The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-09-26

1t was a close shave, but it was as
good as 100 majority.
JOHN GARY WATTS.

1O WaS d CIOSS SudSS, OuG ~ w oS c1S
good as 100 majority.
JOHN GARY WATTS.
Col. John Gary Watts was born at
Gary's Lane, Newbetry County, on
September Il, 1869. His father was
Capt. John W. Watts, a gallant Con-
federate soldier, who was at one time
sheriff of Laurens County. His mother,
whose maiden name was Miss Jose
phine Gary, is cousin of the Garys of
Edgefeld and Abbeville.
Col. Watts childhood and boyhood
days were spent in Laurens. He was
appointed beneficiary cadet to the
Citadel in 1886 and graduated in that
Institution in July, 1880. Without So
licitation on bis part Adjt. Gen. Far
, ley, who had been an intimate friend
of bis father, offered him the position
of Assistant Adiutant General in the
September following. Since then Col.
Watts has been more or less active in
public life. In 1892 he served as
member of the Laurens delegation in
the September State Convention. Col.
Watts is a young man Of genial tenn
permanent and manners, and has made
himself popular with the military men
of the State.
The great fight was on the railroad
commissionerships, and the Conven-
ton got into merry squabble about it.
In nutshell it was this: There was q
double-jointed way Of counting the
votes because Of the fact that the three
nominees were voted for at the same
time. The delegates did their own
figuring before the tellers had their
work up, and found that the candidates
leading and who had a majority were
Evans, Thomas and Wilborn.
The Sigh faction saw that he was
hopelessly defeated and began to
change to YeideIl and pull him Up
over Thomas. It worked we'll for
awhile, but the Thomas people began
to drop from Yeldell, and Wilborr and
Evans began to lose vote here and
there to go to Thomas or Ieldell, and
would get some Of the minor candi-
dates votes. So it went amidst the
greatest confusion and conlmotion.
At one time it looked as if Mr..
Thomas was going to lose his margin
and be defeated by Yeldell, but some
of the delegates Bradham,
Mayfield and few others-got vexed
at the idea oftrying to pull down Mr..
Thomas and began cutting all around.
That made things uncomfortable, and
a delegate wanted the whole thing
done over, but was ruled out.
EVANS, wILBoRN AND THOMAS.
To make short story of the wrangle
the delegates insisted that the chang
jngs should stop, and when the teller
gave the much mixed vote it read: J.
A. Sigh 81, H. r. Thomas 1913, w. D.
Evans 2O4, w. H. Ye!dell It's, j. G.
Wiborn 1877, J. ". Gary %, Jasper Mil
ler II, J. Il. -Koon 5. The original vote
was: Evans first, Wilborn second and
Thomas third, and after ups and downs
they happened t. get the nominations.
All Of the men have been in public
life long time, and Mr.. Thomas is the
only old member Of the board. After
the nominations had been finished the
committee went out for the nominees.
SPEECH FROM JOHN GARY EVANS.
John Gary Evans headed the triunl-
phal procession and entered the hall
amid great applause. He was in a good
humor and made a decidedly good
= speech. It seemed to be delivered
with more vim and fire than usual. It
took with his audience, although it was
not near SO aggressive as his speeches
during the campaign. He was at his
best and madea fine impression. The
speech is given elsewhere.
ZIMMERMAN ABSENT.
A note was read from DR.. Thinner
man expressing his regret at not being
able to attend the Convention on ac-
count of sickness, and all of the other
State officers, excepting Col. Tompkins,
raade brief acknowledgment of the
nominations. -.