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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (April 15, 1910)
ylind Gnatoflfcf . A Corner in Ancestors By ELEANOR LEXINGTON Saunders Family (Copyright tjr McClurn HynrilcMcl JAMHB e&EELMAN y HE visitor to Washington WT who looks down from the I gallery upon the sleepy, I green-carpeted senato Is I sure to be impressed and I puzzled, If not actually H thrilled, by the presenco of n blind man In that i. -t droning citadel of feder allam; n senator without power to see, the youngeBt member of the "American houso of lords," repre senting the youngest state In the Union. If the story of Senator Gore of Oklahoma could serve no other pur pose than to lllustrato how n bravo heart and persistent ambition can overcome even the greatest difficul ties In life it would bo worth telling. Loyalty to a set purpose, maintained resolutely through 25 years of bitter struggle, raised this poor blind Ameri can boy to a seat in the most distin guished law-making body in the world, although he sometimes lived on tho verge of starvation. Nothing could shako his determination to bo a sen ator. He had no eyes, but ho had a tonguo. He had no money, but ho had courage. He waa obscure, but ho had a high ambition. He could not see tho world about him, but ho had a smile to win It, a perseverance to compel its admiration and support A few months after Mississippi wns readmitted to ttie Union In 1870 Thorn as Pryor Qoro was born on an 80-acro farm 30 miles from the nearest railway. Hero tho boy grew up among tho creeks and pines, a stocky, gray-eyed Ilttlo fel low, who could outrun any of his companions. When he was six years old the village of Walthall was established in the woods nearby and tho Goro family went thero to live. Young Tom at tended a small school set nmong the trees out side of the village. At the age of eight years the boy's left eye was blinded by an accidental blow from a stick. Three years later ho was employed as a pngo in tho Mississippi senate and boarded at tho houso of Senator J. Z. George in Jackson. Ono day, while playing with a crossbow, an arrow entered his right eye and destroyed his sight. In spite of his affliction young Goro managed to stand at the head of his class In school and at tho ago of 17 years entered a normal school which was opened. Here he gradually became totally blind, yet ho mastered tho high school course While Goro was attending tho high school his closest companion was a classmate, Charles H Plttman. This youth UBed to read to him. One day they found an old volume of tho Congres sional Record. Going out to tho stable, tho blind student would stand for hours whllo Plttman read to him the speeches of the lawmakers at Wash ington. During that winter Goro and his sister taught school for a few months. All the whllo his moth er, a bedridden invalid, read, to him history, biog raphy and other subjects connected with his po litical plans, and ho would sit by tho bed, a strango smllo on his blind countenance, dreaming and brooding and waiting for tho day when he might tako part In tho great battle of politics like other men. His great chance came in tho spring of 1891. Tho Populist movement was spreading rapidly and he Joined it In tho state campaign for a legislature to elect a United States senator he took up the cause of Darksdalo against George, although as a boy ho had lived In George's house, Tho blind orator shrank from no conflict. He even debated with Senator Money, whoso tonguo 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 antagonist's blindness, ho would hold him personally responsible for his words a deadly thing to say In Mississippi. Goro prompt ly replied, "Let htm then blindfold himself and I will meet him." In September of that year he went to tho law school at Cumberland university, Tennessee, and studied law for ten months. He was ono of tho leading six students in a class of 42. This expe rience cost him $331 and ho returned to his Mis sissippi village with only 25 cents in his pocket in a suit of clothes he had worn for 14 months. Ho had almost been compelled to leave tho law school months before for tho lack of suitable clothing. Yet his unquenchable ambition to reach tho United States senate grew more Intense as tho difficulties of bis situation Increased. Gore's father had taken up the