The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1901-02-28
HE RAN FOR CONGRESS-.
Capt. Nelson, of Carter, Tells of His SUI
cess-Why His Vote Was Light.

Captain w. H. Nelson, of Back
woods, Carter county, was guest of
the Imperial hotel Tuesday. Captain
Nelson is one of the leading citizens of
loyal Carter. He spent sixteen years
of his life in the army. He first joined
the First Middle Tennessee infantry.
Later he entered the Fifth cavalry, and
was mustered out at the close of the
war as captain. In may, 1866, Presi-
dent Johnson appointed him second
second lieutenant in the regular army
and he was assigned to the Seventh
United States infantry. He was re-
tired with the rank Of first lieutenant
in 1879 after thirteen years under the
stars and stripes, record of which he
is proud. 1t is needless to say that he
is q G, A. r. man and staunch re-
publican.
He is one of the best known men in
upper East Tennessee and attends all
the gatherings of his party or comrades.
He has fine sense of humor and has
possibly had more fun than any man in
Carter county.
Captain Nelson met his old friend,
General Frank Seaman, at the Imperial
hotel and they soon got a crowd around
them.
SPY the way" said General Seaman,
"do you know the reporter ?"
II reckon I do know him." replied
Captain Nelson, pulling down his eye
brows and giving Interpreter glitter
ing glance from his steel, blue eyes
81 reckon I do know him; he managed
my campaign in 1896, when I ran fol
congress against Brownlow."
81 never heard of it," said Genera
Seaman.
Eyes, I joined with Lacy Lawrence
the democrat, and we were going tt
head Brownlow. There was consider
able dissatisfaction, as / understood it
with Brownlow, and | joined the rab
BILE against him oyer misunderstood
ing between him and ], that has Ions
since been explained away. Well, Il
cut long story short was doing m.
best to beat Brownlow. Cy Lyle, th,
editor of TIE COMET, was editing th,
postoffice at Johnson City at that tim
and this fellow (the reporter) was hi
assistant. I got them to do all m,
campaign writing. / suspected tina
they were both for Brownlow before
got through but I am glad of it now.
few days before the election | wen
down to Johnson City with some none,
and wagon load of tickets. I wen
direct to the postoffice and got Cy an,
his assistant to do the tickets up il
packages and address them to m,
friends at the different voting places i
the district. They told me that ever
one of them would go out that day, an
bless your life not one of those tick
cts ever got out until the day after tn
election. Ny friends of course had n
tickets to vote for me on and my vot
was of necessity light"
eyes," said General Seaman, "
heard it was very light"
"Well, tight here stands the yer
cause of that light vote, and he won
deny it. Of course it was all done i
the interest of Brownlow and I am gla
OF it now"
After that celebrated race Capital
Nelson was, of course, sore at Brown
low. A great many hard things, q
usual, had been passed from one to th
other, but as usual the principals sal
little, their managers doing all th
talking.
Captain Nelson was going to Moul
tain City to big rally in honor of M,
Kinley's election and met up wit
Brownlow, the newly-elected congress
man, at Fish Springs, where a grei