The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1910-04-13

Its admiration and support. :
few months inter Mississippi was -
readmitted to the Union in 1870 Thorn II
as Pryor Gore was born on an s0acre
farm so miles from the nearest rail. ~
way -
Here the boy grew up among the
creeks and pines. stocky gray-eyed little fell
low. VINO could outrun any OF his companions
When he was six years old the village of WalthalI
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 ont
side OF the village.
At the age OF eight years the boys left eve
was blinded by an accidental blow from a stick
Three years later he was employed as q page in
the Mississippi senate and boarded at the house
OF Senator J. z. George in jackson. One day.
while playing with crossbow. an arrow entered
his right eye and destroyed his sight
In spite OF his afiictfon young Gore managed
TO 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 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
10 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
St u oeutiuueH tusaiu. read TO MIN history, biOg
raphy and other subjects connected with his DO
lticai plans. and he would sit by the bed a
strange smile on his blind countenance dreaming
and broodine 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 Popuiist movement was spreading rapidly
and he Joined IT, In the state campaign for a
legislature to elect a United States senator he
took up the cause OF Barksdnie agninst 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
tcally 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 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 of the
leading six students in class Of AZ. This expe-
rience cost him 1891 and he returned to his Mis-
sissppi village with only 25 cents in his pocket.
in a 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 the
difficulties of his situation increased.
Cores father had taken up the practice Of
law in Walthai and. returning from the law
school in 1892 the youth welcomed
assistant in the office. That year. too he was a
presidential elector the Popust ticket Mt.
tackled Grover Cleveland on the stump and carried
his county.
The practice of law not inspiring occu-
patton in Walthall There actually As law
in that small. poor village. The blind advo-
cate tried a few cases
After two years effort to earn a living as
a lawyer in the place of his birth Gore decided
go Texas.
Having saved $40. he started in April. 1894
for Texarkana, arriving there absolute stran-
ger with only $2l 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 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 was nominated for congress by
the Popuiists. but was 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