Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-07

!. ! !. !. !.
NH> Bob Taylor. 1t Is
~ AAN like trying to pre-
81 HM IT, N serve In tins the
tlYd GVE ~ aroma of the
al ~ ~ n peaches OF his own
Nm IVN ~ Happy valley In
WhXAA ~ all the world there
@TT has never lived a
S61 man who could tell
story like him;
his voice, his facial expressions, his man.
nerisms. his dialect, the solemn, owl look
when he told his funniest yarns, and the
hidden humor that came even with those
that made you weep-all these, and his
own irresistible drawl-of a tone never
before heard on land or sea-made the
most commonplace of them classics.
And they made him. They carried him
from a mountain boy-lawyer. brief1ess
and moneyless. and with nothing but a
fiddle and his humor as an asset-to the
highest offices OF his state. He went to
Congress, was three times governor. and
obtained q seat for life in the Senate of
the United States And he died the most
beloved man in Tennessee.
His reputation was not confined to his
own state; by telling his stories to audi
ences everywhere he drew yearly, before
lie accepted the senatorship. a salary
equal to that of the President of the
United States.
The man was happy and lovable by ma
ture. He was born I'm Happy valley, Ten
nessee, on the Watauga river. where
John Sewer established the first pioneer
fort in the new state. The name of his
birthplace was a synonym of his own ma
ture, and he inherited all the romantic
sentiment that hung over the mountains
and the valley. 1t Is doubtful IL In all
his life he ever had an enemy. His ma
ture was so broad. optimistic and loving
that even if he were wronged, as he often
was i'm long political career of thirty
two years, he never remembered IT be-
tween suns 1t was as natural for him
to help an enemy as a friend
He spoke in parallels. the language of
the plain. common people, and they I'M
derStood
The mountain people are republicans
and in the district in which young Tay-
Tor lived their majority was easily 5000.
Not only that. but 1t was represented
in Congress by a very able man. Maj.
III. A Pettibone, a scholar and an orator
himself, who got his earliest schooling
under James A. Garfield when the lat
ter taught In a log house in Ohio.
But this did not deter the genial Bob
Taylor from throwing his fiddle land
likewise his ha) into the political ring.
He had learned to play the fiddle; he
was chock-full Of fun, human nature,
anecdotes and sunshine He knew the
mountain people better than he had
ever known his Webster's Spelling Book.
So. to use his own term, 'he made a
fling at It,"
And he won so easily that it astonished
him and the whole STATE He ie, furne ne f n1s
Taylor, and from then on he was never
headed for office in Tennessee
And he did it in the simplest way:
While the learned Pettibone was making
long, dry speeches on the tariff and the
great principles of the republican party.
Bob was telling them side-spi1tting
or weep as he chose by throwing in, now
and then, little matchless word paint
ings of mountain eloquence, ne was
playing his fiddle for the young folks
name their babies for him. while he ex-
tolled their beauty and always and ever
lastingly mixed with people and mace
friends.
Mai. Pettibone, his venerable opponent,
tells many interesting anecdotes OF
''FIddlin' Bob"
The personal friendship between us
stood us both in good stead several times
during the campaign" he said, FOR the
different factions were wildly wrought up
and antagonistic toward each other. L
remember one time when We were to
speak at KyleS Ford, little mountain
town close to the Virginia line. At this
place the friends Of Bob Taylor were in
the majority and were infiamed against
me. This was especially true of rather
rough crowd that came over to the speak
ing from Virginia. At one time 1t looked
as if they might get rough with me, but
Bob Taylor walked right out among them
and told them that the man who used an
unkind word to me or attempted any
v0 he % oStimA-
ton as an enemy for life.
This had the desired effect and trouble
was averted.
AT another time / was fortunate
enough to be the benefactor of Bob. The
occasion of this was when We were to
speak at Turkey Town. There was a
fellow there by the name of Carroll. who
had sworn to kill Bob Taylor because of
difficulty between the parents of the
two in a lawsuit over some mountain
land which had been decided in favor of
Bob Taylor's father. Bob Taylor and
myself were together when Carroll met
us. He Immediately drew his revolver,
attempting to kill my opponent. 1 was
fortunate enough to perceive the action,
and rushed in between them just in time.
DUH VI THESE lnclQeDtS 0lQ IQucn 10
bring us closer together and to endear us
to each other all through life.
The funniest incident of our campaign
occurred during the last congressional
race, and many are the times Senator Tay-
Tor and | have laughed together over the
incident. II was occasion when We
were having joint debate at Crab
Orchard, above Elizabethtown, and every
body in the audience was at fever heat,
and each faction was only waiting for the
opportunity to get at the other. 1 felt
that something was brewing long before
j finished my speech, and in closing
told them that Bob would follow me and
give them lot Of democratic thunder
but for them not to give 1t serious con-
sideration.
II then got down from the stand and
Immediately sided toward the railroad
station to be on the safe side If anything
started.
1T was just in the middle Of Bob's
speech that the fireworks broke loose
The station happened to be between
me and the crowd. and suddenly / heard
a noise like thousand brickbSts flop
ping against the old station. The
crowd begun to fight with rocks.
I'm a minute 1 saw Bob coming
around the other side of the station
and we met right in the middle.
Bob I said, this is the time when
absence of body is better than presence
of mind
You're right, major he agreed