practice of law in Walthall and, on returning from tho law school in 1892 tho youth was welcomed as an assistant in tho office. That year, too, he was a presidential elector on the Populist ticket, at tacked Grover Cleveland on the stump and carried his county. The practice of law was not an inspiring occu patlon in Walthall. Thero were actually 45 law yers In that small, poor village. Tho blind advo cate tried a fow cases. After a two years' effort to earn a living as a lawyer in the place of his birth Qoro decided to go to Texas. Having saved $40, ho started In April, 1894, for Texarkann, arriving there an absoluto stran ger with only $21 in his pockot. Ho secured a boarding houso and promptly offered himself to the Populist leaders for service In tho approach ing stato and county elections. His political speeches brought in money enough to pay his ex penses, but ho found no chance to practice law. In the winter ho went back to Walthall and for a vear made auother desperate effort to win success bb a lawyer. He was nominated for congress by the Populists, but was defeated, Yet his speeches In tho campaign attracted much attention. On tho last day of tho year 1895 the sightless and unsuccessful lawyer decided to abandon ho struggle in his native spot and to go back to Texas. Before lenvlng Walthall he made a vow that lie would never enter the vlllago again until he could return to his neighbors n United States senator. That year In Texas was a hard one. Goro threw himself into politics with passlonato en ergy. He was n delegate to tho Populist conven tion at St. Louis which nominated Mr. Bryan and seconded tho nomination. In December, 189G, he and his brother opened a law office. It was a fierce Btrugglo with the world. His father, moth er and brother lived with him. Sometimes they were without a single dollar. In April, 1899, Gore's fortunes had sunk so low that ho appeared In the street with frnyod clothing, broken shoes and a vlsago whito with deprivation. Ono day it seemed as though ho had como face to faco with actual starvation, when an old negro woman paid $2 which alio owed him and that saved the situation. When Mr. Bryan was nominated at Kansas City in 1900 Gore found his way to tho crowd that surrounded the convention. He was now a Demo crat. It might help him on his way to the senate if ho could make speeches in tho neighborhood of a national convention. Hurrying on to South Dakota he had only $7 left when ho got there Goro wont to tho stato convention and secured an engagement to speak In tho state during tho presidential campaign. In this way he picked up $1,000. Then ho went back to Texas and married a beautiful girl. "It was lovo nt first sight," he said, laughingly. After tho presidential campaign was over Gore's $1,000, earned In tho South Dakota tour, soon melted away, and Ilttlo money camo In to take Its placo. In 1901 things went so badly with him and his senatorial prospects seemed so dim, that when an advertisement of an auction of land lots in tho newly opened Klown, Comanche and Apache reservation in Oklahoma nppcared in tho newspapers he decided to leave Texas and pur sue his great ambition in the now country. As a first step tho older Goro, now a whlto haired man, went to Oklahoma nnd became a notary public in tho hopo of earning fees from the land-crazy crowds. In July, 1901, the blind lawyer nnd his brother went to tho new land, driving 45 mlleB In a wagon to Fort Sill. Hero Goro lived In a tent with his father and brother In the midst of an excited crowd. His father sat insido as a notary, while ho, attired In nn alpaca coat, colored shirt and slouch hat, walked up and down beforo tho tent, waving his hand nnd shout ing, "Here's where you got your papers outl Here's the right placo to gel your land papers I" In the daytime ho entreated tho crowd; at night ho slept on the ground. Falling to draw a lnnd claim, tho Gores moved out four miles to Lawton, an encampment on the open prairie. Hero 15,000 persons wore living In tents whore tho wild blue-stem grass was waist high. It was a Babylon of gamblers, fakirs, farm ers and business men, all waiting for tho open ing of the land on AugUBt G. There wore grocery nnd hardware stores in tents; gambling tables and shows In tents; churches nnd saloons In tents. Even newspapers wero printed In tents. Poor men, rich