume Of the Congress
slonal 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, bedridden invalid. read to him history biog.
raphy and other subjects connected with his DO
htlcal plans. and he would sit by the bed
strange smile on his blind countenance dreaming
and brooding and waiting for the day when he
might take part in the great battle of politics like
other men.
His great chance came in the spring Of 1891.
Inc Popust movement was spreading rapidly
ana ne Joined 1t. In the state campaign for a
legislature to elect United States senator he
took up the cause of Barksdae against George.
although as boy he had lived in Georges house.
The blind orator shrank from no conflict. He
even debated with Senator Money, whose tongue
all Mississippi dreaded and who smiled males.
tlcally when told that his opponent was "a poor,
blind schoolboy." Senator Money declared that
Dut Tor his antagonists blindness, he would hold
MIN personally responsible for his words-a
deadly thing to say in Mississippi. Gore prompt.
~ replied, Let him then blindfold himself and
Will meet him."
In September of that year he went to the law
school at Cumberland university, Tennessee, and
studied law for ten months He was one of the
leading six students in class Of A. This expe
rience cost him 1891 and he returned to his Mis-.
sissippi village with only rs 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
clothing
Yet his unquenchable ambition to 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 Walthall and, on returning from the law
school In 1892 the youth was welcomed as an
assistant in the office. That year, too, he was
presidential eector on the Populist ticket at
tackled Grover Cleveland on the stump and carried
his county.
The practice Of law was not an inspiring occu.
patton IN Walthall. There were actually 45 law
yers in that small, poor village The blind adyo-
cate tried few cases.
After two years effort to earn living "a
a lawyer ir the place OF his birth Gore decided
to go to Texas.
Having saved $40, he started in April 1894
for Texarkana. arriving there an absolute stran.
ger with only S21 in his pocket He secured a
boarding house and promptly offered himself to
the Populist leaders for service In the approach
ing state and county elections His political
speeches brought in money enough to pay his ex.
penses, but he found no chance to practice law
In the winter he went back to Walthall and for a
year made another desperate effort to win success
as lawyer. He was nominated for congress by
the Populists, but was defeated. Yet his speeches
In the campaign attracted much attention
On the last day Of the year 1895 the sightIess
and unsuccessful lawyer decided to abandon the