The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1910-04-13

creehs ana pines, stocky, grayeyed little fel.
low, who could outrun any of his companions
When ne was six years old the village of Walthall
was established in the woods nearby and the
core family went there to live. Young Tom at
tended a small school set among the trees out.
side of the village
AL the age OF eight years the boys left eye
was blinded by accidental blow from a stick
Three years later he employed as page in
the Mississippi senate and boarded at the house
OF senator j. H. George in Jackson. One day.
while playing with crossbow, an arrow entered
his 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 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.
Pttman. 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
ngton.
school for few months All the while his moth
err a bedrdden invalid, read to him history biog-
laphy and other subjects connected with his po-
litical plans, and he would sit by the bed a
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 in the spring of 1891
The Popullst movement was spreading rapidly
and he joined it. In the state campaign for a
legislature to elect United States senator he
took up the cause of Barksdale against George
although as boy he had lived in Georges house.
The blind orator shrank from conflict. He
even debated with Senator Money, whose tongue
all Mississippi dreaded and who smiled majes
tically 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 bndfold himself and l
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 AZ. This expe-
rience cost him 1881 and he returned to his Mis-
sissippi village with only 25 cents in his pocket,
| in suit of clothes he had worn for IA months.
| He had almost been compelled to leave the law
| 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 returning from the law
school in 1892 the youth welcomed
assistant in the Office. That year. too, he
| presidential eector the Populst 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 As law
yers in that small, poor village. The blind advo-
cate tried few cases.
After two years effort to a 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 an absolute stran-
ger with only $21 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
lawyer. He was nominated for congress by
the Popusts, 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