The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-10

Around the year 17Sa, therefore. the Hous- ton blood had become an important ele- ment in future Tennessee. The earliest reference noticed of the present of John Mckee was in the fall of l792. That year, according to the terms of the treaty of 1olston arrangements were made to run the dividing line between whites and CherolSees along a ridge separating the waters of Little and Little Tennessee rivers. Blount named Judge David Camp bell, Charles MeClung and John Mckee us commissioners to define the line. From this time until Tennessee was made a state Mckee filled large place in pio- leer life.
 Mckee had many of the traits and pe- euliarities of his distinguished cousin, Gen. Sam Houston. The two men easily ingratiated themselves in the favor or the Cherokee race They had the same splendid physiques. impressive bearings, and novelties of dress. After the termina- ton of long and honorable service IF Indian affairs, Colonel Mckee settled at Tuscaloosa, Ala There he became con gressman, serving three terms. two of which were coineident with the service of lis cousin In Congress Some interest ing stories are left by an Alabama chron- ieler, Judge William R. Smith, who as a boy knew Mckee and observed him closely Mckee wore habitually a blue SNd11oN-iatt todl Niln bliSiA bi aS7 bN.' tons. He carried d hickory walking stick, said to have had exactly Is knots on 1t. Each knot, covered with a silver plate, had a separate letter engraved thereon. These letters spoiled the name Andrew Jackson. With the hero of the battle of the Horseshoe he had been on terms Of intimacy in Tennessee, and had this mode of expressing the friendship and his admiration In his day he was the most notable character of Tuscaloosa. His ways. movements and opinions were the common property of the vicinity. He never took but one drink of whisky a day, and that was precisely as his watch marked the noonday hour. As 1t ap- preached, he was seen deliberately mak- ing his way to the principal saloon Of the town. Reaching the steps, he pulled out his watch to observe attentively the minute to 0 dot. If one or two minutes were seen to be in advance of the time, he paused long enough for the hour and minute hands to mark F o'clock noon, and then entered with a measured dig nty As bystanders noted his entrance, there was no need to look at their own watches to tell the time of day; they knew from Colonel McKee's entry to take his toddy what this was.
 Tn the early days Washington was the distributing point for many talented young men of the east emigrating to the west and southwest. Here Colonel Me Kee, while congressman, met young Will liam Proctor Gould and secured for him a position in the Tuscaloosa land office, A devoted attachment sprang up between the two men connected by no ties or Llood. With MT. Gould's marriage to Miss Chotard, Colonel Mckee made their home his. Himself a bachelor, he bought a large plantation in the neighboring county of Greene, to which the family re- tired Thereon was furnished one Of the most relightful examples or the happy plantation life of the old regime The plantation was willed to the young protege Gould. Here the young New Engltnder, Horace Harding, graduate of Harvard college and son of the famous painter, Chester Harding, found the young wom- an. Miss Eliza P. Gould, who became the mother of William Proctor Gould Hard ing, member of the federal reserve board.