The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-02

Captain Tayloe is easily the most in- te-estins character in Alabama. ne is perhaps the only living link m A,aoania between the historic days or auiu iahe syne" and the strenuous present. pe."e the days of stage coaches ana stochs ai'N the days of the reckless, rampant auto mobile, wireless telegraphy and the troi- ley car. Certainly he is the most intein- gent man who can summon from great storehouse of information ghosts or forgotten past and talk with deepest ih- terest of the retreat from Bladenspurs, The Advertiser assigned to me the pleasant duty of visiting this splendlo type of the Virginia-Alabama oid gen tleman here in his home where ne ois penses a Corscan hospitahty-a hospi- tality of the tender, solicitous, open hearted kind that has given the cane brake section a fame extending far be- yond the border lines of Alabama.
 THE TAYLOE HOrlE.
 The Tayloe home is in the heart of the canebrakc, and, as every Aiapamiah knows. the canebrake is that great sec ton of the State where the traditions | habits and customs of the ante-neilunn period are preserved in greater measure | than elsewhere in the South. Truly the home of Captain Tayloe is a type of the canebrake home. Surely Captain Tayloe l Is the ideal canebrake host. He IS host who. despite the fact that within little while he will round out 100 years or earthly existence, comes tapping at ones J bed-chamber near the midnight hour to ask.
 Are you quite sure you are entirely comfortablef'
 | su !, structure of many rooms. It fronts on the country road leading from Dayton to | Greensboro. The west side of the house | looks out upon the country road leading | from Gallon to Demopolis. AS this roao l Is the more used in recent years the GUS l tomary entrance to the Tayloe home IS | from this road, over an oid-fashi1ned | stile and through grove of spiendld | oaks. Five hundred acres of prairie land
 are cultivated here by B F. Hatch. son | in-law of Captain Tayloe. and the place | speaks of prosperity.
 A number of years before the war be-
 tween the States, Captain Tayloe selected l this spot as the location for his home. | He built a commodious two-story resi- | dence into which he removed his family | from the old home at Walnut Grove, six
 miles distant. This two-story house was | destroyed by fire soon after the war. one
 of the daughters of Captain Tayloe sleep ing Tn a room in the second story, had a narrow escape. and this thrilling cdven- | ture caused 6 prejudice against two-story houses In planning a house to be con structed on the same site Captain Tayloe | would have nothing short of low one- | story house, of mary rooms and spacious piazzas. His present comfortable resi- dence is the result of this determination. A READY MErlORY.
 Several hours listened to the life story
 of this fine old gentleman and lnarvelled | at his mine of information, his quick | wit his remarkable memory, his keen ob- | servation and his ready repartee. He tells Il an anecdote with the Zest of cavalier; | repeats incidents of ninety years ago
 readily and without reference. although
 with tinge of sorrow. and laughs heart | lily of the olden and golden days and now
 college days even unto the time when his
 good friend and schoolmate, Admiral
 Porter. was severely flogged by ar iras-
 cible and Scotch teacher.
 Imagine, if you can, this man who has lived ninety-fve years-one thousand one
 hundred and forty months-talking breez- il yof the olden and golden days and now
 and then, with courtly courtesy With
 drawing from the room to direct servants
 and attend the details of busy house.
 hol, in the absence of it's mistress. My boyhood was spent in Washington City" said Captain Tayloe. My family lived in the house which is still standing
 on New York Avenue. When l was Q boy it was counted a very fine home. It
 is a thrce-story brick building. During
 the sessions of Congress my father would give big dinners. He had great pr.dc ! in his children and I remember. as though I 1t were yesterday, that while the great , men of the period were drinking wine the table having been cleared-we child ren were brought in and ould go around the table, each one being presented to the guests They would pat us on our heads and call us bv name.'
 Here Captain Tayloe paused as though refiecting upon sweet memoltes of his
 toric past.
 several years ago." continued this great old man. his voice strong and clear,
 q visited Washington and went to see
 President Cleveland"
 TWELVE PRESIDENTS.
 Captain Tayloe chuckled quietly and he
 continued jocularly.
 Just for mischief said, when shook
 hands with him: MT. President, you are
 the twelfth President whose hands
 have shaken The President smiled In a
 most agreeable way and replied: It is
 my earnest wish, Captain, that you may
 shake the hands of many more."
 Then Captain Tayloe talked with the
 deepest interest of the Presidents he had
 known. They were Jefferson, John
 Quincy Adams. Madison, Monroe, Van
 Buren, William Henry Harrison. Andrew
 Jackson, Polk Tyler. Buchanan Pierce
 and Cleveland.