The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1902-05-24
CONFEDERATE RENINISCENCE
Sharp Contest on for Davis Man
sion at Montgomery, Ala.
WAR AMONG D. o. c. DIVISIONS.
White House Association Trying to Save
the Historic Building.

A recent dispatch from Mont
gomery, Alabama, says:
The fine old southern mansion in
which, as president Of the southern
confederacy, Jefferson Davis resided
during the few months before the
capital was removed from Montgomery
to Richmond is just now center Of
interest. Some years ago the Alabama
division of the Daughters Of the Con
federacy decided that they would buy
the old place and preserve it as
museum and library. A White House
committee was duly appointed and
instructed to proceed with the raising
of the money. Later on one of the
two Montgomery chapters turned
against the enterprise and set about
to abolish the work. out Of the
struggle two more chapters were
evolved in this city, so that there are
now two on each side of the prop
osition.
The committee, finding that it
could not legally hold property, pro-
cured charter for a new concern
called the First White House Associa-
tion, and after some of the most
charming lobby work ever seen about
the Alabama capitol, secured the
passage through the last legislature
of bill appropriating $4,000 for the
purchase of the house in the name Of
the new association. But the gov
ernor vetoed the bill. Nothing
daunted, they have continued the
work and now have in hand some
81, 500.
At several meetings of the state
division there has been sharp strug-
gle over abolishing the enterprise, but
the White House faction has always
won. Wearying of the struggle, they
let it go by default at the annual
convention, which has just been held
in DemopOlis, and the work was not
only abolished but the committee
ordered to turn over its funds to the
general treasury, to be used for some
other purpose. This is where the
interesting part Of the story comes in.
MRS. DAVIS AID ENLISTED.
About four years ago the White
House Committee went to Beauvoir
and procured from Mrs. Jefferson Davis
as a gift the most valuable mementoS
of her husband now in existence, be-
ing his complete set of bedroom fur
niture just as he used it in his last
days, with all the little bric-a-brac
about the house, Mrs. Davis gave the
relics in letter to the White House
Committee in perpetuity, to be taken
care of by the governor Of Alabama at
the capitol until such time as the
Montgomery White House should be
purchased and ready for them. They
now occupy room at the capitol and
are the center of interest to all visitors.
The question has been a live one as
to what would become Of these yalua-
BILE relics in case the daughters aban-
doned the work of preserving the
White House as the designated
epository in the deed Of gift.
The new White House Association,
to eyerybody's surprise, announces
that it is prepared for just such an
emergency, and presents a last will
and testament by Mrs. Davis herself
giving them over to that association
in event the daughters ever abolish
the work The will was made last
March, and was especially designed to
meet the contingency that has arisen
from the victory of the White House
opponents at Demopolis. The oppo-
sition is thus taken unawares, the
new association viii carry on the
work Of preserving the old mansion
and the relics Of Mr.. Davis pass from
the White House Committee 10 the
White House Association.
The White House itself is held at
$4,000 by the owner, and the design
is to move it to a lot adjoining the
grounds Of the state capitol.
Joseph TrlbnIe aud wife left fol
J Wellington Friday morning to attend
the funaral NJ hia nenheu Nan Gnan