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

mess the Davises conducted a gen,
eral store. dealing in all kinds of sup
plies needed in the coal fields. TheI.
business prospered until the breaking
out of the civil war, when it suffered
more or less from the vicisstudes in
cident to its location in the border
county between the North and the
South. The close of the war found
the members of the firm in 4osition
to at once greatly increase their al
ready growing fortunes. The Baiti-
more and Ohio road had been used to
it's utmost capacity for the transpor-
tation of men and supplies. and was
in greatly rundown condition.
In 1867 the Davis Brothers bought
several thousand acres of timber land
along the line of the Baltimore and
Ohio, in Garret county, Nd, and al
once began cutting timber which they
sold to the road for new bridges, tie.
and other uses. 1t was on this tract |
that Mr.. Davis laid out the mountain
resort town of Deer Park, where he
built himself a spacious and elegant
summer home, in which he and his
family dispensed unostentatious hos
pitality. 1t was here that they enterl !
tanned President and Mrs. Cleveland
after their marriage in the White
House. Among others who were
guests at the Deer Park summer
home from time to time were Presl-
dent and Mrs Harrison. with thell
daughter, Mrs. Mckee; Secretary o.
the Treasury and Mrs. Window, Sen
az Bayard, of Delaware; Senator
T. rman, of Ohio: Gov. CampDel.
air. Mrs. Campbell. of Ohio, and, o.
course. Senator German, of Maryland.
Explored the Hills and Forests.
Mr.. Davis at an early period real
iZed) the great possibilities of tht
then entirely undeveloped lands H.
the Upper Potomac and Cheat RIVER
regions. and even before the civil wal
he had made some investments lr
those localities. After the war, ano
with the profits of the timber solo
from the Deer Park tract, he be-
gan to make purchases on large
scale Though possessing those char
acteristics OF the successful business
man that enables him to make use OF
the services of others TO good advan'
tage, Mr.. Davis has always wanted to
know at first hand and by persona!
everything about the de,
tails of his business. Thus it was
that he explored all of the regions
in which his purchases were made
travelling on foot and on horseback
often sleeping at night in the woods
until he was thoroughly acquainted
with every detail of the region. He
knew that there was untold wealth,
in the hills and in the forests of this
region and he knew that railway
was necessary to make 1t available
at that time his fortune and
the financial assistance he could COM
lnand were not enough to immediate
ly purchase the lands and build the
road. he had confidence enough In
himself to believe that he would III,
timately be able to carry through the
great plan he had in mind. He con,
tinued to purchase coal and tmDel
lands at prices that seem small today
after his energy has opened up the
and put it within reach O.
the worlds markets. He had his re-
ward years after he had made his
first purchase. when he was able to
gather together sufficient capital fns
the construction of the West Virginia
Central and Pittsburg Railway.
His Interest i'm Politics.
Since he was a young man Mr.. Da-
Wis has been intensely interested in
politics. Before the civil war he was
a Whig, and voted for Henry Clay
whose acquaintance he had maie
when the great Whig leader had been
an occasional passenger on his train
while he was a conductor on the Bal
timore and Ohio. Throughout the
civil war Mr.. Davis was a supporte.
of the Union, and had friendly busi-
ness relations with the government al
Washington. furnishing large quaint.
ties of supplies for the army. AT the
close of the war he became MEM
ber of the Conservative Union part.
in West Virginia, the part 1foI
which the Democratic party in tha
State has been developed. He soon
took an active part in politics, an:
was elected on the Conservative Union
ticket as a member of the lower
house of the West Virginia Legisla
ture, taking his seat in the session o
1866 His knowledge of business al
fairs led to his being appointed !;
member of the committee on com
merce and finance. After one term in
the House Mr.. Davis was elected te
the State Senate, and was reelected
two years later. The new State o1
West Virginia was just being fairly
launched on its career while Mr.. Da
Wis served in it's Legislature, and the
report which he drew up as chair,
man of the joint committee on finance
was instrumental In putting the finan-
cial affairs of the State on SOUND
basis.
Dr. Davis declined the nomination
for Congress from his district ii
1870, but the following winter he wa'
elected to the United States Senate
and took his seat in that body OF
March 4, 1871. AT that time the is-
sues growing out of the civil war hac
mot all been settled and there was q
bitterness of debate in the Senate that
has seldom been equaled since. Mr.
Davis was always loval to his party
but his personal relations with Sena-
tors on the opposite side OF the cham.
Der were generally of the most cor
dial character. and with some of hi.
Republican opponents. notably with
Mr.. Blaine and Mr.. Wildom. he form
ed friendships that were only severed
hy death. Equally strong were some
os the friendships he formed on hi:
own side sof the chamber especially
those with Senators Bavard and
Thurman. In the Senate Mr. Davis
was particularly active IN his opposl.
ton 10 the civil rights bill which wa:
finally forced through only to be de
clared unconstitutional by the Su.
| preme Court. He was watchful Of tn.
interests of West Virginia and Sc
cured recognition of its waterways ir
the river and harbor appropriation
bills. His first extended speech in ths
Senate was on a bill to extend tn:
national bank circulation, and soor
after he introduced a bill to reduce
the tax on State bank notes.
Notable Work in the Senate.