men, preachers, thlovos wore mixed up In that picturesque, dramatic hurly burly of mules, wagons, women and children. Men wero killed, children were born, robberies wero committed. Threo days after tho lots woro sold nnd whllo Lawton was still a tented camp, thero waB an other political mass meeting, this tlmo In tho big tent of Dick Russell, n saloon keeper. Gore was thoro nnd offered a resolution fnvorlng tho ad mission of Oklahoma nnd Indian territory to the Union as a slnglo state. A few days later nnd tho men of Lawton or ganized n citizens' commlttco to get a charter and organize a city government. Of courso Goro was thero and of courso ho was on tho committee. Then n commercial club waB organlzod by the tent dwollers and Goro waa on tho commlttoo to draft by-laws, Ho missed no opportunity that might lead to tho senate. Presently ho bought a small lot li& ills ana started to build a cottage through tho help of a building and loan agency. When hle wife reached Lawton In October Gore was still In his tent. His wife fell sick nnd for four months he wns her only nurse, snve when their baby came In January. When they moved into their own cottage and furnished It with a Btovo nnd a fow articles of furniture they hnd only $1 left They hod to rent out three of their five rooms. The bnby waB horn in desperately cold wenther In a room heated only by a tiny cook stove. It lived only 17 days and was burled on tho pralrlo. That wlntor tried tho mnn In him. For months ho nnd his fair, young wlfo lived on scanty portions of bread, beans and beef liver, with syrup mndo of sugar dissolved In wntor for dessert All through this tlmo his wlfo oncouroged his political ambitions. In April, 1902, Goro mnnaged to go as n dolo gato to tho territorial convention that wns to chooso a delegate to congress from Oklahoma and his speech In response to tho wclcomo of tho mayor of Enid bo struck tho fancy of tho delegates that thoro was a movement to mnko him tho cholco of tho convention. Ho declined tho honor in favor of others. It was n shrowd tnovo and counter balanced tho (act that he waB n newcomer In Okla homa. Tho result was thnt ho was elected to tho territorial senato. Tho fight for a seat in tho United States senato was now pressed systematically. Having Intro duced a child labor bill In tho legislature and de clared his friendship for organized labor, Goro spent tho year 1903 In widening his ncqunlntnnco, nttendlng picnics, barbecues and county fairs, lec turing for nnythlng from $5 to $25, shaking hands with tho crowds and smiling his way into their hearts. Then camo tho presidential campaign of 1904 nnd Goro got $4 or $5 a day from tho Democrats for speaking In Indiana, Ohio nnd Illinois. Ho hnd no dcslro to go back to the territorial legislature, knowing tbM his great ambition could bo better served by tho publicity of scrvlco In tho national campaign. Goro fought hard for Oklahoma's admission to tho Union. No man wob moro nctlvo In tho agi tation. But he would not go to tho national capital. "I won't" go to Washington till I go with tho right to speak and voto in tho senato," ho said. Tho statohood bill whb passed by congress in 190C. Then tho political air of Oklahoma was "full of razors" as tho strugglo for tho two new senatorshlpB began with tho primary cnmpalgn to elect a legislature. Gore's oppononts wero both rich men, who spent their monoy freely. Ho stayed In Guthrlo, borrowing monoy to pny the $4.50 n weok which It coat him to llvo. nelng at tho capital, he met men from all over tho stato and wns nblo to make shrowd combinations. It wns a tragic thing to bco a blind man har assed by poverty flghtjng ngalnst his rich rivals, ono a bnnkcr and tho other a lawyer, but, however ho bled Inwardly. Goro gavo no algn that ho saw anything pathetic In his sltuntlon. His friends wanted him to nbandon his ambition for n tlmo and rup for congress. "It Is tho senato or nothing," ho replied. In April, 1907, ho began to mako speeches all over tho stato. He spoko on street cornors, from tho tops of boxes, from cart tails, anywhere, everywhere, night and day. Tho leading nowspapers Ignored him, whllo his rivals wero nblo to buy advertising space and ono of them hired brass bands, opera houses and ndvnnco agents. In March ho had mortgaged his house for $1,000, but tho monoy was soon gono. To got his nnme on the