Smyrna times., 1877-04-18

FARMERS are somewhat uneasy about
their cloverseed, which have been put in
the ground, but are not likely to sprout un-
less the dry weather ceases. We have had
no rain of any amount for nearly three
weeks.
CAPT. TAGGART, the steamboat man, has
leased the pier at Collins's Beach for
another year. The members of Calvary
Church Sunday School, Episcopal, of Will
mington, will make an excursion to the
Beach on Saturday, June 10th, in the
steamer Ariek.
SUDDEN DEATH OF Col. DAvIs.-Col. Geo.
Davis, one of the oldest of our citizens and
one of the best known men in this section
of the Peninsula, died very suddenly on
Thursday last. He rode out to see tenant
that morning in the outskirts of the town,
(Spruance City, and us he started out Of
the tenants house, in an unusually cheerful
mood, he sank down in the doorway and
never spake afterwards. He was conveyed
home as soon as possible, between IL and
II o'clock, and died about that afternoon
DIR. Collins was called in and pronounced
his death the result of dropsical effusion
of the brain. He had been in quite feeble
health all winter, but for week or two
before the close of his life he was unusually
sprightly and seemed to be regaining his
wonted vigor.
The Colonel was the seventh of eight
children of the late Judge Isaac DAVIS, Ia
ruling spirit of the town in former years.
only the youngest of whom still survives
Mrs. Budd, Of Philadelphia. He was born
in this town on New Years Day, 1906.
Farmingwas his pursuit in life-commenced
in Little Creek Neck about 1929, and after
a year moved into Sassafras Neck, Cecil co.,
Md. He resided there about fifteen years,
and came in possession of six of the finest
farms in that section. He came back here
about 46 and was ever afterwards identi-
| fed with the town and its interests. He
held one of the largest landed estates of
any man in Delaware-four farms in this
neighborhood, six in Cecil county, and an
inheritance in q tract of eighty thousand
acres in West Virginia, also an interest in
tract of several hundred acres in New
Jersey and some property i'll Philadelphia
and in Schuylkill CO., Pa. He never held a
public office, and never aspired to political
| preferment, SO far as we can learn. He
was given the honorary position Of Abide
Camp by Gov. Causey, or Gov. Burton, and
hence the title of Colonel, which was ac-
corded to him unanimously and by COM
mon consent.
And now, whatever may have been his
foibles, no one in our midst has ever gone
to his reward with the esteem of the COM
munity more fully turned towards him than
has Col. Davis. He was known to be q man
of intense prejudices and great nerve yet
he was equally well known to possess the
tenderest sympathies and strongest friend
ships. He seldom relented to an adver
sary he rarely deserted friend. Suffer
ing or want would only overcome hi.
animosity, and that rarely failed to do so
so, nothing short of studied insult would
usually excite his enmity towards friend
One especial element of his nature was hi!
regard for the lowly and the oppressed, anC
his dislike Of haughtiness towards those o
poor estate. In the fullness of his pros
perity and business career here he was pro
, verbal for "going on" poor mems paper
He sccrned to profit by mems necessities
} he always preferred to relieve them. IL
would loan his name but decline bonus
} 1t is said tenant never left him and hi
servants were never denied his kindness
t His former slaves were always sure of hi
5 hospitality, even during the war, when, a
S is well known, his prejudices were S
| thoroughly aroused. They attended tn
funeral rites at the house and wept wit
those who wept. All the tenants followe
next to the relatives TO the last resting plac
r in the Episcopal cemetery. lie was ION
of the people" in the fullest meaning {
. that term, and this drew to him the syn
= pathy of the masses generally. His lov
for his household and the hospitality t
;, his crowd Of guests was also well known
His indulgence in his home was almost
= proverb in our community. Almost frol
= the time of his return from Maryland
. was identified with the Bank of Smyrna
= and until within year or two held or col
! trolled a majority of the stock in that inst
:, tuition. 1t was in his capacity as directc
, of the same that he so pointedly and pr
i verbally befriended needy men of mode
= y means in the community. 1t was this thi
= makes the community cherish his memoi
! and forget his pecularities. The atte
= dance at the funeral was the largest tn
= y the town has witnessed for years.