Gov. Worthington was born in Lawrence County, Ohio

KY Lieut. Gov. Worthington’s Fame Sprang From a Debate About a Gun

The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky) 25 Jan. 1896, page 2

Ashland, Ky., Jan. 24-(Special)-Lieut. Gov. Worthington was born in Lawrence County, Ohio, and spent his boyhood in the vicinity of the old Center Furnace, near the line of Scioto County.

One of his chums was Captain James Skelton, now of Portsmouth, O., who remembers Bill Worthington’s first speech in public.

Center Furnace had a debating society. One night, Skelton and Worthington were pitted against each other to decide the momentous question of “Which Was the More Beneficial, A Dog or a Gun?”

Worthington was for the gun, and his effort was such a stunning surprise to his antagonist and the remainder of his auditors that Skelton, when it came to his turn, was completely rattled and, when he arose to deliver his carefully prepared argument, could not recall a single idea.

After considerable confusion, he blurted out his single point: “the dog is more beneficial than the gun because the dog is always loaded, and the gun is not.”

The verdict went to Worthington, and his fame as an orator spread from that night.