prlmnry ballot, under tho rules of tho Democratic state convention, ho hnd to pay $375. But on tho last day allowed for tho payment he found himself with only $8. In sheer desperation ho mado out his check for $375 nnd paid it In. A Mr. Young saved him by raising tho monoy to meot tho chock. As tho voting drew near tho blind candidate's circumstances boenmo moro desperate than over. Ho was spending about $24 a week for traveling expenses. To got out of monoy at that stago of tho light would have been fatal. Ho mado from two to four speeches a day, although ho would sit up all night In hotolB to save paying for n bed, and ato only ono meal a day. At times ho would go from ono day to another on chceso nnd crnckors carried in his gripsack. So great was tho physical ordeal that ho lost 30 pounds weight Goro won his light In tho primary election and was olected to tho United Stntos senato by the legislature, drawing tho short term. Tho strugglo cost him $1,100, exclusive of tho $375 he paid to pot his name on the prlmnry ballot. Ono of his opponents Is said to havo spont $75,000. It was n grand day for Oklahoma whon her blind man got into tho United States aonato. In 1908 ho wont homo nnd was ro-olected, Whon ho reachod Lawton a choorlng crowd surroundod tho carriage and took him nnd his wlfo to tholr cottago. As roar after ronr broko on tho nlr ho turned to his wlfo and whispered, "Thoy don't scorn to know that it's only me." Tho Saunders, or Sanders family 1b of very ancient descent, ns wo find by the records. Sandcrn nppenrs to bo the original orthography, tho letter "u" being n modern addition. San dcrs Is derived from Sandy, tho nick name of Alexander Sandy, Sanders, Sanderson Ib easy. Directly from the namo Alexander, wo havo Aljlx, Alley, Atken. Scats of tho family are nt Essex, Kent, Bucklnglmm, Lincoln, North ampton, Warwick, Oxford, London. The Snunders nro nn old family, also. In Scotlnnd and Wnlcs, as well ns In Ireland, The founder of tho family in Ireland was a follower of Cromwell, and Bnld to trace to Hobcrt, lord of InnBpuck, brother of Rudolph, Count of HapRhurg, Inter emperor. Tho Snunders of .Saunders Grove, County WIcklow, havo nlwnys boon n family to reckon with. Ono wns high sheriff, nnd mnrrled Lady Martha, daughter of tho earl of Aldborough. Wo are ablo to" lay hands upon two pIlgTlni fnthers: Thomas Sanders (n's his namo Is spelled), who camo from Surrey, 1G3G. IIo mado n homo In Now York. Edwnrd SnunderB tho letter "u," If yon please Is tho progenitor of tho southern branch of tho family. Ho too, wns of English birth, and ha,d n largo property. Ho mado a homo In Northumherlnnd county, Virginia. No dato Is given for his arrival. Inter-mnrrlnges of this branch of tho Saunders wero with tho Harpers, Turners, Whites, KentB, Gnrretts., BhncklofordB, and with the families of Jones and Hobs. Whllo wo ahall not any that tho Snunders nro full of fight, of ono of tho fnmlly It Is quaintly recorded that "ho wnH nn excltnblo patriotic man,, nnd took pnrt In every wnr which oo-. enrred In his dny. Ho was apt to gotj Into serious difficulties, but ho alwnys emerged triumphantly," IletBy had n son, James Wilder, by her llrat husband. Presley was a rev olutionary Boldtcr, Among others ofj tho Virginia lino wero Enfllgu Roberq Hyde Snunders, nnd Llout. Jo-) soph; North Carolina was rcprcsontcd! by Lieut. Wllllom. nnd Cnpt. Jesse:, South Carolina by Roger, nnd Massn- chnnotts by Cnpt. Jesse, '76. Jessot has alwnys been n fnvortto name. One of tho members of th?- provln- clnl congress of North Carolina, 1776,. was JnmcB Saunders, who was iq colonel In the revolution, Tho Sanders of tho Now York? branch Intermarried with tho Torij Eycks, Van Renssclaern, nnd Glonn,, nnd ono of the historic homes of Amer ica Ib "Scotia," near Schenectady, thei homo for generations of tho Glenn and! Snndcra tho Glon-SandorB homo it In cnllcd. It wns originally tho Glen; homo, but by tho marriage of thot heiress of tho Glens, Deborah Glen, to John Sanders, It beenmo tho Glcn-t Sandora house, thus called ever- stnco. Deborah nnd John had flyo chlldron. Tho coat-of-arms reproduced Ib ns-i crlbed to Thomas, the Immigrant, nndl Is blazoned: sable black, n chevron, ermine, between threo bulla' heads en bossed (or full faced,) argent (silver). Crest, n doml-bull,, erased, gules, (red). Tho date of" tho granting