Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-10-22
THE TAYLOR BROTHERS.
RIVALS IN STUDIES, IN LOVE AND
IN POLITICS.


Mr.. c. j. Emory, who lives near
Knoxville, Tenn. and who has
known the Taylor brothers all their
lives, gave a reporter Of the Nd-
Gonai RepabiicaR some interesting
points about the rival candidates
tor the goyernorshp.
"When Bob and All were at
school together" said he, "they led
parties just as they do now. For
years the school he attended was
rent into two factions known as the
pixies and Hang Pixies Pike
was the name Of the county school
master. lie had been engaged
against the wishes of large ma
j0rity of the community, and the
schoOboys, as might be expected,
eagerly entered into anything that
promised a fight. Within the first
week after the new master ascend
ed the rostrum party lines were
drawn, about half of the boys, led
by Aft Taylor unfolding the teach
er, and the other half under the
generaIship of Bob, swearing war
to the death against him. Ali's
crowd were called the pixies and
Bob's the Hang Pixies, because the
enemies Of the teacher used to make
night hideous by yelling Hang
Pike through the streets Of the
village. Even at this early date
the qualities of leadership which
now characterize the brothers were
quite marked. All led his party in
quiet, determined way. lie talk
ed little, but was always at hand
with his followers TO defend the
teacher. Bob was more noisy
Nearly every evening he collected
his Hang Pixies in a vacant lot
and haranged them from TIA G
fence top. He was an ideal leader
among boys. Handsome, full of
life aud deviltry, and generous TO a
fault. he drew after hun the cOun-
try urchins with the magnetism
which he nOw'eXerts on men. BOb's
party failed, however. The teach
er was re-engaged year after year
until he died during the fifth SEES
sion. Poor Pixies lot was hard
one. to be sure. Before his death
he was known only as Hang Pike,
though his right name was Joseph
COurtenay Pike. a part Of a song
composed by Bob Taylor and sung
by him and his followers almost
nightly is still current in the re-
giOn. remember few lines of it.
Here is a specimen
Let's hang old Pike to a tall pine tree,
Diddle, diddle dee, and diddle, diddle dee,
Bob Taylorll hang him up, and he'll do 1t
very well,
And Hang Pixies crowd can go with HIM
10 .
1t is well known also that the
brothers were rivals in love many
years ago. They were smltten with
the charms of an Alabama lady
who was visiting their mother
Their campaign Of love was carried
on much after the manner Of their
present political campaign. They
treated each other with the utmost
fairness. After each bad diScOv.
cred the feelings Of the other, they
made a compact by which both
were to take up equal portions Of
the lady's time, give her presents
only after consultation and have
no secrets from one another. They
carried ont the subject manfully.-
All the people of the neighbOrhood
were interested in the unique cam.
paign and anXiOusly awaited the
result. Just how the climax
was reached no one outside the
family knew, but one morning the
young lady left for her Alabama
home and frequently thereafter the
brothers were seen walking over
the hills arm in arm with deepest
gloom depicted on their counte.
nances. The young lady was not
seen again about the Taylors' home
and everybody concluded that
neither of the brothers had succeed
ed in their wooing. When they
were about to enter politics Bob
went oyer to the democracy simply
because he wanted to oppose ALT
as he had opposed him all his life.
The present contest is the third
great one between them. In the
Hang Pike affair Aft came out
ahead. In the love contest both
failed. In the governorship fight
it is hard to tell which will succeed,
but it looks as if it ought to be
ROliS turn now