The daily gazette., 1881-10-17
Ihe New President Pro Tem.-I.ar.
kest Landowner I'm gIItnn,s


gest Landowner fn Illinois.
A Bloomington Il,.) corresnosdan,
Wflting OF Judge David Davis, The ne n
Iresident pro tempore of the United
otates Senate, Immediately after bin
election as Senator, said:
| Judge Davis can safely be set down
~ tne most extensive landowner m
Oehtfsi Illinois, and his total wealth. al
iair estimate, can be placed at 81. .O(,0.
Voo. The amount OF taxes paid annuallv
| oy him In Mclean county is nearly
So'eO0, while the total amount of bis
lakes Will not fall FAR short Of $27,( no
yearly. de owns some of the best con.
strucfed ediaces In Bloomington. The
most valuable is what Is known as tile
Dufley Block, which the Senator erected
aoout seven years ago, and which he
save 10 his daughter when she was mar
f,ea 10 The son of Justice Swayne, of
tne United States Supreme Court. The
puiiuihg contains very fine Or sra
house; but the Judge was opposed to
naming the place after himself, or even
TO call It an Opera House; SO, in honor
Of William Durley, an old settler of
Bloomington, he said the elegant audi.
torium should for all time to come be
called Durley Hall. Before the death
OF his excellent wife Senator Davis was
very fond OF attending public amuse.
mehts, and, when home from Washing
Ton, was often seen seated in the hall
with different members Of his family.
HIS residence, which is one of the most
elegant and costly In the State of lii
n0la. ia aitnatad oh , r.
business portion Of the city. Well-laid-
out grounds, rich shade trees, tempting
drives, the perfume of sweet flowers, the
beautiful landscape to be seen OH every
hand, make the Illinois Senator's home
Indeed an earthly paradise-an abode
III Tor King or q President. While in
the interior OF the house there is not to
DO seen any foolish or unnecessary ex.
penditure Of money, the different apart.
ments are furnished IN the richest and
most luxuriant manner. Since the death
OF The Senator's wife and the marriage
Oh bis only daughter, Mrs. Ii. v, Pier.
pont, formerly Vt Chicago, and a niece
OF Mrs. Davis, has bad charge of the es-
tablishment during the session of Con
gress, when the judge is away from
home. His son resides about a half
mile from the mansion, and, although
lbs home is less pretentious than that of
his father, II nevertheless is one Of the
loveliest OF spots, and home possessed
OF everything to make life ENJOYABLE,
The Senator has an Office occupying a
suite OF rooms over the Bloomington
National Bank, of which corporation be
IS the largest stakeholder, aud they are
furnished In a little better style than are
most Of the offices of the lawyers In
town.
"When at home, Senator Devils, it is
said, generally manages all Of his i'm
mense real estate business, the most
perfect system being adopted in every
detail, which has been strictly carried
out for many years past. He is a bard
worker, and NJ man In Bloomington, or |
even in the State, gets at his post of
iuty at an earlier hour or quits later
han does the distinguished Iilinoisan.
lie hes been known to be engaged upon |
IN exh sustive and important legal opin-
on when he was an associate justice of
ne Supreme Court, and, while writing
Town the law, he would at the came
line give the most minute Instructions
lnd suggestions to some of his numerous
enants who happened to stroll into the
'tice to pay their rent. Nothing seems
o disturb his equilibrium, and some of
lis most noted opinions were written at
time when his office was filled with
enants, whose questions were answered
the Judge being compelled to
nspend his writing. During his long
esldence in Bloomington, Senator
Davis has never been what the world
you'd call popular man. Although
trlctly honest with. all mankind, he is
an individual who for the
asst few years has had but very little
riendly intimacy with even some of the
lder residents of the city. Perhaps
lincoln and the late Stephen T. Logan
,ere the most intimate friends Davis
yer had. For the former he had an
dmiration and friendship which con-
nued for nearly thirty years"