The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-07-17

advantageous offer from the Gould
Interests led to the sale of the road
and it's properties to them, and the
road now forms an important link III
the Gould lines to the seaboard. For.
mer Senator Davis did not by an.<
means retire from the coal and rail-
way business in West Virginia after
the sale of this property. lie was all
ready engaged in opening up a new
field westward from Belington to-,
ward the Monongahela river. With q
railway from BeIington, and he is
also Interested in the Coal and Iron
Railway, running south from Elkins
TO White sulphur Springs Va.
His Interest in Home Towns.
Mr.. Davis has always been closely
identified with the community in
which his business interests have been
centered. His summer nome was at
Deer Park until the West Virgins
ENTERPRISE was we'll under way, wher
he built himself handsome stone
residence on one Of the hills north OF
the town Of Elkins, w. Va, which is
his present summer home. lie has
used his wealth in many ways for the
advantage OF the communities If
which he has lived In 1886 he gayS
a new high school to the town Of
Piedmont donating both the land and
the building. in 1893 he gave a park
OF nine acres to the town OF Elkins
and in 1894 he and his brother, Col
Thomas Davis, united in building the
Davis Memorial church, erected in
memory OF their mother. In 1900 hJ
presented sI1, 900 to the State for thr
Charleston, w. Va, making an allow
ance of $1,000 annually toward It's
support. Early in the history OF the
West Virginia Central and Pittsburg
Railway ana of the Davis Coal CON-
pany relief association was estai-
lished, to which Mr.. Davis was lio-
eral contributor. This developed in
later years in the erection by MIR. anc
Mrs. Davis of the Davis Memorial
Hospital, at Elkins, in memory OF
Henry G. Davis, Jr., their eldest son
who was washed overheard from q
ship off the coast of South Africa in
1896. Among other recent gifts OF
Mr.. Davis is a large Presbyterian
school, now being erected on one OF
the hills just outside of the town of
Elkins.
Since he LETT the Senate OF the Uni
ted states hr. Davis has maintained
his interest in the affairs of the ma,
ton and of his State. One of his
latest and most important services to
| West Virginia has been as a member
of the state Tax Commission, which
state.
Inter Continental Railway Commits
sion.
His principal service to the nation
! has been as member of the first and
second international conferences of
| the American Republics and as chair
| man of the Inter- Continental Railway
Commission. In the first Pan-AmerI-
can conference. held in Washington
| i'm 1SSg-90, while he took q lively in
terest in all Of the proceedings. re
was chiefly concerned with the worI
| of the committee on railway commu-
InicatiGn, of which he was a member
| and the report of Wnch-IareeeJy hrs
work-waS the first real step in the
direction Of carrying out the proieca
| for uniting the three Americas by a
| continuous line Of railway. Growing
| out of the adoption of this report by
| the conference was the organization
| Of the Continental Railway
Commission and the making of com
Dlete preliminary surveys under the
direction Of that commission. These
surveys showed The practicabfIitv of
| the project When President Mcxiu-
| ley named the delegates of the Unite.
States to the second Pan-A American
conference, which met in the CITY OF
1 Mexico in the winter Of 190f-O2. tie
! name of Mr.. Davis was at the head
of the list He was unanimously
| chosen chairman of the delegation
and would have been made permanent
president Of the conference by accIa-
nation but for the fact that. after the
| delegation of Colombia had offered q
! motion for this purpose which waF
seconded by the Mexican delegation,
| he declined the honor. His DrincinaI
service in this conference was on the
Inter Continental Railway Committee
of which he was chairman, and he