The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1921-04-05

Two small towns in the Tenth con-
gressional district now have the honor
OF supplying the two highest Off
GERS in the gift OF the people, Sanders
willie being the home OF GOvernOr-elect
Thomas w. Hardwck, and Thomson
the home of United States Senator
Thomas, E. Watson. Mr. Watson took
oath Of office with the incoming ma
tional administration on March 4th,
and Mr.. Hardwick will assume his du-
ties the latter part OF June.
Incidents in the life OF Senator Wat-
son, relative to his rise from PLAN,
freckled- faced country boy to the
United States senatorship, will prove
interesting. Being one of several in a
family OF children whose parents be-
gan at the bottom OF the ladder, to
Climb to prosperity, his boyhood days
were full OF hardships barely known
to the youth OF today; hardshlps, 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;
Mr.. Watson was. born at the old
plantation home NEAR Thomson on
Sept. 5, 1856, hence is now in his
sixty-ffth year. He attended the high
schools of Thomson several years,
and from there went to Mercer uni
versity at Macon in 1872. At an early
age he developed fondness for books,
especially for historical works. At the
age Of fifteen he practiced original
composition both in prose and poetry.
He was compelled, on account OF II
nancia conditions, to leave Mercer in
1874 His family was living in Augusta
at that time and he sought work in
that city, but finding no work to do
he went to Lawton, in Burke county,
and after deSpairing OF securing en-
plovment there went to SCreven coun-
tv. 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 light
wood knots lighting the pages OF
Blackstone which a good old farmer
friend had given him.
While he was teaching in SCreven
county he made his first public speech,
the subject being Temperance"
Mr.. Waston returned to his old
home in Thomson in 1876, and enter
ed the practice OF law. His first years
practice yielded him $2l2 gross, and
the second and third years of hard
york and assidious attention TO bust
ress doubled his income each year.
his practice increasing until his an
nual income reached $4,000. In few
years he was able to command larger
fees, and in this way was able to gain
comfort and independence, investing
the surplus in farm lands which he
now owns.
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 passage
OF an act to tax the railroad corpora
tons in each county where they own
ed property, and was chosen by the
committee on temperance to close the
debate on the local option bill, which
became a law. In 1888 he was elector
Tor the state at largo Eon the demo-
cratic ticket and stumped the state
for Cleveland and tariff reform. The
next year Mr.. Watson led the fight
in Georgia against the jute-bagging
trust. The success of this movement
so eratihed the farmers that it created
a demand that he should run for con-
gress, which he did and was over
whelmingly elected.
During his one term in congress he
worked and voted 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 II, 1898, he introduced
into the house and secured the passage
OF the first resolution which was ever
passed in this country for the free de-
l:,or,.- 81 mil TO the country people.