Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1910-04-16


When he was six years old the village of WaIthaI
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 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 a crossbow. 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 IL years entered normal school
totally blind. yet he mastered the high school
course.
While Gore was attending the high school his
closest companion was classmate, Charles H.
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.
school for a few months. All the while his moth
er, bedridden invalid, read to him history, biog
raphy and other subjects connected with his po-
ttical 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
His great chance came in the spring of 1891.
The Populist movement spreading rapidly
and he Joined it. In the state campaign for a
| legislature to elect United States senator he
took up the 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 who smiled males
tically when told that his opponent 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 1
will meet him"
In September of that year he went 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 1881 and returned his Mis-
sissippi village with only % 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 Walthall and, on returning from the law
school in 1892 the youth welcomed as an
assistant in the office That year. too. he a
presidential elector the Populist ticket at
!, tackled Grover Cleveland on the stump carried
his county.
The practice of law was not an inspiring occu-
patton in Walthan- There actually law
yers in that small. poor village. The blind advo-
cate tried few
After two years effort living as
lawyer in the place of his birth Gore decided
to go to Texas
Having saved $40. he started in April 1894.
for Texarkana, arriving there 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
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 WalthaH and for a
year made another desperate effort to win success
as lawyer He was nominated for congress by
l he Popuiists, but defeated Yet his speeches
l the campaign attracted much attention
On the last day of the year 1895 the sightIess
] md unsuccessful lawyer decided to abandon the