The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1883-05-24
MIX. DAVIS All HOME.
a Pleasant Talk With a North-
ern d Journalist. ..-

1t is a drive Of five miles over q
sandy road and through the oaks
aud pines and palmettoes from Mis-
sissippi City to Beauvoir, the home
of Jefferson Davis, and as | passed
over the road the other April day,
frightening an alligator here-sklrt-
ing an orange grove there, and all
of sudden breaking out of the for
est upon the sandy shores washed
by the waves of the gulf, l felt that
he had well chosen the bone of his
old age. His had been a life tur-
moil, even before civil war was wills
pered. He had been giant in
politics, warrior in Mexico, a
diplomat and an antagonist in all
the main issues Of the day and the
problems of civil government! Few
lives have been SO eventful.
MS NEIGHBoRs.
l asked the justice of the peace
who drove me down iu his springless
wagon, drawn by span of two-fat
horses, if he knew Jefferson Davis
and he answered:
why, of course-known him for
80 years" ,... ............
+ "And how do the people in this
neigh borhood feel toward him?" .
every body likes him. He is a
good neighbor, iustminded citizen,
and has the respect and good will of
every man, woman and child" ....."
"Are any of his former slaves in
this neighborhood?' ,.... 81
Plenty of them, and what's more
4 number of them are now in his
employ. He was kind to his people,
and when the war wos closed and he
finally came here TO settle down
dozens of his old slaves were ready
to hire to him at any price. Of
those in his employ there isn't mon
ey enough in the State of Mississip-
pi TO hire them 10 leave him. He
has two large cotton plantations,
outside of the Beauvoir property,
thus directly and indirectly employ
ing hundreds of coloreL people, and
you can't find one who hasn't q good
word for him. No, stree, Mister,
there isn't a man in this part of the
country better thought of as aneigh-
Dor, a citizen and a man than Jeffer-
son Davis" .....
AT HOME. ....... t..
The house is what we in the North
wonld call a story and half cottage
in height, and it faces the gulf
Around it is famous grove Of oaks
and other woods and from here and
there tree, the long gray moss
hangs down and swings in the
breeze in its weird and dreamy
way. Nature has done much to
beautify the grounds, and they are
kept in a neat and tidy condition. p
The house is roomy, finely fur
nished and, while there is no ostenta
tiOns display. there is a homelike
atmosphere and look of cosy COM
fort. One can see refinement and
taste everywhere, and none of the
home-comforts are sacrificed. From
the veranda one can look out upon,
the tirelsss white -caps rolling in
upon the sandy beach, and the
neighbors are all that the word inn
plies. " s...7. r" h.a asr'1 =
.6 THE xPREslDEST. ''' -.'[' p
l had only moment to wait be-
fore the ex-President came and gave
me hearty grasp Of the hand and
words of welcome. Tall, almost
snow-white hair and whiskers, blue
eyes, face wrinkling with age, voice
as soft and kind as mOther's-,
such was the picture of the man who
for four years held the destinies Of a
continent in his iron grip. In the
zenith of his power he may have APP
peared naughty and iInperious to
some, but not to the generality. A
kinder face have never met, and
though there is something in the
voice to warn one that its owner has
held place and power, one is soon
charmed with its kindness and touch
of pathos. -ge 4..H.,
Mr.. Davis ia IL wears of aon and