Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-06-29
COMMANDER DAVIS.
Some Facts Concerning the Well-known
United States Officer.

President Cleveland knew his man
When he designated Commander Davis
to represent this government in at
tendance upon the Spanish princess,
says the Mobile Register Davis is a
| gentleman. His father was a naval
officer. He refuses to let the vulgar
women of New York, who seek motor
! ieCy, show unsuitable attentions to the
| princess The tr1le society women I'M
derstood the situation perfectly. The
/ princess is 4 guest Of the government.
! a I'D is not here to make acquaintance
among society women whose purpose
/ is simply to lay predicate for recipro-
! cal social attentions from the Spanish
court and nobility. Captain Davis has
distinctly snubbed the importunate
crowd, and hence is being severely
criticised by the ambitious rich people,
/ who are hanging by their eyelids on
the edge of society. He can afford 10
smile at his critics. He knows his duty,
and evidently intends that the duty
contided to him shall be done with
! dignity. Since COmmaner Davis
through the important duty assigned
/ to him in looking after the nations
guest, has come more prominently into
notice, some curiosity has been aroused
j to know more about the naval officer
! He has been selected for the command
| Of the new United States cruiser Mont
gomery and will become the captain
of this ship as soon as she is put in
commission.
! For the past three years he has been
on duty at the navy department i'll
; Washington as chief of the naval intel
Ggence Office. This position is one re-
quiring an extensive knowledge of the
methods in vogue in foreign navies, and
because of the knowledge thus gained
he was selected for the duty of escort
ing the princess when she arrived in
this country. Among naval officers
the present high state of efficiency
of the naval intelligence office is as
cribed .slainly to his efforts.
Davis is the son of the late Rear
Admiral Lee John Davis of the United
States navy. He was appointed to the
| United States navy academy from Mas
sachusetts in 1861, He was graduated
in 1865 and saw his first service ON a
sea-going cruiser aboard the frigaGe
Colorado in the European station In
1867 he did duty aboard the slooE-of-
war Augusta. From 1867 to 1863 he
served aboard the stoop-of-war Guer.
riere, andfrom 1869 to 1870 he was a
master aboard the sIoop-of-war Ports
mouth. Both the Guerrero and Ports.
mouth were attached to the South At
lantic squadron.
Mr., Davis was made a lieutenant in
1868 and a ACKNOWLEDGEMENT in
1863 From 1872 to 1874 he did duty
ia the Pacific, aboard the Omaha first.
and later aboard the Pensacola. Fronl
1870 to 1877, and from 1877 to 1885 he
YVES connected with the several exBe
dif10ns for the determination of differ
eEces of longitude by means of sub
marine cables from Europe to the At
Eantic islands and east cost of Suutl
America; in India, China, Japan and
! the Indian Archipelago in Mexico
and Central America, and on the west
coast of SoTuth America. In 1885 he
was made commander, and from 1886
to 1883 he commanded the sloop-ef-war
Sartoga.
/ Commander Davis last command was
the sloop-of-war Quinnebaug, Of the
European squadron.
J The Montgomery, the war vessel
/ which ne viii command, will be ready
4 for commission some time next fall
She is at present lying at the docks of
! the Columbian iron works, Baltimore
:; Md and will shortly be given her Off
cial government steaming trials.
/ Commander Davis is a good 1inguist
and speaks Spanish fuently.