The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1915-06-17

ed speaker of the lower branch o
The Connecticut General Assembly.
He rad been so successful in earn
ing his way through college that h,
has always been pointed to by thu
college authorities as an example o
what ,cung men may do at Yale witt
no outside assistance. For a whilC
after lis graduation. at the reques
Of the Yale authorities. he managed
the yale Commons" the great din.
ing hall of the university. knowing
the difficulties which faced them
Congressman Tilson has been notoC
since his graduation for his interest
! 4 poor students, and he has hclmeC
2ny to get through college who
might otherwise have been unsuccess
ful. Fer many years Secretary
Stokes and Dean Wright made it a
custom to send students to him for
advice and assistance.
IEIAdlS III lnb UfayS
Colonel Tilson began his military
career on January l.. 1898. when he
entered Company F of the Second
Regiment, (The New Haven Grays),
as private. At the outbreak of the
war that year he secured his dis
charge and returned to Tennessee
where he entered the Sixth Immunes
a volunteer regiment of that state.
as a second lieutenant. He remain
ed with that regiment until the de-
claratior of peace, and upon his re-
turn TO New Haven reenlisted in the
Grays. He remained with the Grays
only until May Is, 1899, when he was
elected captain of Company D. (The
National Blues He was elected a
major OF the Second Regiment jan
uary 10. 1901, and lieutenant colonel,
second in command on October %,
1911, when Colonel James Geddes re-
tired.
starts EOlltlCuT dfeer
Coming from the mountains Of
Tennessee. one of the Republican
strong holds, Col. Tison was inter-
ested, even as boy in political af-
fairs, and soon plunged into the poll
itical life of New Haven. 1t was not
until 1904, however. that he began to
be recognized as an important factor
in the politics of the state That fall
he was nominated for the lower
branch of the Connecticut general as
sembly, by the Republican party, and
was elected by large majority. His
record in the assembly the following
year stamped him as a man of more
than ordinary ability, and two years
later he was reelected and was made
speaker of the house, succeeding in
that office the Hon. Marcus Fl. Hol-
comb, the present governor.
According to the Bridgeport Post
Of, December 27, 1906, Col. Tilson
then Major Tilson, was first recog-h
nized as a possible member for the
speaker ship, when he was asked to /
occupy that post for brief period
~ Speaker Holcomb, during the bre
,eeding session. The Post says or
hat date:<
"rh:,t Major Tilson's candidacy was
BORN during the last session of the
seems to be proven by an
Incident which happened in June two
lears ago. There were large num-
,er of contested bills at the foot of
he calendar and, it being late in the
essio !. a member suggested that
lay be given to their consideration as
he special order of the day. Speaker
Iolconi designated Major Tilson as
he temporary speaker that day, when
everal of the most difficult matters
anne UP. When the Major took the
hair he was greeted by cheers ana
nsistent calls for a speech by both
ides of the house.. His response was
call to order and the alacrity and
airness with which he administered
he business, resulted IN an imme-
late boom for him as the next
pealer.
Elected Congressman n-at-Large
When the late George Reilly was
ominated for governor ir 1903, Ma
u 1'ilson was nominated to succeed :
i'm as congressman at -latgc. He had !,
ccome known throughout the state :
y his work in the house, and was :
kctsd without much difficulty lie
,rvei through that term in gress !.
nd was reelected in 1870 to the 62il :,
ongress. defeating George p. Inger- !
,ll. the democratic candidate. by
ore than e,00O votes. Turing thai !
,ssion of the legisl'.tnre, however, {
lie state was re-districted end the Of !.
ce of conesee sman-at-Iarge was 4
y