The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-11-04
-. MILLIONAIRE SENATOR.
.Juase Davis Wealth and Possessions in
Illinois

Judge Davis can safely be set down as the
most extensive land owner in central llli-
nois. and his total wealth, at fair estimate,
can be placed at 100000, The amount Of
taxes paid annually by him in Mclean
county is nearly $4,000, while the total
amount Of his taxes willnot fall far short of
$4,000 yearly. He owns some of the best
constructed edifices in Bloomington. The
most valuable is what is known as the Dur
lev block, which the Senator erected seven
wears ago, and gave to his daughter when
She was married to the son of Justice
Swayne of the United States supreme court.
The building contains a very fine opera
house, but the Judge was opposed to nam
ing the place after himself, or even TO call it
an opera house; so, in honor of VIM. Dur
ley, an old settler of Bloomington, he said
the elegant auditorium should for all
time to come be called Durley Hall,
His residence, which is one Of the most ele-
CANT and costly in the state Of Illinois, is
situated about a mile from the business
portion Of the city. Well laid out grounds,
rich shade trees, tempting drives, the per-
fume ofsweet flowers, the beautiful land
scape 10 be seen ON every hand, make the
Illinois senator's home indeed an earthly
paradise-an abode fit for king or presi-
dent. While in the interior of the house
there Is not to be seen any foolish or un-
necessary expenditure of money, the diff
ferent apartments are furnished in the rich
est and most luxuriant manner, Since the
death OF the senator's wife and the mar
riage his only daughter, Mrs. II. n. Pier
pont, formerly of Chicago, and niece of
Mrs. Davis has had charge of the estab-
tt.l,,. i, nf
when the Judge is away from home. When
at home Senator Davis, it is said, generally
manages all of his immense real estate
business the most perfect system being
adopted in every detail, which has been
strictly carried out for many years past.
He is hard worker, and no man in Bloom
ington, or even in the state, gets at his
post ofduty at an earlier hour or quits later
than does the distinguished Illinosan. He
has been known to be engaged upon an eX-
haustive and important legal opinion when
h ; was an associate justice of the supreme
co lrt, and, while writing down the law, he
would at the same time give minute in
1t uctions and suggestions to some Qthls
numerous tenants who happened to stroll
into the office to pay their rent. Nothing
seems to disturb his equilibrium, and some
of his most noted opinions were written al
the time when his Office was filled with
tenants, whose questions were answered
without the judge being compelled to sus
pend his writing. During his long residence
in Bloomington Senator Davis has never
been what the world called popular man
Although strictly honest with all mankind
he is nevertheless an individual who fol
the last few years had but very little friend
ly intimacy with even some of the Older
residents of the city. Perhaps Lincoln and
the late stephen T. Logan were the most
intimate friends Davis ever had. Fol-
the former he had an admiration anC
friendship which continued for nearly
thirty cars.-[Springfeld Register