The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1886-04-14
JEFFERSON DAVIS AT HOME.
i Characteristic Note from the EIX-Con-
fedcrate Chicftain.

federate Chicftain.
BEAUyoIE. Mss, April l.-The sta
ton Of Beauvoir was created on tht
line of the Louisville and Nashville
Railroad simply because Jefferson
Davis lived there. When be, toe
goes to join tie silent majority there
will e-notling left to Beauvoir ez
cepting the fact that 3r. Davis once
did live there. The name is SO tho
roughly identified with that OF the
former leader of the Conicderacy
that when the passengers read Beau
voir: on the little frame building
which serves as the station they
crowd upon tie car platforms and
thrust their heads from the car win
lows, trying to catch through the
intervening trees a glimpse Of Mr..
Davis's home. But they fail in this
ard GO back to their seats to rumi.
nate upon the very effective retreat
that be has selected.
4 correspondent of the World was
the only one to leave the train at
Beau7oir this morning, and was d.
rected by the station agent to follow
lane through the trees and towards
the Gulf until be came to Mr.. Davis S
house. It was pretty walk Of a
quarter OF mile over sandy road.
A Eut, around whose door the negro
inmates were lying in the SUD, stands
at the head Of the lane. On the lett
hand is a piece Of lard belonging to
Mr.. Davis, devoted to grape culture
and surrounded by high wire fence.
Nobody is warned" to keep off this
ground nor threatened with "the full
extent Of the law" II he does not keep
off. but two OF three notices catch
the eye and the fancy, too, which
read: "Please do not trespass. The
tone Of these simple signs along the
lane is IN keeping with all that one
hears about Mr.. Davis from his neigh.
bors in Beauvoir OF bis admirers
elsewhere. He is nothing if not gen
tie.
On the rights wood just touched
with green from the hand of spring.
There are tall pines, live oaks, with
handfuls Of Spanish moss clinging to
their branches, and here end there
magnolia living in sweet retire
ment. The blue forget.me nots are
peeping out in places by the side of
your path. Whatever you see-the
very voice Of the birds You hear
seem to be tinged with g romantic
sadness, and the whole place seems
haunted by the memories of cause
that was lost. The lane suddenly
brings you to the top Of a bluff, over
looking tie blne waters Of the Gulf
of Mexico, and there is the home Of
MI. Davis. Thare are half a dozen
frame buildings OF various sizes scat
tered irregular]y over four o. five
acres CT ground, the Whole enclosed
by high board fercc. The many
trees are not in rows; there are flow
ers, but not in beds: there are paths,
but they are neither straight nor
curved. Everything is as nature
made it. A very old colored servant,
who was currying corTespondlngly
old horse, do1fed his nat to the cor
respondent from distance which
only Southern courtesy could span.
The residence fronts upon the Gull
square, two.story, old-fashioned
frame dwelling, with five pillars
standing solemn guard on its broad
veranda. It was called mansion
once and by courtesy is called so still.
Tie veranda commands a beautiful
view Of the waters of the Gulf, with
Cat Island lying low on the right.
\ few easy-chairs are scattered near
the entrance. all old-fasllioned and
comfortable, and the easiest looking
Of them all bears the name of Mrs.
J. Davis.'
The door stood open and 4 young
negro boy led the correspondent into
wide hall filed with lounges and
oil paintings and ornaments, hnt no
thing was new or bright or modern.
All belonged to that rather indefinite
perioG which the Southern man re-
fers to as 'before the war The
boy said Mr.. Davis was not very well,
and had not left his room that morn
ing-an event that IS not uncommon
with him who is close upon four score
years. The correspondent wrote a