The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1884-08-30
Rin Arp Story of zeb Vance.

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l like Zeb Vance and Sunset Cox
and Blount and Phil Cook and Tom
Hardeman and their sort, for they
were amiable and unseffish. / heard
Zeb Vance, telling how he captured
she votes 81 a backwoods settlement
/, ,in5Nafth Carolina. when he Hrst ran
for Congress. He said that he had
never been in that settlement and
didn't know the boys. lie didn't
know thor politics nor their habits
nor,their Kligion. But he sent them
word he would be there to gee them on
a certain day, and so he rode over the
mountain and got there and found
about sixty hfthe sovereigns alta cross
road grocery, and he got down and
hitched his horse and began to make
their acquaintance and crack his jokes
around, and thought he was getting
along pretty well with them, but he
noticed an, old man with shaggy eye
brows andbig brass spcctacles sitting
on a chunk and marking in the sand
with a stick. The old plan dident
seem to pay any attention to Vance,
and after while Vance concluded that
the old man was the bell-wether of the
flock and that it was necessary to
capture him, so he sidled UP close to
him and the old man got up and shook
himself and leaned forward on his
stick and said solemnly, @This is Mr..
Vance, believe" ayes, sir" said
Vance. "And you have come over
here to see my boys about their votes,
believe" eyes, sir said Vance. that
Is my business"
"Mrssiiii M!rssii, sill, said the old man, "afore
you proceed with that business l would
like to Ak you few questions"
"Certainly, sir, certainly" said
Vance.
"What church mout you belong tor
said the old man.
"That was n soxdologer-Vance
didn't belong to any church. He
knew that religion and meeting was g
big thing in the backwoods, and con
trolled their politics, but he didn't
know what their religion was for
North Carolina was powerfully spottet
and had nest Of Episcopalians in one
place and Presbyterians in another
aud Baptists here and Methodists oVel
yonder, and they never mixed, bu
were all one way in n settlement, 81
he was ina dilemma.
Buthe squrcd himself for the re
sponsibility, and says he:
"Weh, now, friend, ! will tell yot
about that, for it's fair question. o
eoursc-itis. Well, you see my grand
father came from SCOTLAND. and yol
know that over in Scotland everybod.
Is Presbyterian" Here he paused Il
note Tie effect, but saw no sign o
sympathy With his grandpa.
"But my grandmother came from
England, and over there everybod,
belongs to the Episcopal church, II
pausos agan and the old man, marke'
another mark in tho sand and spit hi
tobacco away off. s.,t.i.,.
"But my father was born in thi
country, in q Methodist settlement
and so he grew up . Methodist.
Still no signo Of approval from the oil
man, alidBo Vance took his last sho
and said :SMy good old mother was
Baptist, and it's my opinion that
man has, got to go under water to &c
to heaYen." ll.I. Q
The:old man walked up, and, takin
him by the hand, said, swell, you AZ
all right, Mr.. Vance" and then, turr
ing to the crowd, said '"Boys, he'll d
and'yOu may vote for him; ] though
he look6a like Baptist" And th
old man slowly drew flask from h
coat-tail and handed II to Vance TO gel
his faith. I s ~ E