The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1920-06-11
BY w. V. BARRY

1t was not far from thirty years
ago that the late Senator'S Governor
Robert Love Taylor, of East Tonnes
see, and the late Captain Sam Bill
lie Hawkins, Of Huntingdon, came to
Lexington to speak in joint discus
sion as respective electors for the
State-at-large on the Democratic and
Republican tickets. There was a
great crowd hat famed the Circuit
court room in the old courthouse,
which burned years ago and Capt.
Hawkins led the speaking on that oe-
casion. Present and with a closeup
seat was n James Pinkston, who for
many years, was the Lexington tailor
and Jim Pinkston was so ardent a
Republican that he did not think it
becoming in a gentleman of his polit-
zeal faith to laugh at anything one so
heretical politically as to be a Demo
crat might say-but my, my, how the
old gentleman did love fun and that
predisposition in his makeup proved
to be his undoing at the speaking re-
ferred to.
After Capt. Hawkins had made his
spell, lauding to the skies and demon
strating the beauties of the Republi-
can tariff system, Bob Taylor follow
ed and said his friend Hawkins was a
little tariff tomtit on the back of the
Republican tariff eagle-and old man
Pinkston smiled, Then Bob told the
story of the old farmer, at the city
hotel, who drank so much soup that
when they brought in the turkey, oys-
tiers, etc, he said Thar / sot like a
darn fool full Of soup" and could not
chamber any Of the delicious viands
set before him-and old mar Pinks-
ton laughed. Old nan Pinkston was
a collector of freak walking canes and
on this occasion he was using one
with a natural sprangle of roots for
the hand-rest, SO when Bob told the
third yarn he forgot all about being
a Republican and the way he arose
half erect and pounded the floor with
that walking stick and shrieked with
laughter was, within itself a pretty
good show. After the speaking the
old gentleman rather regretted that
he had so forgotten his dignity as a
Republican and as he walked with Mr..
Hawkins on the South West side of
the courthouse, he said something
about Taylor being a pretty good
to which Capt Hawkins re-
piled, Jim, Bob Taylor is a gentle
man and a man of ability and any
man who meets him in public debate
has his hands full, as ! happen to
know from experience" remarks of
that kind are but pleasing to me-" 4
On one of Bob Taylor's first trips
% Lexington, he stopped over night
the old Kizer Hotel, on Purdy
street-long since consumed by fire
md the entire family of Uncle Bob"
us wife and four daughters wears
Igo went to "That bourned from
whence no traveller returns" Well. n
OF US went down to serenade
sob n make him play the fiddle for
$ and the program was carried II
the point that we finally got a fid-
lie IN Bob's hands, he swearing that
e had not touched the instrument in
whole year. However, he began to
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"
nd when he finished | said "Mr. Tay-
r, you are certainly a remarkable
%Iollnist,' and when he asked why, /
I'D him because he played so sweetly
piece of music that had not been
lblished six months. Bob grinned,
r as a matter Of fact he had most
Sely sat up half the night before
aging the fiddle.