The Carlisle independent., 1910-04-14

NN resolutely through p years of bitter WYNN struggle, raised this poor blind Ameri- NNM can boy to a seat in the most distin- .NNW guished law-making body in the world NNN although he sometimes lived on the MNN' verge of starvation. Nothing could WYNN shake his determination to be a sen AMN ator. He had no eyes, but he had a &e tongue. He had no money, but he had (Kxoz cottage. He was obscure. but he had | NNN a high ambition He could not see the world about him. but he had a smile to win 1t, a perseverance to compel C Its admiration and support < few months after Mississippi was v readmitted to the Union in 1870 Thom 4 as Pryor Gore was born on an S0-acre farm 30 miles from the nearest rail- C~ way OS Here the boy grew up among the creeks and pines. a stoeky gray-eyed little faI ION. who could outrun any of his comnanions "hen he was six years old the village of Waltball vas established in the woods nearby and the tore family went there to live Young Tom at. tended a small school set among the frees ont side of the village
 At the age of eight years the boys left eve Was blinded by accidental blow from a stick Three years later he was employed as a page in the Mississippi senate and boarded at the house Of Senator J. z. George in Jackson. One day while playing with erossbow, an arrow entered his right eye and destroyed his sight
 In spite ef his afiiction young Gore managed 10 stand at the head of his class in school and at the age of II years entered a 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 a classmate. Charles H. Pittman This youth used to read to him. One day they found an 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 CT bedridden invalid read to him history, biog raphy and other subjects connected with his po- litieal plans. and he would sit by the bed strange smile on his blind countenance, dreaming and breeding 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.
 The Populist movement was spreading rapidly and he joined it. In the state campaign for legislature to elect United States senator he took up the cause of B2rksdale against George, although a 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 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
 
 1y replied. Let him then blindfoId 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 42. This expe- rience cost him s331 and he returned to his Mis- sissipp village with only 9 cents in his pocket, in a suit of clothes he had for If 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 the difficulties of his situation increased.
 Cores father had taken up the practice of law in WalthaH and. on returning from the law school in 1892 the youth was welcomed as an assistant in the office. That year too he was a presidential elector 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 Walthar. There actually 45 law yers in that small. poor village. The blind adyo- cate tried few cases.
 After two years effort to earn living as n lawyer in the place of his birth Gore decided 40 go 10 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 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 penses, but he found chance to practice law. In the winter he went back to Walthall and for year made another desperate effort to win success as a lawyer. He nominated for congress by the Populists, but defeated Yet his speeches in the campaign attracted much attention.
 On the last day of the year 1895 the sightless and unsuccessful lawyer decided to abandon the