The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-07-13
ROSE FROM BRAKEMAN
pUMARKABLE CAREER OF JUDGE
PARKER's RUNNING NATE.


5. There is much in the career of Henry
Gassaway Davis, the Democratic nom-
inee for the Vice Presidency, to afford
Inspiration for young Americans. 1t
shows what can be accomplished by
integrity, industry. and fxedness Of
I purpose, even when handicapped by
want OF money and by the lack of any
except the most rudimentary school
education. Mr.. Davis was born In the
little town of Woodstock, on the old
line of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
way, q few miles out from Baltimore,
on November 16, 1923. His father was
Caleb Davis, and his mothers maiden
name was Louisa Brown. On his moth
er's side he was descended from Revolt
tionary stock. and his father had been
soldier in the war of 1912. Some
years before his birth his father. who
had been a successful merchant in Bal
timore, retired from business, and NOV
ed to a farm in Howard county, Mary
land. The Baltimore and Ohio Railway
was then being built, and Mr.. Davis
took contracts for railway work, which
resulted in heavy losses. He also built
the town Of Woodstock. and lost money
on that, with the result that his farm
and other property were swept away,
and he did not long survive the wreck
OF his fortune, leaving his widow with
-four sons and a daughter to care for.
1t as doubtless to their mother that
the Davis children owed many of the
qualities and prit eiples that have en-
4 abled them to suc8eed in life. That this
Is true seems to Pie borne out by the
fact that the children of her brothers
and sister, as well as her own, at
tanned success. One of her sisters was
the mother of Senator Arthur Pue Cor
man of Maryland, who is thus a first
cousin OF former Senator Davis. The
Maryland Senator also inherited many
of the traits of character of the Brown
family. and between him and his cous-
IN there has always existed the warm
est personal and political friendship.
From Farm to Railroad Work.
When Henry O. Davis was a boy
free schools were unknown in Mary
land. and necessity and a desire to
gtve.to q younger brother educational
advantages that he could not share,
resulted In his becoming a bread win
,ner for the family at an early age. 1t
was to former Governor Howard, of
Maryland. that he owed his first en-
ployment, and he lived at the Howard
home, working on his farm until he
was 10 years old. By that time the
Baltimore and Ohio Railway had been
extended to Cumberland. and the in
Grease In business called for more men,
DIR. Woodside. the superintendent, was
made young Davis brakeman on q
freight train. He was soon promoted to
be conductor of a freight, and the en-
ergetic way in which he took charge
of matters and handled men In clearing
up a wreck on the road having come
to the personal attention of Mr.. Thorn
az Swami, the president of the road. he
was given another promotion and took
charge of q passenger train.
President Swami kanf of HE
efficient young conductor, and when he
was about "a years of age gave him
another promotion. making him super
intendent in charge of the running OF
all OF the trains on the road. 1t was
in this position that Mr.. Davis had his
first opportunity to display executive
abilities on a considerable scale and to
Innovations in railroading. Up to that
time 1t had not been considered prac-
ticable to run railway trains at night.
and freight trains and passenger trains
alike were stopped at nightfall at con-
venient stations and held over until
daylight the next morning. Superin-
tendent Davis believed that there was
no reason why the trains should not
move by night as well as by day, and,
against the judgment of many of the
other officers of the road, he made the
experiment the first night train being
run from Cumberland to Baltimore. 1t
was complete success, and from that
day to this there has been little differ
ence between night and day as far as
the running of railway trains is con-
cerned.
Contrasted with the salaries receiv-
ed by railway officials of the present
day, the pay of Superintendent Davis
seems small. amounting to less than
$100 per month, but it was sufficient to
enable him to assist his mother and
lay by enough to enable him to marry.
In 1853 he married Miss Kate, daugh-
ter Of Judge Gideon Rantz of Freder-
fck. Md. whose death In December,
1so2. after nearly fifty years
OF married life. was Ia Sc
we're blow to tho former Senator.
Began business at Piedmont.
Soon after his marriage Mr.. Davis
became the agent of the Baltimore and
Ohio at Piedmont. He soon saw that
there were excellent business opportu-
mites at this place and he established
his brother, William r. Davis, as a
shipper of coal and lumber. A year later
he resigend from the railway and be-
game the head of the firm of Davis &
Brothers, which for more than a
generation was to play a most impor-
tant part in the development of Pied
mont and the surrounding country In
two States. In addition to the coal and
AQkuUcE DUSlutSS inc DdV1SeS conducted
"a general store, dealing an all kinds of
lsupplies needed IN the coal fields. Their
business sprospered until the breaking
iout OF tho Civil War. when it suffered
smore or less from the Victssitudes in
cident to- it's location in the border
country between the North and the
south. The. close OF the war found
thesmembers of the firm in a position
TO at once greatly increase theii
ALREADY growing fortunes. Tho Balti.
more and Ohio Road had been used tc
ITS utmost capacity for the transpor,
Station oftmen and supplies, and was II
@ greatly rundown condition.
In 1867 the Davis Brothers bough
several thousand acres of timber lane
along the line of the Baltimore ant
Ohio. in Garrett County, Md, and a
once began. cutting timber which the!
soldito the road fortnew bridges, ties
and other uses. Itiwas on this trac
that Mr.. Davis laid out the mountain
resort town of Deer Park. where h,
built himself a spacious and elegan
summer home, in which he and hi
family dispensed transformations hos
pitality. 1t was here that they enter
tanned President and Mrs. CLEVELAND
after their marriage In the Whit
House. Among others who were guest
at the Deer Park summer home from
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