Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-04-15
Visited By a Boston +" Herald" COrre-
spOndent, INDUCES in Some Pleas
ant "reminiscences Of His
Senatorial Career-He Also Talks About
the Progress Mississippi is Making
in Every Direction.

with couical roof, Standing about 100 feet
to the left aud ia advance OF the manor
house. This ts Mr.. Davis's sanctum. 1t is
what literary workshop should be-cosy,
well lighted, well ventilated aud with an open
fireplace. Three sides OF the ociagOn in
terror are lined with booze, an oaken
table is in the center OF the room, and three
or four wooden chairs occupy as many corr
ners. Between this table and the book
shelves is a lounge bed, which Mr.. Davis
sleeps upon occasionally. There is nothing
luxurious about the appointments 10 WOO
him from his work; on the contrary, tine
furnishings present all the rude reality that
actual work always imparts. 10 this build
ing Mr.. Davis thought out and wrote his
history, The Rise ond Fail of The CoHfederaey,
which is considered by many critics, North
as we'll as South, the best which has been
written about the rebellion. Pulling up
chair near his own, he invited your CORE
spondent TO be seated, and then
handed him a fragrant Havana and
played the courteous, genial host with
grace and polish that few mem can
approach 10 this or any other coun-
try. The fatigue incident to a trip TO New
Orleans and other points, and from which
he had not recovered when your correspond
ent cent in his card, seemed 10 have dlsap-
pesre1 entirely, and he looked, talked and
acted not like a mau OF seventy Ave, but like
one Of fifty. Like Grant, be loves tosmoke, but
he is not such ar inveterate smoker. Alter
he had blown circlst after circ!et OF gray
smoke over his head, he began 10 expatiaIe
upon the beautiful weather, and said he saw
no reason why the summer resorts along
the sound should not also be made winter
resorts. "Bloxi, Bay 81. Louis, Pass Carts
tian, Mississippi CITY, Ocean Springs aud
the Pascagouias," said he, "afford rare
CHI ances for capitalists to make money. III
hctels-and when say hotels do not me ? n
| imposing structures, but comfortable aud
| substantial ones-were erected at all those
points, go as to afford ample accommoda D.
| lions for transient as well as permanent
| bosrders, think those places in lew years
would rival Jacksonville in Florida as " n
ter cities. Il only requires several bundred
| Thousand dollars and some energy TO convert
| them into almost gardens of Z len. They all
border on Mississippi Sound and get the BEN
eft OF the southwest wipds that almost Col
tinually blow over that magnificent sheet Of
water, and back OF them are thoVS<hds Of
ACRES OF PINE FORESTS,
the odors from which are Strengthening TO
weak lungs. Fishing in these waters rs so
very excellent. Pompino, sheephesd and
Spanish msckerei are found 10 abundance,
and 30 are oysters, shrimp and crabs, while
the bayous swarm with geese, ducks and
brant, and the forests eau be made 10 yield
to the sportsman's skill plenty OF turkey,
quail and venison."
"What progress, if any, has Mississippi
made in the last decadeW
"Agriculturally, commercially or educa-
| tionally?"
"AIl three, separately and combined"
Wonderfully, considering the aitendant
circumstances, and yet not 80 rapidly as l
would like 10 see her move forward. She
| produces more cotton than any other ST .te
| iu the Union. The cum total of bales this
year, / think, will foot up 100000 which
at S45 per bale would bring $54 ,000, 600
! Her corn crop will amount to about q 900,
900 bushels, and the census report shows hai
| the live stock of all kinds IN the Stat il
| valued at $50, 793,000 OF course there n,
other crops-oats, wheat, rye, barley, tobacco
and rice-but am not sufficiently acqdsiut.
ed with the subject to talk upon it. CONNER
cially considered, the States progress should
be regarded quite satisfactorily. There ara
now within her borders twelve cotton mill,
and about $500 other manufacturing est alb
| lishments, employing about 10000 hands
with a capital of about 81 600, 900, pay ins
1 about the same amount in wages, and PRO
ducing about S15,0e0,0O0. Edncationally
| speaking, the diffusion OF knowledge i,
| greater new than it ever was before There
are now over 5000 free schools in theiState
| with an attendance OF 246, {, out OF 42a, sst
black and while educsbie children. That i:
not a bad showing, but it might be better
| and / am sure it will soon be improved
| Besides, there are about 1000 private schools
| and acade mics in the State, with an attend.
ance Of 40, 600"
"Mr. Davis, why are you SO averse 10 be
ing Interviewer
"Because l am constantly being abused
maligued and vilifed by the press, and fol
the reasons gave you when first greeted
you this morning"
"In your early public life, what publ,
men and associates did you most admire?"
