The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-03-12
DEATH OF JUDGE DAVIS
One Of Aontana's Conspicuous Pioneers
Ends an Eventful Career.
in the Life of Butte's Most
Prominent eank era Life
Well
Out
rs ,n- standards Special Wire.

1850
door for several weeks, and the end had
been considered IL matter OF only n Few
or hours at hest. Ono year ago,
Judge Davis, in spite at his advanced
years. was deemed 10y his physicians to bc
IL man of comparatively vigorous health.
Care, however, told upon him. His bsis!-
ness interests were vast, and important
transactions of relatively recent date left
their impress upon him. Late i'm Novcm-
ber Of last year, the Judge left his city for
IA trip to the Pacific coast, his COM
panions ieing Judge Dixon and
Judge Knowles. After n few
weeks ic returned. apparently much
improved i'm health. During the holidays
lac again went to- Tacoma. He became
much worse and cerebral s~ofteningw was dc
veiolssd, the disease which ended his life.
His brother, John A. Davis, and his
ncphcw Andrew j. Davis, went to Ia-
then lie has fingered between life and
death and il was often Thought that the
end could not In delayed more than n
hours, yet each time he rallied and passed
the crisis. After ~ time DIR. Hough, who
for years had been the Judges physician,
was ummonc from New York.
On arriving home Doctor Hough told the
the relatives and friends of the Judge that
he could do nothing save To case the mans
dying hours, and tina tho end was only
u matter Of "a few days ar weeks at the
most. This morning il was apparent that
Judge Davis was dying. All day le lay
breathing hc.vily at first, hut at evening
the efforts became less frequent and pro-
nounccd until the end. The body will he
sent east To tho old homestead for burial.
Andrew jackson Davis was horn April
u, 1919, and was therefore nearly seventy
one years old. He was the oldest of six
SONS, AMI was born at Springfield. Mass.
His father was Asa Davis, and his anccs-
tors for many generations had been resi-
dents of Massachusetts and were oh
tlf<.tps1 with Spunf. pf the most nOtnhlp
families in that colony AMI state. When
"a small hoy Andrew entered "a store in
Boston, Mass, as an crrand boy. Before
hc was of age he went with a small stock
of goods, of which he was part owner, To
Madison. Ind. After staying there a year
or two he went To- Nashville. Tenn, still
engaging i'm the mercantile business. Re
manning 81 year i'm Nashville, he then
went, about the year 1s3s, to Iowa nai
formed u partnership with Fi~ard Man.
ming AZ IS~cosoqua, iowa sfr. Manning il
.nM a very wealthy man OF that
place. Some years afterward MIR.
Davis removed To ~Iowavillc. Iowa.. 10
miles from Ecososlua. and entered into
business individually. His business had
becn gradually assuming large proper
tions at each removal, owing to- his indie
~fltigable industry and rare business abil-
ity. Al Iowaviile lac carried on "a store,
grist mill and distillcry. and WIS the
owner of several small stores.
About tho year 1SJ:i Mr.. Davis went To
California. leaving his business i'm Iowa
i'm charge OF his brothers., John and Cal
win. He remained two years in Califor-
mia and acquired considerable money
there. In 1S.Si he returned tn Iowa, re-
manning there until the year 1854. still en-
gagged i'm the mercantile business. About
the year 1850 he was n candidate for the
Iowa senate OH the Bcll-Evcrctt ticket,
but was defeated.
In 1854 Mr.. Davis came to Montana. lie
started either the first or the second grist
mill in Montana, the claim for the first
mill lying etweeN Mr.. Davis and Mr..
Higgins of Missoula. Mr.. Davis mill was
located in Gallatin county, of which county
llc was ut ono time ID judge. After
n few years ne became owner of the Hell
ena foundry. taking IL for "a icbt, that
property only rcccntly passing out OF his
hands. On acquiring this property Mr..
Davis removed to Helena. II. conducted
the affairs of the foundry for several
years and turned IL into n paying property.
For another small debt he became the
uosscssor of the Lexington mine at Butte
i'm tho year 1876. The mine had been
known as the Allie Brown hut
This was the occasion of the Judges re-
moval to Butte i'm 1876. During the time
Judge Davis was the owner of the Lex
ington. its gross product amounted in
value to 81 10000 IA property was sold
to thc Lexington for S.OOU.Oc,
Mr.. Davis still retaining large interest in
th. property. Judge Davis built the seq
onh mill in the Butte ramp. thu Dexter
being tho first. This mill was the old
L~cxington in East Broadway. Ever since
tho year of his arrival in Butte. Judge
Davis has been engaged tai u greater or
less extent i'm mining. About tho year
1ss2 ar 1SSS he became owner Of u major
ity of the stock of the First National hank
of Butte. He had previously been u part
owner. hut the bank had not been suc-
ccssful. and paid nothing to its stockhold-
crs. Immediately ON the bank coming
within the control of the Judge, il became
u paying property.
Judge Davis was regarded as the
wealthicst man i'm Montana. His immense
wealth was acquired too without any aids
or starts i'm life whatever. He was a man
of extraordinary business enterprise. tact
and ability. Almost every one of his VEN
lures proved successful. and this fortune
is estimateda at not less than S5,OOo,OOO or
$b.OOO,OOO. and perhaps il will prove tn be
much more than this. In addition to the
First National bank of Butte. his property
includes a per cent. of the First National
bank OF Helena. There is also u large
block OF stock i'm the Butte & Boston COM
pany and in the Lexington company. and
n great deal of real and personal property
in Butte and that goes with his
estate.