The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1898-01-21
THE END OF LIFE.
Hon. Caleb +. Davis, 4 Former Citizen Of
Clarksburg, Dies At his Home In
ksokusk, Iowa.
n Short Biographical Sketch Of his Lille.

Hon. G. F. Davis passed away
yesterday afternoon about 9
o'clock at his home on second
and High streets.
The event was not unexpected,
but had been feared for several
days. When the news came a
feeling of profound sadness came
over those who knew and had
been associated with him who is
gone. For some years he had
been afflicted with a pulmonary
complaint which deprived him of
his health, but his condition was
not serious. A sad coincidence
is that on the anniversary Of his
wedding early in November.
complications set in that rendered
his condition hopeless. Every
thing that care and skill could
do was done and his life was pro-
long to certain extent, but the
struggle was without avail to
save his life. He gradually grew
weaker and the first of the week
his condition became critical. He
lost consciousness before the
end, and it came peacefully and
quietly.
He realized his condition some
weeks ago and the members OF
his family were summoned to be
in attendance. His prominence
and the high regard in which he
was held makes his demise some
what of q shock to the commu-
nifty in which he lived for almost
half a century.
Hon. Caleb Forbes Davis. was
born in Clarksburg, Harrison
county, West Virginia, April ~,
Ils29. His father, Rein Davis,
was . native Of Virginia and was
engaged in Clarksburg in the
saddlery and harness business
until his death in 1854 period
of fifty years. During a great
part of that time in that section
of the country all the travel was
on horseback or by stage and
the transportation of produce
and merchandise was by wagon.
Hence the harness and saddlery
business was an important and
profitable one. Judge Davis was
the eldest of a family OF nine
children. His mother was Ann
Pollard Britton. who was born in
Virginia in 1907 and died in 1877.
His paternal grandfather, Caleb
Davis, was silversmith and
watch and clock maker by trade
and Mr.. Davis had in his posses
sion an old fashioned clock seven
feet high, with face showing
the moons changes, which was
made by his grandfather. by
hand. His maternal grandfather
Forbes Britton. in connection
Joseph Campbell, published the
! first newspaper west of the Ale
ghany mountains in Virginia. 1t
was printed in Morgantown, Mo-
nongalia county, and was call
ed the Morgantown Gasatte and
Jioaongdhelo Aduertiser. The
frst number was issued about
January, 1903.
His early education was such
as was Afforded in that day among
the hills of West Virginia.
Among his teachers and the one
to whom he ascribed the greatest
influence was Francis H. Pierre
point, who afterwards was a law
yer, became a prominent union
leader and was the first governor
of the new State Of Westvirginla.
At the age of sixteen he entered
his fathers shop to learn the
trade but the confinement and
sedentary nature of the occupa-
ton disagreed with him and af-
ter a short time he became a clerk
in a general retail store, where
| he remained until the winter of
1s49.
he left Clarksburg February
%, ls49, and went overland to
Sistersville on the Ohio river.
There he embarked on a boat
and went to St. Louis from which
place he came to Keokuk arriv-
ing here the first week in March,