The Portland daily press., 1895-05-13
DAVIS OLD HOME,
The Charming Mississippi Domicile of the
Confederate President,

Julian Ralph in Harper's Magazine y
By the wood road the back of Beauvoir
is first reached, and is found TO ba
tract of ten acres, devoted to the euItiva-
tion of the scuppernong grape. The
vineyard Is a scene of disorder and no
elect. The rude arbors are rottino and
falling unon the vines, and the youno
persimmon and pecan trees that have
been set out there are endangered by the
weeds that grow riotously, to exaggerste
the suggestion of desolation. The man.
sion is around a bend of the road. COM
manding the dark blue gulf, from be-
hind ample grounds, whose fenco separ
ates the place. but does not hide it's
beauties from the white beach drive
that skirts the water. The gate was tied
up and the house closed, SO that had it
been pointed out to me as haunted
house, abandoned Sby it's owners. the
scene presented there would have been
exactly accounted for.
1t has been noble place, and could
be made SO again with little trouble and
cApouS6. mo uUuoO VupU hatO SG6u IN
the South is more eloquent of the full
posi- bilities of the aristoc1atic baronial
life of the planter before the war. To
look upon it even now is to recall a
Thousand tales and anecdotes of the ele-
CANT life, the hospitality and the comfort
of the old regime. The main house is
great, square, low building, with gal
lery on three sides, reached by a broad
high flight of steps. A great and beau
itfnl door leads to a wide central hall
way, through which one could see
when the house as open, either the blue
gulf and distant islands in front, or the
great oaks with their funereal drapery
of Spanish moss in the rear. Two other
similar. hut smaller houses stand, like
heralds of the old hospitality, little
forward on either side of the mansion.
Both are square, red-rooted, one-story
miniatures OF the manor house. Each
has it's roof reaching out to form broad
porch in front. One is the bachelors
quarters, for guests and relatives of that
unhappy persuasion, and the other is
Mr.. Davis's library and retreat. There
everything is as he loved to have it
around him when he sat in doors, and
out on the beach is the ruin and wreck
of seat under some live oaks where he
used to siG and look upon the broad
water and reflect upon his extraordinary
and most active life. Behind these
three buildings is the usual array of out
buildings, such as every Southern maE-
sion collected in its shadow-the 'kitoh-
en-, the servants quarters, the dairy and
the others.
went into the little library building
and saw his books, his pictures, his
easy-chair and table. and-behind the
main room-his tiny bedroom and anti
room, the bedroom being so small that
1t could accommodate no larger bed than
the mere cot which is showed against the
window. His books would indicate that
he was religious man with a subordi-
nate interest in history. In closet he
kept remarkable collection of prayer
books, and in an open case were many
volumes of novels, which the oare-taker
of the place called trash" and account
ed for with the explanation that Mr..
Davis maintained sort of circulating
library for the use of his ex-Confederate
soldier friends. The pictures that still
hang upon the walls struck me as "a
strange collection. One shows some
martyrs, dead. inta gladiatorial amphi-
theater; one is of drowned girl float
ing beneath halo in night-dark ened
stream: one is portrait of our Saviour,
besides several Mndonnas ;and only one is.
military picture. Thither came constant
visitors, for it was "the thin to don in
Biloxi-faI too much SO for Uhe privacy
and comfort of the family I suspect;
but it is recollected that Mr.. Davis de-
lighted in showing his library to all who
cared after 12 O'Clock noon. The main
house was seen only by those who had
claim upon his affections. / visited it
and found it. made up of noble rooms
and decorated beautifully with fresco
work. But nearly all the furniture and
ornaments and pictures were packed up
or covered as if ready for removal. The
effect upon my mind was sad and almost
tragic, and hastened from the wide
spread scene of havoc and of neglect,
which even threatens the house itself.