The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1912-01-16
SENATOR LoRlMER RELATES
HISTORY OF THE JOBS HE
HAD HELD.
STARTED AS BOOTBLACK
Then Was Cash Boy, Laborer, Wheeled
Coal, Was House Painter, Street Car
Conductor and Building Contractor
Political Career Began With Election
az a Constable.

| Washington. Jan. i5,-S Senator Lori
mer of Illinois ia his testimony before
the senate investigating committee. was
dramatic. In the extreme today. fIe
told tho story Of his life. not quite III
the way he told II IN his speech in
the senate. and with many homely de-
tails
Backing boots AZ the age of TO. he
supported u widowed mother and five
brothers and sisters; then cash boy
| q lahoror, Wheeling coal; d house
painter, Il strcet-car conductor and
building contractor, were the success
sivc steps he detailed IN his progress
70 HIS present position as president NJ
n national bank. lIc traced his way
| in politics from Il constable 10 goat
In the United States senate. The man
under fire was the coolest man in the
room whilc he told the story. His
voice was unshnken, except when he
spoke of his mother, two years dead
Then his eyc glistcned and his words
were a bit hoarse.
Faithiossncss.
Tho political sensation of the days
testimony came when he declared that
the fnithfulncss Of former Mayor Bussc
of Chicago and former Senator Albert
~. Hopkins defeated former Governor
Yates In tho primary contest with
Denoou. the present governor, tic snd
Busse had promised to support Yates
and pledged a campaign fund OF $4,000.
which he never paid.
After that | was convinced that
Hopkins had turned on his friends"
Lorimer said. and treated him ~
| would treat any other man who tries
TO destroy my friends"
"Why did Charles A. White vote for
YOU as senator" was one of the dues-
tions asked today.
White is tho former member OF tho
Illinois legislature whose alleged con-
fession Of bribery, published IN Chi
cago newspaper. formed the founda-
tlon of the Inquiry into Senator Lori
mers election.
"llo came TO me and volunteered his
vote" senator Lnrimer replied. ut
was about 10 days before my election.
| did not solicit his vote. He was n
street car conductor and / had been
/ one. and there Is a fellow feeling
among street ear men in Chicago AL
though most of them are democrats,
whenever | have been running for con-
gross | have received 90 per cent OF
their votes"
| did White suggest he ought to haye
something for his yotc?"
"iio never mentioned such o thing"
His Life Story.
Tho story Of his lfe was given IN
response TO question by Senator
Jones.
First | was a bOOtblaelS aud news
boy" ho snia, Il was successful until
tho fire or 1874, tho second fire, that
wiped out most of my customers. Whom
! Mas about - years old / worked for
a sign painter, than | was u cash boy
in dry goods store. My mother asked
me to stop backing boota and went
10 work as a solicitor for laundry.
In the meantime | worked In Il coal
yard one winter wheeling coal"
did you not go to school?" Senator
Gamble asked
My father had theory II was time
enough for child to go TO school at
tho age OF 10, but he died Just then.
/ got up so early and worked so late
| could not 80 to school ut night but
my Sunday school teacher used to help
me some, / used to study n book in
the laundry and my mother helped
me, too.
After that I worked two years as
IL laborer in a meat packing house and
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