Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-11-18
MISS. WINNIE DAVIS.
A Gentleman from Memphis De.
scribes Her.

A Gentleman from Memphis De-
scribos Her.
A gentleman, at one time resident OF
Memphis and personally acquainted with
the members of the Davis family, gave a
Times Star reporter the following brief
sketch of Miss Winnie Davis, who is
last now attracting great interest ON &C.
count of the Cleveland episode:
"Miss Winnie Davis is the third and
only surviving child, save one, another
daughter, of the Confederate exPresi-
dent, Mrs. Davis bore the famous Ken
tuckian four children, tive Of which were
boys, and both are dead. Willie, the
youngest child, perished of diphtheria
at an early age, and jeff, Jr., demo.
cratic lad, Just developing into an admi-
rable man and citizen, fell a victim to
the yellow fever, and a sacrifice to his
own heroic resolve to nurse the needy
and sick during the frightful epidemic
in Memphis in 1877. During jeff Davis
residence in Memphis he was engaged in
business as the President of the Carolina
Life Insurance Company, Southern or.
ganization, appealing alone to Southern.
ers for patronage and managed in all of
its various departments by ex-Confeder
ate soldiers of distinction. The company
paid handsome salaries, issued policy
forms, blanks, and printed matter of the
most expensive finish and artistic design,
aud for q time made money-in fact, a
great deal of money. Wade Hampton
was their general agent in South Caro-.
lima. General Hood in Louisiana, and
Senator Gordon in Georgia, all of whom
made very fat thing out of their CON-
missions. But the Carolina went the
way of a good many other business enter
prises started in the South Immediately
following the war, and which depended
merely upon the propagation OF disloyal
sentiments for q successful issue. and
failed.
"During its life, however, society in
Memphis was intensely Southern and
exclusive, and decidedly gay, and, of
course, the Davises led the most fashion.
able set. The city was the home, at the
time, of quite number OF prominent
ex Confederates, we'll known in political
and war circles. 1t was the place of res
idence of Senator Isham q. Harris, Gen.
erals VIM. M. Browne, N. B. Forrest
G deon Pillow, the family of Admiral
Semmes, of the Alabama, and other dis
tingushed Southerners. Many very ele.
CANT social courtesies were extended the
Davises, which they returned in the
most sumptuous manner in their plain
but quite commodious residence.
"Mrs. Davis principally relied upon
her eldest daughter, Maggie, who is now
the wife of Addison Hayes, a Memphis
banker, for assistance in dispensing the
hospitali.ies of the house, and upon
special occasions the aio of MISS Winnie,
jeff, Jr, and the nieces of Admiral
Semmes were enlisted, Owing to an ILL.,
feeling that had its origin some time dur
ing the Mexican War, wherein both men
" on their spurs as soldiers, General Pill
low never spoke or bowed to Mr.. Davis
when passing MIN in the street or boule.
Yards. Pillows daughter and son, Miss
Gertrude and Bob were familiar figures
n society and frequently in the company
of the young Davises, from whom they
received the most polite, but chilliest OF
treatment, and particularly from Miss
Winnie. This young irreconcilabls upon
one occasion positively refused to dance
in the same set with the Pillows, 30
heartily did she enter into the unforgiv-
ing spirit of her father and his bitter
feelings towards an old comrade in arms.
Miss Winnie, after the dead Willie, has
ever been Mr.. Davis favorite child, be.
cause. perhaps, she most resembles him
in disposition and intellectual qualities.
She is fair patrican and the daughter
of natural aristocrat, and. like her
father, will at heart never have anything
in common with the masses. Miss Davi
has grown to bea beautiful woman, rich
in physical and mental charms. She is OF
medium height, her figure slight and
graceful, but well.formed. Her face is
oval and complexion olive, while her
dark eyes are source of the warmest
admiration. Her hands and feet are
small, the latter strikingly noticeable by
reason of their highly arched insteps.
Miss Davis dresses. richly but very qui-
etly. and apparently has no desire to at
tract attention. Her language is as ex.
pressive as her eyes, and while she has
some wit I do not believe she has the
slightest conception of humor. She Is
q skillful fencer at repartee.
miss Davis clings tenaciously to old
things, and expresses the utmost respect
in her words and acts for the convention.
aities and social forms of her section.
Miss Davis has spent large part OF her
life abroad, principally in England,
where her father is better liked and
more generally admired than he is in his
native country. The Duke OF Suther.
land is the most familiar host of the
Davises when abroad, although any mum.
ber of distinguished English houses are
at all times open to them. l do not
think Miss Winnie Davis is of the easily
marrying sort, but when she does be-
come Mrs. Somebody else hsr choice,
unlike her sister Maggie's, will be pos
sessed of proud name and long line.
age, be he an Fnglishman or citizen OF
her own country. should like to have
seen meeting between Mrs. Cleveland
and Miss Davis, and to have watched
the ice of reserve between these two
distinguished ladies thicken or thaw.
1t would have been a rare sight. ."[-Cin.
cinnati Times Star.
why Hungary Hates Russia.
~