The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1899-03-02
FIRST DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE.
Many Of the States EIost Noted Men Come
From that Section.

. N'NNN 49, ~ ~ tftN - ~
Of the report on public buildings and
grounds that the First, and Oldest CON
gressioual district in Tennessee had
never had but $50, 600 of governments
funds expended IN it in the way Of in
ternal Improvements Of any kind. 1t
was further developed that this amount
had been expended there by the order
Of the Secretary of Agriculture, in the
establishment of fish hatchery. The
Secretary discovered that the waters
in that district were well adapted for
Matching fish, and, receiving a small
sum of money for experimental pur-
poses from congress, he has located a
hatchery in one of the small inland
lakes that abound in that district.
Representative Brownlow, the pres
ent Congressman from that district,
with these facts before him, so harrow
ed up the souls of the members who
compose the Committee on Public
Buildings and Grounds that they put
in their report a recommendation that
a building to cost $50, 900 be authorized
for the city Of Bristol in spite of the
fact that Mr. Brownlow was not a mem
Der Of that mutual benefit association,
as that committee is known in congress
When one considers the fact that the
First District has had as it's represent
atives in congress some of the most
prominent men in the history of Ameri-
ca, and plumbers among them Andrew
Jackson and Andrew Johnson, and that
it has sent more noted men to the ma
tional legislative halls than any one
district in the South, it becomes a mat
ter of astonishment that it has received
so little in the way of government ap-
preparation. The district is the most
historic one in the state, in point of its
public men. Being the First, it is
naturally the oldest. Andrew Jackson
who helped to frame the Constitution
of the State of Tennessee, and, when
admitted into the Union, became its
first representative, entering the House
in the Fourth congress of the United
States. While he represented almost
the entire state, the First District
points to him as its misrepresentation.
He served in the House from December
5, 1896, until March, 1897, when he was
elected to the senate. He became later
the Judge of the Supreme Court of the
state, after which he went into trade
In 1918, he took command in the Creek
wars, and was commissioned a Major
General and captured Florida. He led
his army TO New Orleans and defeated
the British in 1915. He became Gov.
ernor Of Florida in 1921. He declined
the appointment of Minister TO Mexi
co, and was again elected to the United
States Senate, serving from December
1928, to 1926. His defeat as the Demo
cratic candidate for the presidency il
1924 is an old story, and his occupancy
of the White House from 1899 to 1888
is portion of the alphabet of Ameri
can history.
The most conspicuous figure next tt
represent the First District of Tennes
see was Col. John Cooke, a son of til,
colonial Brigadier- G eneral, William II
Cooke. Gen. Cooke, was a celebrated
pioneer in the state, afterwards repre-
senting it in part, as Senator, SERVING
from 1896 to March, 1907.
His son John was as noted as hi
father. He served in the Greek war
with Andrew Jackson and was made
Colonel of a regiment Of riaemen be
fore the battle of New Orleans. Fl
represented the First District in til
10th, 18th, 18th, and 10Th congresses.
The next noted son, destined to be
come noted in the history of the stat
and Of the Union, to represent the Firs
in congress was Andrew Johnson. Ii
was elected to the 28th congress. On
Of the most conspicuous members the
was ex-President John Quincy Adams
The latter relates in his diary an intel
esting account of Mr. Johnson's frs
appearance on the floor. Mr.. Adam
had the habit of noting down the ne
members as they came into congres
and made it point always to hear
new members first speech He tells
these interesting notes of the fir
speech Of the Tennessean. When
began to speak MIR. Adams says |
went nearer so that he could hear hi
better, as there was something in NJ
johnson that attracted him. TIL
night when he went home he wrote
his diary: "Andrew Johnson, a ne
member from Tennessee spoke toda
| He is destined to become a conspicuol
figure in the history of his country
Everyone knows how we'll this proph
cy was carried out. Before he had CO
cluded his first term he became not
BILE figure on the floor and was re-eleC
} ed to the 3Oth, 31st, and 32d congresse
History has yet to do justice to this o.
gigantic Union figure from the Sou
. during the war period Already th
section has begun to change its opinit
of this man, who afterwards exclaim
+. when radical rule was overwhelmil
all bounds: "You shall not strike IL
PROSTATE giant again save over L
2 body"