Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1894-08-22
BOB TAYL0R'S FIDDLE.
Some Rich Stories OF Tennessee's 8
Great Campaigner.
How he Fiddled His Way to Congress
Over PettibOne

ONVi
1t is announced in the that papers
Bob Taylor has settled down at John.
son City for the balance of the sum.
mer and is engaged in the preparation
of another one of those gorgeous phan.
tasms of the brain with which he Las
delighted the public for two or three
years past, says the Dayton Times.
This will be welcome news to all who
have heard the distinguished gentle
man in those delectable gems known as
the Fiddle and the Bow" and the
Paradise of Fools" and when Bob
gets on the road with his new lecture,
which will be entitled Cross Purposes
in Life" we hope he will not fail to
take Dayton in his circuit, for without
knowing anything in advance as to the
character of his latest effort, we are
justified in the prediction that it will
do more to revive dropping spirits and
drive away dull care than the late
Democratic victory or the passage of
the tariff bill. .......
A correspondent recalls period in
Bob Taylor's life when he was not SO
famous as he is now. That was nearly
twenty years ago. He was then simply
plain Bob Taylor, a rough, unpublished
diamond, unknown beyond the limits
of his native county in the wild and
romantic mountains of East Tennessee,
where the song of the uncaged bird l.,
the babble of the brook that goes on
forever, the sweet perfume of many
tinted flowers growing in rank luxur.
lance throughout natures vast conser.
vatory, were the inspiration of his
waking hours, while the scream of the
wildcat and the hoot of the owl m made
up the lullaby song of his slumbers by
night.
The first time he came into something
like general notice was when he made
his memorable race for Congress
against A. ii. Pettibone in 1878. Petit.
bone was distinguished lawyer and
Republican politician, "a man of wealth,
and considered the best all around Re-
publican campaigner in the State. Two
years before that time he had been an
elector for the State at Large on the
Hayes ticket, and made a great repu-
tation for his prowess on the stump.
His nomination for Congress by the
was considered by every.
body as equivalent 10 his election; and
the Democrats simply put out Bob
Taylor as practical joke, relished by
none more keenly than Pettibone him.
self.
But Bob did not look upon it as a
joke. On the contrary, he thanked
the Democrats for their distinguished
consideration and told them he was
going to be elected. That was con-
sidered the best part of the joke. The
ideaof Bob Taylor going to Congress.
1t was SO funny that people had to hold
their sides while they laughed.
Bobs accomplishments were thought
to consist solely of very happy faculty
for telling years, and extraordinary
facility with the fiddle and the bow
and most captivating grace in Swing
ing corners" with the mountain girls
on puncheon floor hoedown. And
those were the very auxiliaries upon
which Bob confidently relied to enconi-
pass his election. He knew the noun
tain character thoroughly. His native
intuition had taught him that with the
average mountaineer the fiddle would
go great deal further than the best
spec ch on the tariff Pettibone could
make. But how was he to make q can
vass and meet the peopleY That was
the preplexing problem. Pettibone
was able to go over the district like
lord, but If steamboats, had been sell
ing for dollar apiece, Bob couldn' t
have bought a gang plank. And while
all had the utmost confidence in his
honesty and integrity, nobody was
willing to advance him money to "blow
in" on such a fool hardy, wildgoose
chase as that. Bob was not dismayed
in the least. Walking is good" he
said, "and don't believe in style, no.
how" Acting on that impulse, he
took his fiddle under his arm and
started out.
When he would meet one of the
rugged mountaineers on the road he
would hail HIM in an "easy go luck"
sort OF way, swap, a yarn with him,
play him a tune, inquire about his
wife and baby, rake up some kinship
with him if at all possible, and wind
up with causal information that he
himself was candidate for Congress.
There was ole vote made sure. If the
mountaineer happened to be going
Bob's way and on horsel ack, Bob
would get up behil d him, or, if driving
an OK cart, he would take a seat beside
him and awake the echoes along the
road with his joyful songs.
The chances were that he would
spend the night with him, help him
feed the stock, nurse the baby, churn