The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-12-28
A TEXAS STATESMAN.
Major Martin. the Man Who
s.BIew Dat the Gas"
He Probably Saved Gem Lees Life
at Gsttysbarg-sn Exeeaisnt
Jsdgs Of TebseeS-

The most 81SA4se o. TIE quaint
characters IA the boHse Is Major
William ~. Marin Of Texas. lie aas
born 10 Alabama. ard went TO TeTss
o. years ago. He settled in the dis
tr5ct 20 long represented BY John IL.
Reagan. and be Is nov Congressman
from that district. When Reagan was
sent TO the United states senate there
was hong and bitter struggle for his
seat In the house. The nominating
convention vas Ia session several
days. Ballot after ballot was taken
unayaisingiy. The delegate were
worn out. Their hotel bills were m
creasing, and there wa apparently no
way out Of the diiiclity. Finally an
cid Confederate soidier placed MAJOR
Martin IN nomination. The eofnIet-
ing nlidates rather laughed AZ the
dr.. The major vas . pain, Old.
fashioned LAWYER, Niih cattle ranch
and uusHilied character. He
hadn't an enemy Ia the dis-
tricf His heart warmef TO
ward every body. and eyeTybod ;
heart warmed toWari hiEs lie bad
served throughout the var 10 HOOi's
Texas brigade. In one 81 the battles
of the wilderness he disting uishei
him elf IN a critical monsnt. Han
cocks corps had made lOigInent that
threatened dss0i der - the Confederate
line. Gen lee made repeated Efforts
10 recaptare the position, Nettled b.
these failures Uncle Robert" placed
himself at the head Of the Texas
brigade. intending 30 heal Hnal
charge in psrs0s ~ THIS tail. lean,
lank officer. broBzsd BY Virginia suns.
iaii his hand upon the birdie Of the
COME fcrate commander. fohr
place. general" said he, is thar, "
pointing 10 the rear. "Yogr lite Is too
valuable ~ be lost The satety OF the
army demand it. preservation. Your
presence il not necessary for the Texas
brigade 70 do Is duty"
The tail officer was Major Martin.
With tears in his ewes he implored
Gen. Lie IT, 90 to the rear and trust
his childre rom the Lone star state.
He finally turned thu hOrse's head to
Che south aud led the animal % a
place 81 comparative safety.
Then the Texas brigade faced q
storm Of bullets. With fixed bayOnets
they dashed beneath the pine. and
after a fearful conflict they drove
hack iianc0ek's troops and held the
position. II !. said that thi, incident
4 commsmoraied 10y q large painting
in the state house at Ag-tin. Certain
IL T. that the Democratic congressional
convention remembered u. They
swamped all other candidates aEd
nominated Martin.by acGiamatIon.
When Major Martin came % Na-h-
ingtou his homeiy manners and quaint
ways attracted the attention Of the re
poFters. They treate1 him very much
az they would have treated Dayy
Crockett in DAYS gone by. He was ae-
cused of blowing out the gas at VIII
lard's, Of breaking his finger nails on
electric buttons, and OF setting his
watch by dials in horse cars. An
these stories were untrue. Their repe-
tition in the newspapers. however,
made the major a character when the
house was organized. Guides eagerly
pointed him oHt 10 visitors, and con-
tributed 20 stories already aiiOat. The
majors appearance increased the in
tercst OF thote who saw him. lie Is
over six feet tall He wears "A broad
brimmcd hat. and his snow gray locks,
long and curly, would have done credit
Ia the court of Charles the Second.
He has the face Of veteran. IL is
scanned and bronzed by time and ex-
posure The eyes are gray and
sunken, and the br9ws bushy and
shaggy The major is about 81 years
old He i careless in dress. and he
usually saunters around the house
with unbuttoaed waistcoat and his
hands ia his p0rkets His cuffs fut-
ter from has wrists like the wings OF a
dove. His linen Is not as white As
snow, nor are his boots OF q mirror
like polish. but he has heart as warm
n the Hot springs and q kindness Of
manner that would grace many n resi-
dent Of Firth avenue. No man IL
more pgnrtuai in BIZ attendance Mt
prayer and none more deYout. He
never misses the meeting OF the com
uiiftees on Fafeut- aud on coinage.
weight, and measure. and he has
been absent only three days since the
Fiincih congress began its work. He
Chvws the finest % plug tobacco
When tho proceedings in the house
become wearisomc he rock, himself ia
his pivotal chair. rolling his qui from
choek % cheek. and whiting like a
Yankee Paul Keuouari, the Partisan
artist, csricAured him in HsYpss's
Hsctiu The sketches pleased no one
more than the major himself They
illustrated the only set spgech made
by him on the floor. II was tariff
speech. delivered "a night session.
II had been stndiousiv prepared, but
the light was 80 bad that the old man
could not STE his NOTES. He made i
fanciiul argument, bat il lacked lucid
ity and symmetry None who heard
il can ever forget r. IL extremely
fervij. and was garnj,hed with the
sweeping gestures chATacterizing el0-
qucncc uB the border While the
speech was being delivered tEu Of the
majors cougre ,,inn4l friends paid "a
predatory visit 81 the Capitol grounds
and tore two huge bouquet, from the
lilac bushes. Being hard pressed by
the police. they sealed q balcony of
the Capitol. Slipped into the house
through the speaker lobby. tied u
broad. white SIX ribbon around the
tribute and placed Il upon the vet
erAu r dc 4 odd HoRdy." a- a. j.
aiicctionsteiv termeJ. wa, delighted.
lie is the only man, thus far. VITO has
drawn full galleries At au evening ~r~-
sion
An affecting story Is saoat In Wash
ington Illustrative ut tie major =
warm heart lie saw To new paper
an aunouH, emvnt of the arrival 81 The
twin daughters 81. his Oil general.
Holm b Hood The general diet in
New orleans years agn. The major
called upon the orphans sat showed
thru ever, attention BE acCoWpI-
uiei ihcm to thc Wsi'e iloa-e 4ni -c-
rureI theu au Introduction 10 the
VIE %. tse -csjdcnt Nj. Cleveland
trcatai ihvm Nltl great sulua ana
c0uftesy.
lie IS pointed suj pjthy Ia Spring
the htgee was 3u su Mprua- tlauec.
Reid aut Eraum srrc rea.iu- aal
shaking tbcr A,t, az fa' Nsm1 rat
Weaver. M MUija sa4 ~H-i..rr ,,trt.
roaring aud Shaking ybrlr u.t, at sn-
Republican,. 4 -toc.u Di she ..-.
nruts wa raging outside ~gaLrnly
there wa Dash of lightning ara isr
capitol Vas struck by = thaHdrrbslt
The lightning wAS -1 vivid and iAe
peal - appalling that many wemls-,
Srraur % their feet iH terror Fu-
haN a minute thfre va. pro ASA DO
leuc~ Then the wofdv warfare was
resumed. When asked Nh4t De
Thought al the >ceae the major To-
piled "lt was God Aim hty calling
the house ta oraer.
No, long arterWarl james t.B'a.nc
wrote his ur-t let e. declining the
nomination fp- f,re.-ts5g.uf N Ms tre.