Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-08-15
OUR NEXT GOVERNOR.
SOMETHING ABOUT THE MAN JUST
NOMINATED At ROANOKE.
CAREER OF MAJOR ]. HOGE TYLER.
Life of His Ancestors I'm This State
Left school TO Enter the Confede-
His People.
His People.

Mr.. II. l.. West, the clever special staff
correspondent Of the Washington Post,
spent several days at the home Of Major J.
Hoge Tyler. In East Radford. before
going to the State Democratic Conven-
ton. and wrote for his paper a very
interesting article on the family. home
| li,o and public career OF Pulask's favo-
rite son. who was nominated at Roanoke
on Wednesday for Governor OF Virginia.
Below are given copious extracts from
Mr.. Vests letter:
At the threshold OF his home on the
mountain side, overlooking this town,
stands Major ]. Hoge Tyler. OF Virginia
As he stands there. sweeping with his
Gear, brown eyes landscape that
stretches away for miles and miles, with
its picturesque diversity OF mountain
range and cultivated valley. Major Tyler
presents a commanding figure. His we'll
built frame is six feet tall. as straight
as an arrow, sturdy, broad shouldered.
His full, rounded face bears the impress
or the geniality OF his nature. The half
century OK years that have passed over
him have treated him kindly. There Is
scarcely touch Of gray IN his black hair;
his step Is as elastic az ever; the muscles
Of his arms have lost none OF their old
time strength. All his life he has lived
close TO the earth. getting something OF
the yigor OF tho soil, and the healthgiyins
air Of his mountain home has
kept his blood pure and his lungs ex-
panded. A lover OF exercise, he Is az
Il In to
easy chair by his own freside. He
docs not smoke or drink. Every
thing that has come his way in the mat
ter Of living has only tended to develop
and preserve his stalwart body, and he is
to-day physically and mentally In the
prime OF life.
COMES OF SCOTCH ANCESTRY.
II was I'm the middle OF the last century
that Major Tylers ancestors. having
emigrated from Scotland and settled first
in New Jersey and then in Pennsylvania.
turned their faces further westward 10
land beyond the mountains. The new re-
public Of the western hemisphere was
not then even in embryo. George Wash
ington. whose calm features bore unseen
tho impress Of destiny, was young SOL
dier nghting the French and the lnolans.
All his region rounda bout was q wilder
men. with Infinite difficulty and priva-
ton the pioneer ancestors Of Major Tyler
made their way through the mountain
gaps, living on game brought down by
their unerring rifles and defending them
selves as best they could from the muir
derous denzens Of the forest. Stories are
sim told Of the dangers which the
party encountered-of whole families
murdered and scalpcd, OF men and women
carried off into captivity worse than
death The log cabin was fort and the
corn was sowed and garnered In momen-
tary' dread of poisoned arrows.
Rugged. brave, and persistent were these
early settlers even 70 make journey
from what was then a settled country on
the Atlantic coast into the unknown re-
pion which lay beyond the forbidding
ranges Of the Aloghanies. When they
had located on the spot which was TO be-
come not only their home but the nome
of their future generations, all their man
w qualities were developed to remark
able degree. 1t took courage to remain