MOORE, Thomas T. - Putnam

Thomas T. Moore of Greencastle is the nominee of the Republicans of Marion, Morgan and Putnam Counties for joint-Senator in the Indiana Legislature. While he is well known to the people of Indiana generally, as a public man of good repute and efficiency, yet it is well that the people should know more of him and his family life, hence the following account: he is the son of the late Thomas Alexander Moore, a Virginian and Elizabeth Nugent Moore whose birthplace was east Tennessee; was the youngest of nine children, knew not the paternal influence because his father died when he was an infant, but knew much of the mother’s influence because the death of the father left the mother with eight minor children to care for and support. The parents came to Putnam County from the south to escape the effects of slavery with only money enough to enter a small tract of land in Putnam County four miles southeast of Greencastle. There Senator Moore was born was limited to the advantages of the common schools of 40 years ago except for one term in Asbury (now DePauw) University at Greencastle and one term in the private school of Thomas Charles in Indianapolis. But he took the examination for license to teach school and was granted the best license issued at that time. He taught in the schools of Putnam for four years, earning money to enable him to study law. He begun the practice of law in Greencastle in the fall of 1878 and has practiced in the courts of Putnam and adjoining counties since that time. He is a successful lawyer.  He is a constant, consistent, working Republican. In 1890 he was made the chairman of the county committee of Putnam and served his party as such until 1896. In 1894 he effected such a perfect organization in the county that the Democratic plurality of more than 00 was overcome to the extent that the Republicans elected their candidate for representative to the Legislature and one member of the board of county commissioners, came within 18 votes of electing another member of the board of commissioners and within 34 votes of electing the county auditor. No Democratic candidate for county office in Putnam received more than 160 pluality that year and most of them were elected by less than 100 plurality. It has been talked freely by Republicans of Putnam that, if Mr. Moore could have convinced the Republicans that the prospect of electing the ticket was as good as he believed it to be and said it was, the entire Republican ticket would have been elected in the county. As it was, the result of that campaign stands as the best record made by the Republicans of Putnam since the campaign of 1868.  So he is a successful organizer. In 1889 he was elected city attorney of Greencastle and served 9 years in that position. While serving in that capacity he prepared an ordinance prohibiting the use of screens and blinds by saloons, believing the same was warranted by the powers of cities given under the law then in force. The article goes on to tell of laws he voted for; that he was a trustee of the Greencastle Orphans Home; married May 30, 1887 to the eldest daughter of Dr. PH Allen of Lee County, Virginia and they have three children.   (there is much more you can find on this page via newspapers.com)