East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1921-11-26
Left an Orphan at Tender Age
Worked Way to Top Despite
Loss Of Parents and Hard K
ny J. BART CAMPBELL,
international News Service Starr
Correspondent.

'NiiNH'lNtANNAAAs
WASHINGTON, Nov. 26.--An or
phancd boy Of eleven years bent over
a tub filled with bottles In a Denver
drug store There were holes i'm his
shirt patches in his worn knicker-
bockcrs His shoes were ,he worst
from wear.
But he whistled cherrly as me
washed bottles, his hands red from
frequent immersion IN scalding wa
ter and yellow soap. lie had job.
Although his parents were dead he
was sure Of bite to cat and place,
however hard to rest his ired little
body when night interyened between
him and his toll.
Today the boy, grown TO manhood.
is member of the United States SEN
ate, after long years Of hard work
and bitter struggle. Ills name is
Holm q. Bursum.
As the one republican senator
from New Mexico, Bursum was re-
turned to the senate recently by a
majority sufficiently large to be hail
ed as II republican victory at the end
of a closely contested campaign in
which the policies of the Harding ad-
minstration were made the issue.
His First Appointment.
Bursum's first entry into the sem
ate was when he was appointed by
Governor MeChem, of New Mexico as
the successor of secretary of the in
terror Albert b. Fan on March H..
Strangely enough. Bursum and Fall
were political enemies, and Fall op-
posed Bursum's selection to fill his
uneXp!red term when he entered the
presidents cabinet.
Bursum's appointment was con-
strued by his friends, however, as Il
fitting reward for his activity in New
MoXico politics for Il quarter Of q
century. His success In the recent
special election which returned him to
the senate for a fun term Of nix years
was regarded by them as additional
proof of his popularity with the peo-
pie Of his state; for, recognized as an
unswcrving believer i'm party rcgu-
larity" and consistent supporter Of
the Harding administration, he was
accused by the "progrcssivcs' of his
.own party of being "reactionary" and
"Old Guard"
lIursum is big, broad-shoudered,
decp-chestcd, powerful built man. His
hands are large gnarlod ones accus-
toned In youth to manual labor His
face, with its/square Jaws, Is that of
the born fighter. But withal he Is
good naturcd-a hail fellow well
met"
A Self Made Man,
Tho senator has been aptly descrlb-
ed as an example of the American
sclf-made man who has come up un-
der his own power over rough roads
and mounting Obstacles
lie was born at Fort Dodge, Iowa
on February 10, 1867. His parents
were Norwegans, They settled IN
Iowa shortly after the civil War. Ills
father, n school teacher, died when hc
was but two years old. His mother
died when he was eleven years old. 1t
was then that the orphaned boy
found n job in Denver drug store
From washing bottles there he turned
later to washing dishes and waiting
upon tables, In the English Kitchen,
once famous purVeyor of food in
that city, he found employment. After
toling all day and into the night he
snatchod an education from h,s spare
moments
AT the age OF fourteen he found Ns
way to New Mexico FROM Denver 10
work IN store at Carthage, SoCorro
county owned by an unrle Tie was
able to attend Il public school a, san
Antonio when he was not working,
Handled Freight.
When he reached maohood Eursum
landed freigh, handling contract at
the military post Of Fort WmEatc. lie
worked four six-mule OUTFITS between
the post and the nearest railroad. tie
lattI became railroad construction
foreman, and from this oceupe ON We
cNorcd the sheep business, M which
he has been cnglgcd over sm'c nd
in which he is said TO have am8ssod
fortune,
Bursum married In l'aS ANA has
three daughters, two of whom are
students at Leland Stamford tnNer-
atty, Cal, and son, Holm O. Hur-
sum. lro fourteen years old.
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