The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1879-07-25

most of his energies. He managed to
insult every voter whom he button
holed, aud disgusted even the old
by his aggressive and
offensive partisauship. He especially
ingratiated himself with the fair sex |
the witty dog was always favorite !
with the ladfes-and, putting on his
a solemn and mournfut voice he would
say:
uOf course you have heard these |
ugly stories about Gen. Taylor beating !
his wife and shamefully abusing his |
family. His enemies are circulating
them widely, and I fear they will in
iure us. There is some slight ground |
for them, but assure you the matter
is greatly exaggerated. Please use your |
influence to suppress anything of that
kind you may hear. Let it go no
further. In our devotion to tho glori- |
Gus Whig party we should forget these
minor matters"
Tue guileless females would always
promise, but In short time TaylOr's
fame as a wife bcater was ringing
through Jackson county. Now, he
was never married, and had an almost
platonic devotion for women, in whose
society he was complimentary, grand
isonian and tiresome. Something OF
an old-style dandy, faultlessly neat in
his personal appearance, a kind-heart-
ed man of mediocre intellect, but Of
great pretensions, it may be imagined
that no did not relish notoriety Of that
kind. 1t cut him to tho quick, and
was source of great trouble to him.
His majority was materially reduced,
and there were thorns In the Congress
sional chair that he managed barely to
attain.
When Allen heard of this trick, al
though Democrat, and one especially
desir0us to see Taylor defeated, he did
not hesitate to denounce tho strategy
and the strategist. He believed in
gaining victory by delivering strong,
sturdy blows with the clenched fist,
not by circulating false and tnstdious
rumOrs that could not be cOinbattesl.
It may be added that he had not much
sense of humor In his composition, and
detested anything that savored of prac-
tical joking. After his retirement, the
ex-senator affected tho student and
philosopher, and claimed that his
greatest happiness was attained when
in the society Of his books. His early
education had been deficient, amount
ing altogether to two years in the
Chillicothe Academy, where both he
and Senator Thurman frequently
danced to the merry music of old Jo-
siah Hearn's cane, and he desired to
rectify this as far as possible. When
wearied with pouring over the pages
OF ancient history, with every feature
Of which he became surprisingly ia
miliar, or the works of some philo-
sophical sage, he would seek recrea-
ton in the endeavor to elucidate some
difficult mathematical problem. He
was disposed to be rather pedantic, and
when discussing his favorite themes of
history or philosophy, would use an
oratorical tone and manner. Into these
dissertations he injected refreshing
streak of l1ouble-shotted oaths aud
highly original profanity. A great
many amusing stories arc told of his
well-known propensity in that dircc-
ton, Que In especial OF his anathefna-
tizing the hog that he was endeavoring
to force into q pen.
"By Cd, SIR" said the old Senator,
turning to the colored man who was
assisting him, "I beat Macarthur for
Congress through strenuous exertions;
I have been Senator of the United
States, and there moulded the policy of
the Democratic party against violent
opposition; could manage Jackson
and his Cabinet, but by the --, sir,
/ never uuA 81 AuCu AOAOAO Ao 4
have had this morning with that in
fernal, treachcrous, bcastIy - old
SOW, sir.'
History doesn't state whether this
outburst subdued the fractions spirit of
the SOW or not.
Lightning-rod men, sowing machine
or book agents never ventured OF late
years to invade the precincts Of Fruit
Hill. AS soon as their errand became
known, the governor would emerge
like thunderbolt from his room, and
in the midst of storm of execrations
that would almost make the air sui
phurous, the applicant would depart.
But for the hungry tramp or footsore
wayfarer there was always good dim
ner waiting in the kitchen.
One feature in Aliens life stands out
prominently, and reveals something of
the inner springs Of his fiue nature and
Of the knightly character of the man
that was his devotion to his wife.
! When in 1924 she was tho reigning
toast, the belle and beauty of the
Scioto valley, he fell madly in love
| with Effie Macarthur, as did almost
every one else that met her. He was
obliged then to worship from afar of,