Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-06-06
STORIES NO ONE COULD
TELL LIKE "BOB' TAYLOR

Bob beat me To it by "a second.
"Then W. gouglcd.
"A little later our feet began TO get
cold again and We googled again. BE
fore We got to our speaking place Bob
pu, his arms around my neck and With
genuine tears in his eyes said.
Major. forgive me: l amt worthy
God Knows l ain't-to rum against us
noble "A man as you arc for congress-. !
:d mirc You. 1 love you. Major. and 1
hope YOU will beat the very sluffing out
OF me.
II returned h embrace and we
googlci again
Bob said l. after n while-this time
putting my arms around him-'you are
mistaken about that little remark YOU
made just now. and by gad. sab. | am
going to tell 'em So ut the next meet
ing
"'Oh. major said Bob. hugging me
again with tears in his cNes. don't do
that. for God sake. don't. But III YOU
do. major. it would just confirm what l
just said about YOU and your noble
nature
We'll, don't remember much about
that next stop except that we drove up
4" a place where hundreds of mountain
people stood around to hear the two
famous orators of the Wautauga val
ley. by that time neither of us could
have got out of the buggy tn save our
lives except on nur hands, so we just
sat where. We We're and ! put my arms
around Bob and said:
Fellow citizens. this man is the
Hon. Robert l. Taylor. my honorable
opponent in this race for congress-. n
genius and the best fellow that eyer
lived. The fact is. We are both great
men. and so 1t don't make amy diner
.nce whom you elect. because, amy
how. YOU will elect Il man Il darn sight
too good to represent such Il lot OF
fools AS l now see before me. WhooI-
rah. Huorah for nv and Bob Taylor
And ! grabbed ny. the reins and
drove Off. (f"r l didn't know VIA
might happen.) And the gaping crowd
of hill -billies stood there wondering
what in the dcv it all meant.
II found out later. They took me at
my word much to- my disgust. and
voted solidlv for Bot.
The personal friendship between us
stood us both i'm good stead several
times during h campaign. for the diff
ferent factions We're wildly wrought
up and antagonistic toward zach other
to speak at kyles Ford. IA little noun
tain town close to the Virginia line.
At this place the friends OF Bob Taylor
We're i'm the majority and We're inflamrd
against me. This was especially true
of a rather rough crowd that came
over to the speaking from Virginia. At
one time 1t looked AS if they might
get rough with me. but Bob Taylor
got right out among them and told
them that the man who used an UNI
ktnd word to me or attempted any
violence would be regarded in his es-
timation AS an enemy for life.
This had the desired effect and
trouble vas ayertcd.
The funniest incident of our cam
paign occurred during the asst con-
gressional race and many are the times
together over the incident. 1t WAS AN
when we We're having a joint
debate at Crab Orchard. above Eliza
BEETHOVEN. and everybody I'm the audi
n a at fever heat. and each fac
ton was only waiting for the opportu-
nifty to get at the other. | felt that
something was brewing long before l
told them that Bob would follow me
and give them a lot of democratic
thunder, but for them not to give it
serious consideration.
II then got down from the stan and
Immediately sidled toward the railroad
station to be On the safe sid ii amy
thing started.
lit was just i'm the middle VI Bob's
speech hat the fireworks broke loose.
The station happened to be between
me and the crowd and suddenly I heard
Il noise like IA thousand brickbats flop
ping against the old station. The crowd
had begun to fight with rocks.
I'm IA minute ! saw Bob coming
around the other side of the station
n we met right in the middle.
Bob ! said. this is the time when
absence of body is better than pres
enc of mind
You're right. Major he agreed. And
then, locking arms. we did II double
quick march to our train and told the
conductor to- make fast time out OF the
town, which he was glad to do"
THE last time l saw Bob he told me
he believed they We're throwing rocks
up there yet"
have selected the following among
the best stories I ever heard him tell.
In his own words they ran about as
follows:
There is no music like the music Of
the fiddle and the bow. There is no
humOr that can compare with the
country hurnor. l shall forget the
happy days Of my boyhood down on
the farm; / shall never forget the rich,
old characters I used to know.
l once knew an old fiddler Who was
the champion eater OF the world. Many
~ time nave I seen him at my grand
fathers table. and the bacon and beans
and biscuits and b~attercakes vanished
like the baseless fabric OF n vision. He
left NOT n wreck behind.
One day he undertook too large a
contract for the retirement Of an i'm
mense slice Of ham without masticating
It. The ham scraped it's way for about
two inches down his rebellious oesoph-
agus. II lodged as tightly as a bullet
! n a rusty gun. His prodigious Adams
apple shot up to his chin and he looked
arOun at my grandfather and said:
MI. Haynes. l am chOked!'
He scrambled from the table and
nra need uhont thu eoo,,a ond A.as..aoj