The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-03-15
TOM WATSON HAS
UNIQUE CAREER
Rise of Plain Freckle-Fa aced Georgia
Boy Shows Years ef Poverty
and Struggle

Atlanta, March 1.-Two small
towns of the Tenth congressional dis
trict now have the honor of supplying
two of the highest officers in the gift
of the people; Sandersville being the
home of Governor-elect Thomas W.
HarGwick, and Thomson the home of
u. S.. Senator-elect Thos. E. Watson.
Mr.. Watson takes office with the in
coming national administration March
a and Mr.. Hardwick assumes his du-
ties the latter part of June.
Incidents in the life of Senator
Watson relative to his rise from a
plain, freckle-faced country boy to
the u. S. senatorship will prove in
.teresting. Being one Of several in
a family of children whose parents
began at the bottom of the ladder,
to climb to prosperity, his boyhood
days were full of hardships unknown
to the youth of today, hardships best
known to those who lived through the
dark days of the sixties. 1t is only a
few miles from the humble abode OF
his childhood to the beautiful home
that now stands on the spacious
grounds of Hickory Hill at Thomson.
Born on Farm
Mr.. Watson was born at the old
plantation home near Thomson, Sep
tember s, 1856, hence is now in his
sialu-ffsh year. He attended the
high schools of Thomson several years
and from there went to Mercer I'm
iversitys at Macon, in 1878. At an
early age he developed fondness for
books, especially for historical works.
At the age of fifteen he practiced or
iginal composition, both in prose and
poetry He was compelled, on ac-
count Of financial conditions to leave
Mercer in 1874. His family was Ev-
ing in Augusta at that time and ne
sought work in that city, but after
despairing Of securing employment
there, he went to Screven county,
where he succeeded in making up a
small school at Little Horse Creek
church: While teaching school he
read law at night, the blaze of the
lightwood knots lighting the pages Of
the Blackstone which good old far
mer friend had given him.
While he was teaching there in
Screven county he made his first pub
lie speech, the subject being "Tem-
perance."
Mr.. Watson returned to bis old
home at Thomson in 1876, and enter
ed the prachce ef lawtIis first
years practice yielded him s212
gross and the second and third years
Of hard work and assiduous attention
to business doubled his annual income
each year, his practice increasing un-
til his annual income reached $12,-
900. In a few years he was able to
command larger fees, and in this way
was able to gain comfort and inde-
pendence, investing the surplus in
farm lands which he now owns.
To Legislature.
In 1882 Mr. Watson was elected
to the Georgia legislature where he
served one term. During this term
in the legislature he aided in the pas
sage of an act to tax railroad cor
porations in each county. where they
owned property, and was chosen by
the committee on temperance to close
the debate on the local option bill,
which became law. In 1888 he was
elector for the state at large on the
democratic. ticket and stumped the
state for Cleveland and tariff reform.
The next year Mr.. Watson led the
fight in Georgia against the jute-bag-
ging trust. The success of this move
ment so gratifed the farmers that ut
created a demand that he should run
for congress, which he did, and was
overwhelmingly elected.
During ore. term in congress he
worked and VI I'D for the eight-hour
law. He led the debate on the bill
which required railroads to put au-
tomato couplers ON their freight cars.
On February IT, 1898, he introduced
into the house and secured the pas
sage of the first resolution which was
ever passed in this country for the
free delivery Of mail to. the country
people outside the limits of cities,
towns and villages. This resolution,
carrying an appropriation for expert