of this coat-nrraor Is given nn 1G15 to the Sanders, nlso spelled Sounders, ofl Down Houso, Enllng, Hants. No mot to Ib given with this coat-of-nrmB. Tho Saunders of Wales, In tho tlmo of! Honry HI., used this nrms1, with tho motto Invldero Sperno I spurn envy.. Another family motto Is Nil Con Bclro Slbl llnvlng no romorso. This" nppenrs upon tho arms or Morloy Snunders, "prlmo sergeant," tlmo of. Qccn Anno. Tho nrmB granted May 3, 17G1, to' Sir Charles Saunders Is: Sablo, n chev ron ermlno, cotlnod, or (gold), botwoom threo bulls' hcndB, cnboosed, or. CrcBt, out of n nnvnl coronet, nrgont n deml-bull, rampant, gules, armed nnd1 hoofed, or. This cnnt-of-arniB differs but slightly from tho ono reproduced.. Tho dnto of tho granting of another, nmiB Ib 1G10. Parker Family Parker la derived from Parous, n park, from which nlso comes tho nnmo Parcarlus, a park-keeper, or an of ficer, who has surveillance of n park, for Bomo noblo or royal porsonago. Tho namo Is of Coltlo origin. Tho variants nro Pare, do Pnrco, Parcker", Par choar, lo Pnrkoro, Porkerro, Parkro and Pnrkar. Names also dorlved from this root aro Parkerson, Parkerhlll, ParkorhouBo, Parkinson, Parkhurat, Pnrkls, Parkham. Parous, do Parco, and Anchltll Pnr.c ker, a tenant of Somerset, nro nameB found In Doomsday Book. Pares Is n town near Alcncon, Nor mandy, and Johannes lo Parcore, who accompanied William the Conqueror upon his memorable expedition, mny havo taken his namo from this placo, or from the fact that ho becamo tho keeper of tho royal parka. He hnd 50 acres, and six shillings eight penco an nually for folding tho royal sheep and driving them to pasture. Reginald lo Parkoro accompanied Edwnrd I. to tho Holy Land; In 1271 William lo Parker had grants of lnnd in Norfolk county. From Thomas lo Parker, 1327, des cended tho earl of Mncclosfleld. Ono of tho powerful men of tho reign of Henry VIII. was Honry Parker, Lord Morley. Anno Boleyn's chaplain was Matthow Parker, afterward Arch blBhop of Canterbury. Sir Hydo Park er was a famous admiral of tho eight eenth century. Tho first of tho namo hero was Will iam Pnrkor, who, with his wlfo Mar-1 garet, camo over in tho ship Mat thew, from London, 1G35, They wero nnibng those who helped to found Mar blohcud, Mass. If ono chnractorlstlc moro than an other distinguishes tho Parkers, it Ib patriotism. WaB it not Cnpt Pnrkor who fired tho first shot at Lexington? The shot heard tho world around. "Stand your ground," wna tho cap tain's order to his men, "don't flro un less fired upon, but If thoy menu to havo n war, lot It begin hero." Tho handsome bronzo Btatuo of Capt. Par kor wbb erected on tho ono hundro and twonty-llfth anniversary of tho battle. Parkers of tho south traco back to Dr. Benjamin Parker, born In Brad ford, Mass., 1759, who settled In tho old dominion. Ho waB a mnn of great ability, and nt ono tlmo It Boomed that ho might becomo n candldato for elec tion as president of tho United States, nnd ono, na wo all know, has had the honor of bolng n presidential candl dato. Tho first printing press In Now Jer sey wob sot up by James Parker, who had been an apprentice of William Bradford, New York'B first printer. who, In 1725, began tho publication of tho Now York Gazotto. Many havo nchlovod world-wldo fume us statesmen and Jurlata, and panm havo won distinction. In tho halls of English parliament and of Amoricoa congress. "Burke'H Peerage," glvoB noar threo-Rcoro-and-ton coatB-of-arma for tho Parkers, Heraldic charges tncludo tho Hon, elephant, stag, leopard and horso. Among dlfforent mottoes nro "Non fluctu nee flatu movotur" ho is moved1 by neither wind nor wave; "Anda, Hero JiiBtnin"--daro to bo Juat; "We dnro to bo wise;" "Reword of the faithful Is sure." Wo aro told that tho coot-of-armii borno by tho pilgrim John wnn gulea;r on n mount, n buck trlppnnt, or a chief, azure. Crest, a buck snllont or nn old book pinto glvea another version gules; a chevron nrgent charged with a tre foil, slipped, between threo bucks, snllont, or Prnnt. n lntntr cnllnn . n..M.i ' u..,.u,n, ul( muuimrgCU with nn nrrow In flight, of tho first. Another Pnrkor coat-of-nrras Is blazoned by Burke, argent, a chevron penu, between threo mullets Bnblo; on a chief nzuro, ns many bucks' hoods i'abossed, or, Crest, n tnlbot's head, couped, ais Tent, ears and tonguo gulos, gorged! tflth a collar ermlno.