The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-06-06
JEFFERSON DAVIS E4GHIY-oNE.
How He Looked and What He Said
on His 81st Birthday.

on His 81st Birthday.
From the Louisville Coitrier-Jour1lGl.
wonder how many of the people who
fought for him or against him remember
that to-day, June 8, JEFF Davis celebrates
his 81st birthday. --H
The air was full of the blue and gold of
summer, the other day when | stopped
at one of the dreary little wooden
station-houses that dot the railroad along
the Gulf coast Painted above the door
was the word "Bsauvoir,n and knew that
not a stones throw beyond, hidden behind
wall of trees, was the home of the hero of
the southern confederacy.
| climbed rustic stile, and, following
well-wor path through big scuppernong
vineyard, presently found myself standing
before an old-fashioned southern house with
hall running through ir, and wide CALLER
les clasping it in protecting arms.
The house faced the Gulf, and is set far
back in a lawn full Of dye oaks, draped and
festooned with Spanish mess, and as the
wind caught up and waved the long pend
ants they looked like funeral banners flying
at perpetual half-masts for the warrior
statesman, who was here ending a'Iife that,
after many victories, knew the bitterness Of
hopeless defeat. $50 aDis9 sa7
But the door swung open to me, and I
stood in the great hall FIJI Of pictures, and
cabinets, old china, souvenirs of foreign
travel and the priceless tokens of affection
and honor shown a great man in his own
country. Then, in a moment. Mr. Davis
has come forward to greet me, a slight sol
dierly figure, immediately dressed, and
still showing in his walk and bearing his
long years Of military service. His hair is
| soft and thick and silverip, lying about his
thin temples like an Aanreole, and his skin
has the transparent delieScy of fine porce-
| lain. a#b D7la9lo s.
| Such. iniappearance, Isl jeff Davis at 81
| in his quiet home by the sea, where the
waters after storm are not more peaceful
than his own life after the struggles that
convulseo it, and where even the memory
| of his blasted hopes and shattered ambitions
has almost ceased to be bitter,
| Beauvoir, which was bequest to Mr..
Davis from a noble southern woman, who
worshiped him as a hero and martyr, is
| a tvnical southern home that has its conn
| ternarts in MANY another place along the
| Gnlf coast. There are about 900acres in the
| estate with a mile or so of frontage on the
water but only the few acres occupied by
| lawn garden and VINEYARD are cleared. the
remainder being part of the heavily tim
bered yellow pine forest that stretches back
n,iJas from the Gulf everywhere in Mlssis-
sinni
1'ha bouse is a big manv-rooned old man
sion with 1arino wings at the corners and
the great hall through which one might
almost drive coach and four. From the
dra vino room windows one has delicious
oriimnses of the bIue sea with the low-lying
| Island bounding the horizon, and the white
sails IF fine charcoal schoouers dropping
slowly down from Biloxi. Within the walls
are few comes of celebrated pictures-a
Saint Cecilia touching the harp with rapt
fingers the intense, pathetic face of an
| earlv christian martyr--and perhaps a
sketch or two by The gifted daughter of the