National Republican., 1886-10-02
THE TAYLOR BROTHERS.
Rivals In studies, iu Love, and in
pOliiics

Politics.
Mr.. c. j. Emory, who lives near Knox
Vile, Tenn, and who has known the Taylor
brothers all their lives, gave reporter Of
the NATIONAL REPUBLICAN some interest.
ing points about TIE rival cnuli lates for the
covcrrorslip.
"Whcn Bob aud Az were Gt school to-
Ccther," said he. "ihcy lsd parties Just as
they DO now. For yeats the school ,ry at.
tended was rent into two factions known
as the "Pikts" and "lIuug Pikesn Pike
was tie name of the county schIoInllstur.
He had been engaged agaust,tde wishes Ot
a laige majority Of the community, and the
school oys, IS might he expected, eagerly
entered Into any thing that prom sell a iight.
Within the first week after the ncw IN ,stcr
0scCnd,d the rOstfum party lines were
drawn, about half Of the BOYS, led by All
TaJ lOr, uphulding the teacher, anl the
ether half, uud,r the generalship Of Bob,
swearing war to tue death against him.
Alf's crowd were called the pixies" anl
Bub's the "ildug Plies" trcause the cue
mics OF the teacher used - IN IKE night
hideuus ly yelling Hang P,kar
through the streets Of the village.
Even at this ealy date the qualities OF
leadership which now characterize the
brothers were quite marked. All led his
u
talked little, but WAS always at hand with
his followers to defend the teacher. Bob
was more noisy. Nearly every evening he
collected the "Hang Pikesn In vacant lot
and harangued them from the fence top.
| lie was an ideal leader among boys Hand
some, full OF life aud deviltry, and gener-
Gus to fault, he drew after him the coun-
try urchins with the magnetism which he
now eXerts on men. BOb's party failed,
however. The teacher was re,engaged
year after year until he died during the fifth
session. 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 ptrt of Il
song composed by Bob Taylor and sung by
him and his followers almost nightly is still
current In the region. | remember a few
lines Of 1t. Here is a specimen:
Let's hang old Pike to Il tall pine tree.
Diddle, diddle dee aud diddle, diddle dee
Bob Taylorl hang him up, aad he II do 1t very
well,
And Hang Pixies crowd,can 60 with hlmto-.
1t is well known also that the brothers
were rivals In love many years ago. They
were smitten with the charms OF an Ala
bama 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 fairn,ss. After each had dis
a compact by which both were To take up
equal portions Of the lddy's time, give her
presents only after consultation AID have
no secrets from one another. rhep carried
out the subject manfully. All the people
In the neighborhood were Interested IN tie
unique campaign 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 Ala
lama home and frequently thereafter th5
brothers were seen walking over the hills
arm in arm with deepest gloom depicted on
their cOuntenances, Tht young lady was
not seen again about the Taylurs' home and
everybody concluded that neither Of the
brothers had succeeded In their wooinS.
When they were about to enter politics Bob
went over To the Democracy simply because
lie wanted to oppose All as he had opposed
him all his life The present contest is the
third greet one between them. In the "Haug
Pike" affair All came out ahead. In the
love contest both failed. In the governor
ship fight 1t is hard to tell which will sue
ceed, but i looks as If 1t ought to be Bob's
turn now"