"John Quincy Adams for one. He wa
the most genial gentlem an knew. I en-
joyed his society, and found him to be highly
cultivated. His wife was a most estimabi,
lady, very charming in her manner, anc
really adorned the White House. / passed
many a pleasant evening with them, anc
cherish among my fondesl recollections tn
many courteous attentions which they raic
me. Col. Greene, of the Post, is another
MASSACHUSETTS GENTLEMAN
for whom 1 have an abiding love. He wa
very able, and, in his day, welded a grea
deal of influence. Daniel Webster was YER,
| hiuu " INC, anu suuc VI cur DOlltl
cal views were thoroughly autagonisic, W,
always met as friends. He had Iars,
heart, and never forgot a kindness. Hi
nature was very grateful. / have reason I,
know whereof speak. During my visit L
Boston was handsomely entertained, and
received a perfect ovation at Fsneuil H all
Then l had many friends in the Old Bay
State, and, | am proud TO say, have few
of them left. / ADMIRED Henry Clay as {
speaker, but my political ideas were op
posed to his. He was a great compro
miser. When mere boy l looked
upon CalhoHn as al ideal states
man, and as 1 grew older my admiration
for the man increased. He never prepared
his speeches, in the sense of writing them
| out. He frequently gave me his views or
certain subjects, and when he addressed The
Senate it seemed TO me as if he was repeating
what he had before uttered in conversation
| L followed him closely in many things and
like him, lacked method and great prepare.
ton. Webster, on the other hand, prepared
almost everything he uttered, and paid as
much attention TO the sound Of his words a,
he did to their sense. That is why hi,
| speeches read 80 WELL"
"Have you gathered and prepared your
speeches for publication?"
| have Ret, nor have l contemplated such
thing"
| The conversation then driited into literary
channels, but by degrees Mr.. Davis almost
permitted himself to talk about the "Lost
| Cause" Your correspondent smilingly re.
minded him that there was still living a
| Massachusetts, man who had voted fifty
| seven times to make him a presidential
candidate, and who was now regarded
| In eome quarters as an aspirant for
the same high honors, and then
asked him what effect his nomination would
have upon the nation, conce ding, for
the sake of argument, that Gen. Buffers
plan at Charleston had proved successful
and that The Democratic party instead Of
| dividing into factions, hsd solidiied around
him as a compromise nominee. Mr.. Davis
| looked up moment, then became thought
| full, and finally said; "No, sir; it was TO be.
1t was an agitation that began with the gov
eminent, and that kept Inc country in q
furry of excitement. Providence decreed
that the struggle should end as it did"
At this juncture Mr.. Davis rose from his
chair and offered to take your correspondent
over his grounds. His bsih-house, extend
ing about 400 feet into Mississippi Sound,
was visited, and on either hand Mississippi
City and Biloxi were viewed. The orange
orchard was also visited, and Mr.. Davis said
that many of his choicest and finest trees had
Oeen killed Dy the severe COlu Oh last winter.
An old colored man was seen repairing a
wagon, and Mr.. Davis introduced him as Rob.
ert, a servant, who, through good report and
. bad report, through prosperity and adversi-
~, had remained faithful to him, and even
! when Mr.. Davis was incsTcerated in Fort
Monroe, stopped wi his cbildres and wait
ed upon their wants. After accepting other
hospitalities, and when the time for depart
ure came, Mr.. Davis accompanied your cor
respondent to the end OF his demesne sud
warmly pressed him TO call again.
Some OF the Advantages In Having
Ghosts for Household Help.
A Tennessee ghost comes to house in
Hamilton county and rocks the baby to
sleep every night, writes Burdette in the
Harkge. Now, thep, by ali the dwelIers in
the neither gloom, il there is restless ghost
of any old ancestor of ours who would like
to find steady employment at good wages in
a quiet family aad good peighborhood, we
can give the perturbsd spirit all it wants to
do in the silent line Of general hoUsswork,
with Sunday afternoon for itself, and one
night cut every week, when it could 60
around and raise obesity racket with the
neighbors, and haunt all the lonely houses