The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1901-03-07
HEARD AT THE HOTELS.
Early Newspaper Venture of Ex-Governor
Taylor.

Capt. w. A. Dickinson and wife, of |
Johnson City, were guests of the I'M
perial hotel yesterday.
Capt. Dickinson is manager of the
Piedmont hotel, at johnson City, and
is one of the oldest and best known
hotel men IN upper East Tennessee,
having been leading boniface in
Greeneville and Johnson City for years.
When he first went to johnson City
the town was very young and rustic.
1t was in the young days of ex-Gov-
ernor Bob Taylor, when that now dis
tinguished individual and his cousin,
Nat Love, were founding and issuing
The COMET, the well-known paper now
owned aud edited by Cy Lyle, The
present owner was typo on the paper
when Mr.. Taylor was its editor. These
great journalists boarded with Capt
Dickinson and he became closely con-
nected with their early struggles, closer
perhaps than he relished at times, but
the captain is man of large heart, and
enjoyed the extraordinary firm OF Tay-
lor h Love. Nat Love was almost as
funny as his illustrious cousin, Bob,
but had considerable more success in
those days corralling the nimble dollar.
Nat is blind, but he was credited in
those days with having a mighty clear
conception of business transaction.
The paper got hard up, that is very
hard up-it was always just hard up,
and it was decided that some one should
go on the road. Taylor wanted to go
but Love argued, and rightly, too, that
he would not be able to collect a dol
lar as he was too tender of heart to ask
for it. So it was finally agreed for
Love to make trip in the lower coun-
ties Of the district and make big col
lection. So he went and Bob sat in the
Office and put every collector off with a
prosperous air, "Wait till Nat gets
back from Greene"
Most of the places Love visited, the
subscribers told him that Bob had
given them the paper, and he had an
awful time collecting anything. Final.
ly he secured some twenty odd dollars,
and pulled back to The COMET office
Bob Taylor and Bob Burrow, who had
joined the partnership, and lot of the
office boys, were awaiting his arriva
with much interest.
"How much have you collected p
asked Bob Taylor after the usua
greetings were over.
"Twenty-six dollars" replied Mr.
Love.
; A smile crept upon that well-knowl
/ face that has made so many other
smile. Even Bob Burrow grinned on
OF his broadcast, and the printer fairl,
shook with glee. They dare not max
b any noise to betray themselves to tn
q poor blind man who sat in silence an,
Q blushed, but they looked at each othe
and smiled as loud as they dared
Finally Bob Taylor cleared up hi
throat rather embarrassingly, and said
0 "Ah, 500, hey?"
Q Nat knew what he wanted but he sa
/ still in darkness and silence.
!. Bob Taylor, assisted by Bob Bun
rows, made several more hints, but Ma
never caught them. Finally Bob Tay
lor said:
/ How much did you say you got
a II didn't do any good much" re
piled Nat, "and only collected $96
swell, where is it" asked Taylor
bluntly, frightful suspicion gropin
J. into his delighted mind.
o "Why, just charge it to me, said Ma
IL in brusque, business like manner.
% Hope sank as fast in that Office as a
D iron wedge in mill pond for the mex
few seconds. Bob Taylor and Bo
Burrow exchanged blanched faces an
IS Bob Taylor said in the agony of despair
o "Well I'll be derned !"
g They could do nothing; Nat was tn
y only man ON the paper who had an
70 money and had been making advance
to the running expenses and what coul
they say if he collected small amour
d and had it charged to himself
% But when Nat went to settle h
y board bill with Captain Dickinson
n was surprised to find that his bill wa
d just the same as in other months whe
d he had not missed a meal.
4 "I've been gone two weeks, nearly,
10 said Mr.. Love, by way of suggestion I
10 the landlord.
IT "Oh, we'll, / won't charge you any
ID thing extra for that"
,. eyes," protested Nat, "but I did ne
10 eat those meals, and don't think
: ought to have to pay for them"
SWELL" replied the captain, "the
we're here for you all the same whetht
you eat them or not"
:. Nat paid the bill and laid for til
/? landlord and in less than month gC
If him.
is Nat had a splendid farm running int
10 the suburbs and was pasturing Capital
Il Dickinson's COWS. The next bill
|, rendered he charged as one item:
[. "To stack OF straw, $1O."