Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-11

| business as shipper of coal and lumber for
| the producers. The town grew rapidly, and
| the occupation in which the brothers en-
gagged slowly but surely increased. A year
| passed and Thomas B. Davis joined his for
| tune with his two brothers. In 1853, the
| little business, started four years before,
| had done SO well that Henry G. resigned his
| position on the railroad. Joined the two
brothers and became the head of the firm
| of H. G. Davis & Bros
The year he resigned from the railroad he
| added banking to the list of his business
| cares He organized the Piedmont Savings
| Bank and was elected it's president No
| single feature of his career illustrates his
substantial advancement in all the walks
Oh lie more conspicuOuSly than the con-
trast between that small beginning in
money dealing with the present Davis Ma
| tional Bank of Piedmont. with its hundreds
| OF thousands Of dollars in business yearly
| mat has taken its place. and of which Mr..
| Davis was long master spirit.
| The possessions and interests of the Davis
| prothers We're then insignificant, indeed, in
| contrast with their vast belongings of to-
a 1aS what was then but a beginning has
| Grown 70 the proportions of a great for
| tune. Today they count their capital by
| millions and their landed estates by more
Ihan a hundred thousand acres. William
prothers. who almost half a century ago
Degan life together by putting into the little
business at Piedmont their energy toll and
from the fruit of their industry by close
economy have held everything in common
until this day.
1 True to the Union.
/ Ihe war came on and brought its changes
10 the Davis brothers, as 1t did to all 9TH
ers living along the border. While it him
] aered the increase of their business in one
! direction 1t opened up new avenues of trade
| IN another. All three of them voted
4 against the secession of Virginia from the
Union, their adopted state, remained true to
L Hyad
1 ing all the years of the war. The confed-
4 crates once destroyed s6O.OOO worth of their
4 property Large investments in coal and
timber land. that rapidly appreciated in
value, swelled their profits and when the
war closed they found themselves in a po-
| Sit1on to extend their operation considera-
Oily: The Baltimore and Ohio railroad with
which Mr. Davis had retained friendly rela-
lions, stood badly in need of repair Lum-
Der. bridge timber, cross ties and. other
i supplies were needed, and the need gave
i employment and opportunity to the Davis
i brothers. Mr.. Davis owned the forest track
j, at Deer Park. on the summit of the Allie
! ghenies. and the standing trees were con-
| verted into railroad supplies by means
4 of portable saw mills About this time also
| he entered largely into the business of coal
4 mining. and several mercantile establish
ments were added to his list of enterprises.
| Everything he undertook seemed to pros
! per, and in 1870 he was rated a man Of
large wealth.
At the close of the war Mr.. Davis went
| the republicans and he might have acted
| in full accord with that party had it not
| been that some republican opponents defeat
| ed him for the Legislature by getting his
name stricken from the registry list, an un-
| registered voter being prohibited by law
| from holding office This incident deter
| mined his career a politician. In 1866 he
| was elected as a Cnfon-conSetvatVe candl-
| date to the lower branch of the West Nir-
| ginia legislature. He took leading part in
| the delibera ions of that body. Two years
| later he was elected TO the state senate.
] He occupied even a higher place in the
business of the upper house than he had in
| that of the lower. His contest for election
to the state senate in 1869 was memorable
one His opponent was w. II. H Flick.
| lately decea sed, then of Pendleton county.
W. Va one of the ablest and most popular
republicans in the state: The contest was
exciting and close. and Mr.. Davis was elect
| ed, though the district at that time was
| nOminally republican. When the legislat-
ure of 1870 met and indicted into power
the party with which he had animated. he
was made chairman of the senate finance
committee and was in other ways recos-
nized as the leader of his party In that
body.
By Aid of Republican Votes.
When the duty of electing United
St,tes Senator to succeed Waitman T.
Wiley devolved upon the legislature MI
Davis was chosen by an almost unani-
nous voice The representatives of both
parties voted for him, the republicans be-
ing In the minority. over such dtstin-
euished men as Daniel Lamb and b. H.
smith who were candidates. He was also
elected a second time, the republicans.
again in the minority. voting for him as
the least Objectionable OF their opponents.
His last term of service in the highest
branch Of the national Legislature expired
March A. 1888. 1t has been remarked OF
him that he has never held public office
except by the votes of the opposing po-
litical party and that this rule has held
good throughout his political life.
1t is a safe rule to estimate man by
the impression he makes upon MS as.
sociates 1t is an axiom in our system or
government that the popular verdict shall
be law. 1t Is but fair to apply this test to
Mr. Davis. When he succeeded Mr.. Will
ley. a man of ability and ripe experience.
who had been very prominent In public
affairs he found seat on the democratic
side of the Senate. and that party in the
minority. He took his position and per-
formed the duties to which he was as
signed with the same becoming modesty
hich has been a conspicuous feature OF
his conduct in every walk of life. Gradu-
ally he became known to his colleagues.
and 1t was not long before he occupied a
position among them equal to the best.
Although a new member and in mi
nority party, he was very soon on the
best committees of the Senate.
The salient points of the political career
Of Mr. Davis. down to the time of his re-
tirement from the United States Senate
In 1883. have been: His advocacy of the
assumption by West Virginia of fair
proportion Of the debt of Virginia exist
ing at the time the new state was ere
ated. whenever such proportion could be
equitably ascertained: his leadership as
chairman of the Senate committee On ap-
propriations during two of his twelve
years of service in the United States Sem
ate. and his practical work as member
of the special committee on tranSporta-
ton routes to the seaboard. He is what
may be termed tariff democrat" IA
voring incidental protection. He also
favored and urged the resumption of spe-
Gle payments. His best and by far the
most of his work in the Senate was done
during the session of his committees
where his thorough investigation, sound
judgment, discretion and force were
readily recognized
Deals With Grave Problem.
Naturally. the duties and inquiries of the |
transportation committee were entirely con-
genial TO him. because they brought him to |
no