The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1910-10-21
Collections
SURPRISED THE CANDIDATE.
When Zachary Taylor Was Notified Of
His Nomination.

When Zachary Taylor Was Notified Of
His Nomination.
When Captain Wilson Ii. Daniel of
Jasper, Ind, inventor and author, now
nearly eighty-fve years old, read Of
the committees that had been appoint
ed to notify Taft and Bryan of their
respective nominations as presidential
candidates he remarked:
well, well, time certainly does
change everything. and yet with what
tenacity do people. parties and nations
hold on to their old time customs.
I'm the summer of 1S4S was a pas
senger on board the Alhambra. Be
fore landing | had been told by the
captain that we would land at Taylors
plantation, just below the town of Rod
ney, in the state of Mississippi, to take
on wood. We We're there for several
hours, and as soon as | landed | saw
General Taylor, with whom l had got
acquainted at Camp Salubrity some
years before, just across the road in an
oats field, where he and several ne
groes were at work grading and bind
Ing oats.
THE general wore q broad brimmed,
low crowned white felt hat, blue
blouse, no shirt and blue pants. His
feet We're incased in homemade boots
His hands and face We're covered with
dirt and black from oats. When l
called and said, Hello, general! he at
once recognized me and, as was his
CUSTOM hailed me by saying, Hello,
wheelsman!'
"He came over to the fence and for
quite time we talked of the days we
spent together when Taylor was sta
toned at Camp Salubrity and of the
second day Of July, 1886 in particular,
when we broke camp and |, as pilot,
or wheelsman, on board the Yazoo. be-
gan steering General Taylor's entire
garrison, heavy artillery and ammuni-
ton from Grandecore (meaning high
bluff Landing to the famous battlefield
Of New Orleans, six miles below the
city, from which point seagOing YES
sells conveyed the soldiers, artillery and
ammunition to Powder Horn, then a
landing near the Rio Grande in Texas.
at was while we were sitting there
on the fence recounting our many ex-
periences that large boat all decked
In holiday attire and flying flags and
bunting rounded into sight. AS it came
nearer we heard the band playing. and
General Taylor remarked that it must
be circus boat. AS 1t approached a
salute was fired, the band struck up
The Star Spangled Banner the bell
began to ring. and the steamboat.
which was the Major Ringold, began
rounding to land. When the general
and l saw the boat waes going to land
we got down Off the fence and walked
across the road to witness the landing,
neither of us knowing or even surn1is-
ing the mission of the boat and its
crew.
when the landing had been made
and the plank run ashore, the people
by the score began crowding out The
vast crowd was led by James Guthrie
and George d. Prentice Of Louisville.
Ky, who were followed by Mr.. Blu
ford. No sooner had Guthrie and Prem
tice introduced themselves to General
Taylor than Bluford, who had been
former schoolmate of Taylor's, shout
ed, Hello, Zach" and, with an oath or
two, ran up and embraced old Rough
and Ready who recognized Bluford
with delight.
when invited on board the ship.
Taylor begged to be excused on &C.
count Of his dress and appearance, but
Bluford, Guthrie, Prentice and others,
with loving arms around the swcaty
old general, hurried him aboard, where
he was officially notified In his every
day working attire that the Wing par
ty in convention assembled had nOmt-
mated him as its candidate for the
presidency. He made a few remarks,
thanking the committee for the honor
and assuring every one that If he was
elected he would do right as God gave
him the power to see the right.
"A reception was then held. and the
dirty toiler of the oats field was intro
duced to the hundreds ON board OF the
boat. One Of the features which i'm
pressed me most forcibly was the fact
that every woman, regardless OF her
silk, satin and jewelry, wanted to kiss
the dirty faced old warrior."-St. Louis
t-Dispatch.