The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-02-11
new YORK sun ON
N. D. SENATORS.
A CHARACTERISTIC EDITORIAL
TELLS HOW PURCELL GOT
so5RlQUET OF DOC"

Washington, Feb. 1.-THE New
York sun in a half column Of char
acteristic editorial yesterday had a lol
of fun with Senator Purcell and also
to some extent with Senator McCum-
Der. The Sun says:
William e. Purcell, slipped into the
senate so unobtrusicvely the other day
by appointment or Governor Burke.
Fountain L. Thompson having myster-
iously effaced himself, that it felt
awkward to address the second citizen
of Wahpeton as senator and men
suffered in pronouncing the title, as
they took the new colleague by the
hand. The first citizen Of Wahpeton.
as everybody knows, Is Porter James
McCumber, whose tribute to the pov.
erty of the farm will never be for
gotten by those who heard it in the
senate last week. Wahpeton had a
population of 2,22s in 1900. It is the.
only town of it's size in the United
States that is represented by two SEN
ators at Washington The senior SEN
ator, as authority on steers, wheat
and white clover, has such a long lead
over the Junior senator that PurceHs
antecedants and resources become Of
interest IL he is to make a bid for
equal distinction.
Purcell as Farmer.
Occasionally the senator dons over
ais, takes a run out to the farm In an
automobile and then always shows up
in town with his farmer Rarb on"
Stout, unyielding, if not always infal-
lible. democrat. Doc Purcell has been.
by mutual selection. the leader of his
party in North Dakota. Mr.. Cleveland
made him United States District At
torney. Purcell has been one of the
rare democrats in the North Dakota
senate. 1t is. to be noted as bearing on
his career in the greater senate that
before he had been in seat two days he
made a famous speech. He is said to
be more fluent that Mr.. McCumber,
more picturesque in his tropes. and
he has a fine turn of invective. when
aroused. The senior senator is really
ponderous and profound, and we
should say that when the junior sena-
tor gets into his stride he will make up
ground like a quarter horse
Tears and Sweat.
There is this account of his success
at the bar. He bears a good. reputa-
ton as a criminal lawyer and for
years defended most of the criminals
who were brought to trial in Rich
land county. When he couldn't win
the jury by roasting the other fellow,
he would try shedding tears for his
innocent and ill-treated client and with
sweat melting down his collar and a
stream of perspiration running off his
bald head, would impIore them for
mercy. He freed a good many
There seems a lack of delicacy In
this eulogy from the home town, but
the sincerity of it is not to be doubted
Subtlety In expression is not common
N Wahpeton. They speak right out in
, hail-fellow well met fashion. Sena
Tor Purcell is perhaps stronger on
practical farming than Porter j. Nc
Jumber
Wahpeton's Pride.
Wahpeton was so proud of having q |
second senator at washington that it |
furnished full personal
sketch of Purcell to the curious world, |
He was born at Pennington, NJ. j., fa- |
nous above all other places in the |
state for its poultry, particularly its
yellow legged chickens and specially |
bred turkey very thick in the thighs |
and of tender texture when picked at |
any age. Purcell was the ninth of ten |
children. He was of Irish stock, his |
ather having come over when young
nan. Brought IN on a farm the |
ninth in the family. entered at 20 the
aw office of John w. voorhees, and
vas admitted to the New Jersey bar
utter four years of study. In 1881
Purcell borrowed 800. shook the dust
Il Bennington from his feet and mi
rated to Wahpeton. On the way west
le quieted and cured sick infant on
he train and acquired the sobriquet
Doc" by which he is known In wah-
teton to this day. "As a mixer says
he geographic sketch Doc" Purcell has
10 supcriors.''