The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1897-07-29
A Former Tennessean.

Clark gave Tammany in 1892 have the
braves been so shaken up as they were
at their last Fourth of July celebration
by the "short talk" of the Hon. r. @.
Degraffenreid, of Longview, Texas, the
successor of the Hon. Buck Kilgore in
the United States congress. Degraffen-
reid was born in Tennessee; he was
graduated from the State University at
10, and at 20 he was practicing law at
Chattanooga In 1890, at the age of 81,
ne went to Texas to grow up with the
country. There were more lawyers
than clients in Gregg county then, and
the young Tennessean grabbed spade
and shoveled dirt for contractor who
was grading the Texas Pacific railroad.
Afterward he was brakeman on the
road, and he did not return to his pro-
fession until he had earned enough
money with his hands to support him
self in independence until lawyers got
scarcer and clients got thicker. In q
little while he was chosen county at
torney, but he held the Office only two
months for the reason that his practice
was worth more than the salary. All
the while he was an ardent politician
and stumped the surrounding country
every campaign.
Physically Degraffenreid is the
strongest man in either ouse-strong-
er than Champ Clark. And thereby
hangs a tale. The village of Gilmer is
the county seat Of Upshur county,
Texas. The post oak tree and the rat.
tlesnake abound there. And there, too,
abound old Ragland's chickens. Rag
land is the hotel keeper, and from the
first of May until Thanksgiving he
feeds his guests on fried chicken, and
nothing but fried chicken. A month 8
stay at Ragland's tavern in summer
would cure circuit rider Of the chicken
habit. Old Ragland had son named
Tom-a man of gigantic strength.
When in his cups he was bound to fight,
and he was frequently in his cups. His
lists Of knockouts were as long as Fitz-
= simmons. Everybody was afraid Of
him. He was one of those holy terrors
who cause decent people to look with
some degree of complacency upsn the
proposition to re-establish the whip
ping post. District icourt was in ses
, sion at Gilmer in the summer of 1894
}, Gov. Hogg, then district attorney, wal
there, and so was Gov. Hubbard. De
graffenreid had case in court, and he
too, was there Tom Ragland had no
whipped man in week, and as soor
as he saw the young lawyer from Long
it view he made up his mind to thrasl
" him. 1t did not take five minutes fo
the quarrel to begin, and it began thus
= Ragland rushed at Degraffenreid will
the assertion: 81 can skin you in
minute" Degrafenreid knocked hin
~ down with the remark: "You can't d
lie it in day" And so they went at
DO boot top and boot top. In short Will
Tom was as thoroughly and completed
whipped as any of his previous victim
had ever been, and Degraffenreid di
not have scratch, From that day t
this Degrafenreid has been the idol G
Upshur county.
We The young Texan is as smart as
- Spainard. His hair and eyes aie a
black as John A. Logan's were. HI
y, shoulders are massive enough for
l. Hercules, and his chest is as deep as
~ we'll. He is of that unconquerabl
Batavian race, the only real match "a
the Anglo-Saxon. II Tom Reed sha
hs permit any debate in congress he
certain to distinguish himself. In th
first place, he has the ability to do Sc
and in the second place he is determir
ed to do so. There is no keeping dow
the man who left the court house to di
with his own hands path for railroad
and who was brakeman on freigl
train while waiting for clients to see
his law office 1t is such men as /
who have made Texas such progre
sive and energetic state. first got a.
quainted with him at old Ragland
hotel, and I predicted then that the da
was not far distant when Degraffenrei
would be in congress. If the fates o.
propitious there is no telling where
will stop. Though he whipped To
Raglapd, he is no bully. On the co
trary, he is the most peaceable of me
Washington Cor. in Courier-J Journs